DIY Euro

[Thefisherman83]

I'm going to do a euro on the elk I killed today. Is 35% peroxide strong enough?  Too strong?  I've used 12% (40 volume salon stuff) and it wasn't quite as white as I'd like. I don't want to damage the skull though.

Thanks

[deerdog]

As long as it's perxiode strength shouldn't matter. I use 40 percent strength and leave it sit in there for up to four days

[cougforester]

I did a 50/50 mix of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide after degreasing and cleaning my bear skull this weekend and boiled the skull in that mixture for 30 minutes. Turned out great.

[blindluck]

As long as it's perxiode strength shouldn't matter. I use 40 percent strength and leave it sit in there for up to four days

just wondering where you get 40 percent?

[Angry Perch]

It's actually 40 Volume, which is something like 12%. You can get it at beauty supple places, like Sally Beauty. I used a paste of 40 volume peroxide and Basic White powder (also from Sally beauty) and painted it on, then covered with rags soaked in peroxide to keep it wet.  it turned out great, but i haven't looked at it next to a pro job, so who knows???

[buglebuster]

The main thing is just getting it completely degreased

[BULLBLASTER]

The main thing is just getting it completely degreased

you'll never get it real white if it's still holding grease

[Thefisherman83]

It's actually 40 Volume, which is something like 12%. You can get it at beauty supple places, like Sally Beauty. I used a paste of 40 volume peroxide and Basic White powder (also from Sally beauty) and painted it on, then covered with rags soaked in peroxide to keep it wet.  it turned out great, but i haven't looked at it next to a pro job, so who knows???

This is what I did last time. It looked good, but I want this one to be a little whiter.

[Thefisherman83]

That 35% peroxide is no joke. Some leeched into the bag it was shipped in and I got some on my hand when I opened it.

[Rem14]

This is the method I have been using and has worked good for me.

I start by removing as much of the flesh that I can, then using a stiff wire, that I bend a hook on the end, I stir up the brains and remove what I can with the hook. Place skull in pot of water (if you have skull with antlers, keep the antlers out of the water) with some Dawn dish soap, then start cooking. I heat to a simmer only, I never boil as you can damage real easy if not careful. After the flesh starts to fall off, I remove, rinse and I use an  air compressor to clean off, if not satisfied cook some more. Once satisfied I put in a container of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide full strength, don't use metal container, 48 hrs. seem to work good most of the time for me, you can go longer but watch you can damage if you leave it in to long. When color is to your taste remove, rinse and dry. If you live where the sun shines Mother Nature can also help in the drying and bleaching  process.
This is a picture of the wife's  spring bear that I just completed.   

[Thefisherman83]

That's pretty much what I did. I used a pressure washer instead of an air compressor. I used 35% peroxide for around 10hrs and it turned out great.

[lewy]

If you guys aren't degreasing, those skulls will be yellow in no time. Pick up a fish tank heater and degrease for a month, well worth it

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

If you guys aren't degreasing those skulls will be yellow in no time. Pick up a fish tank heater and degrease for a month, well worth it

YES THAT!!!! Degreasing is the MOST important step in a good euro....you can take a skull that's been cleaned and put whitener on it (either peroxide or cream or both) and it will be as white as snow....however give it about 3-6 months and it will yellow and start to smell rancid without fail if you didn't properly degrease it. Lots of good information on how to degrease it on the web so if your doing a DIY euro, make sure you doing it correctly!!!

[Thefisherman83]

If you guys aren't degreasing those skulls will be yellow in no time. Pick up a fish tank heater and degrease for a month, well worth it

YES THAT!!!! Degreasing is the MOST important step in a good euro....you can take a skull that's been cleaned and put whitener on it (either peroxide or cream or both) and it will be as white as snow....however give it about 3-6 months and it will yellow and start to smell rancid without fail if you didn't properly degrease it. Lots of good information on how to degrease it on the web so if your doing a DIY euro, make sure you doing it correctly!!!

So what's going to happen if I degrease after whitening?  Will I have to re whiten afterwards?

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

It may or may not work. Depending on the whitening agent you use AND how long its been sitting dry. The grease in a skull is somewhat fluid and soluble, degreasing 'pulls' the grease out from an already softened skull. Whitening a skull partially dehydrates the bones AND then when it sits/dries it shrinks and tightens the bones and makes it very hard to remove any grease and usually takes twice as long to re-soften the skull. Its superfluous to whiten THEN degrease because grease leaching out will affect the whitening anyway.
Peroxide you are using does dissolve SOME grease along with boiling, however it does not get it all, only the surface grease because a large majority of the grease is engrained in the skull..thats why it takes a while (month for deer/elk and up to 3 months for bear) to pull it out. I used to boil skulls before I acquired my dermestid beetles, however even most boiling methods do not remove all of it properly....PLUS boiling is soooooo hard on skulls. But to answer your question, yes, you will have to re-whiten again.
Clean (beetles), degrease, peroxide bath (2-3 hrs), whiten....that's the steps I use. If you need more information or the method of how I degrease PM or give me a call and I can let ya know some options. Sorry for the long post..... Joel- BRT