Euro mounts

[highmuley]

I really want to do a Euro mount on the next buck I harvest. If anyone has some tips and tricks for doing one, please share, if you don't mind. Also some examples would be very much appreciated. ...who doesn't love pix?!?! Thanks

[PolarBear]

DO NOT BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  There is a couple of threads on here about maceration.  IMO, it is the ONLY way to get your Euro looking right.  I've done a bunch of them by maceration and will never boil or simmer and other skull again, period!

[redi]

Maceration is definitely the way to go.

[Big6bull]

Maceration definetly seems the best option. However this was not possible for me to do in my small housing development (the smell got pretty bad) I did one last year and one this year (still learning) both boiled to get them done faster and I was very pleased with both but took a lot of patience and time. Watch the water temp if you go that route.

[kentrek]

There's a lot of personal  preference in this..imo the mac seems to do a great job from what I've seen in pics but boiling and painting is pretty dang fast an easy.if I were to have a oil trophy euro'd and hung on the wall at eye level I'd want it perfect no doubt mac would be my route....but lots of times skullz get put ten feet high an at that distance you can get away with a less than perfect job

Here's my whitetail this year that's been simmerd at around 150 deg an then cleaned/painted..its at the same height as a buffalo skull that was done with beatles an you really can't tell the difference and I think I have 2020 vision 

[highmuley]

Looks great!  Thanks for sharing

[Wilderness Addict]

Just watch a couple youtube vids. It is a very simple process. It just takes a little effort and care. Cook and pick, cook and pick, cook and pick some more, soak in peroxide for a day or so, sit outside in sunshine. DONE!

[PolarBear]

And for those of you who do not like the yellow grease spots between the antlers and base of the skull, degrease, degrease, degrease!!  You are not going to get them out by simmering before you destroy the bone.

[bugs n bones]

And for those of you who do not like the yellow grease spots between the antlers and base of the skull, degrease, degrease, degrease!!  You are not going to get them out by simmering before you destroy the bone.

Well said...alot of people are uneducated in this matter and think they are saving money, there not. Ruin the skull and it will look like hell later.

[PolarBear]

Once again, the difference between simmering/boiling and maceration and long and slow degreasing.
Boiling/simmering


Maceration/ degreasing


Now that I look back, I ruined the buck in the first pic and it bugs me to look at it in that state.

[bugs n bones]

whats on your antlers polar bear?

[PolarBear]

I got too much matte finish clear on them.  I usually just give them a really thin coat but not enough to make them shiny.  There are a lot of things that (looking back) that I did wrong with that buck.  Mistakes that won't be repeated.

[bugs n bones]

future floor wax or mop in glo nothing else....

[highmuley]

Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

[blindluck]

That's right, Mop and Glo

[highmuley]

Hmmmm.....I'm gonna try that tonight. ...Thanks

[Wazukie]

Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

If it were me and i was using the antler for knife hanlde, I would have the antler piece stabilized first, but that's me.

[highmuley]

Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

If it were me and i was using the antler for knife hanlde, I would have the antler piece stabilized first, but that's me.

Stabilized? With what (I have literally asked on 5 threads)

[Michelle_Nelson]

Boiling is for instant gratification. 

[highmuley]

Boiling is for instant gratification.

What steps do you suggest? Do you recondition sheds?

[6x6in6]

Boiling is for instant gratification.

What steps do you suggest? Do you recondition sheds?

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,135974.0.html

[highmuley]

How about sealing/preserving? Specifically for knife handles? I have yet to get a straight answer on this (if I missed it. ..I apologize)

[grundy53]

DO NOT BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  There is a couple of threads on here about maceration.  IMO, it is the ONLY way to get your Euro looking right.  I've done a bunch of them by maceration and will never boil or simmer and other skull again, period!

sent from my typewriter

[grundy53]

And for those of you who do not like the yellow grease spots between the antlers and base of the skull, degrease, degrease, degrease!!  You are not going to get them out by simmering before you destroy the bone.

sent from my typewriter

[BULLBLASTER]

Maceration or beetles is the only way to go. Then like others have said DEGREASE! I just pay my taxidermist to do it. The cost is worth not dealing with it to me... I have ruined some trophies trying to save a few dollars and like polarbear said... my mistakes won't be repeated.

[Wazukie]

Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

If it were me and i was using the antler for knife hanlde, I would have the antler piece stabilized first, but that's me.

Stabilized? With what (I have literally asked on 5 threads)

To have the stabilizing done correctly, it'd be best to send it out to some place like http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php  It cost's about $5 to have it done.  If it's a piece of dry horn, and it is a hidden tang knife, you could probably just rub it down real good with some boiled linseed oil.

I haven't really worked with any antler yet, but this is what the pro's in the knife making world say to do.

[highmuley]

Awesome Wazukie! Thanks for the input. Bullblaster..how much does it usually cost for the taxi to do it?

[BULLBLASTER]

Awesome Wazukie! Thanks for the input. Bullblaster..how much does it usually cost for the taxi to do it?

Seems like $100-150 is what I see mostly. Depending on plaque etc. Maybe a taxi will chime in.

[blindluck]

My Taxidermist uses mop and glo on the antlers, to me its the perfect touch kind of like what the antlers would look like on a cold November foggy day.

[blindluck]

simmered