Degreasing deer skull question

[7mmfan]

I'm down to the bitter end with my latest Euro mount. I tried a modified maceration this year with what I feel is very good success. I kept it in approximately 110 degree water with lots of Dawn dish soap in it for about a week and a half. The thing is spotless as far as meat goes. I feel like 95% of it is also properly decreased. The base of the antlers and the back top of the skull however, I don't think have been degreased properly, and I'm trying to avoid submerging the antlers in that hot soapy water. Any tips on how to quickly degrease that portion of the skull so that I can get moving?

[PastorJoel]

(don't take my advice too seriously, I am a rookie)


I used Oxyclean and made it into a paste by just adding a touch of water.

[7mmfan]

So I did that once already, actually mixed it with a little bit of Dawn dish soap, and water, made a paste, and covered it with a wet paper towel. I'm just not sure how to tell if it's actually degreased or not,

[jrebel]

I just soak mine in warm water and a lot of dawn soap for 24 hours.

[7mmfan]

All the way up around the antlers and everything? Does it discolor the antlers? I'm trying to avoid submerging them and just apply something to the parts I don't think have decreased enough. 

[PolarBear]

Fish tank heater, dawn ultra, change out water every week for a month.  Rinse, let dry and sit it in a nice warm place for another month.  If you don't start to get yellow spots you are good to go.  If you do back to step one or low simmer very carefully with dawn ultra until there is no scum on the top. DO NOT BOIL, EVER!!!   

[Brushcrawler]

I didn’t have any trouble with discoloration in the warm soap mix, just don’t get any whitener on the antlers. Be patient on the degreasing, it can take weeks and many water/soap changes, but you have to get it all out or it will turn yellow and smell down the road.

[7mmfan]

Ok I'll start over. It's been in a warm dawn and oxy-clean bath, with water changed daily, for basically 2 weeks. Over the last 3 days, the water has accumulated zero oil and is clear, so I feel that its effectively degreased, except for the following.

Because I'm leery of getting the antlers into that solution for fear of discoloring them, I have only filled the container to the base of the antlers, leaving some of the top and back of the skull exposed. I have put an oxy clean/dawn/water paste on this part and covered it with wet paper towels, but I want to make sure its degreased before I dry and whiten.

So the questions are:

Is there something I can use specifically on that spot that will do the job quickly for me, without having to fully submerge the skull/antlers?

OR

Can I fully submerge the skull AND the base of the antlers into the warm degreasing solution I've been using (Oxy Clean and Dawn in warm water) without discoloring the antlers?

[steeleywhopper]

What if you completely covered the skull in borax? I would think it would help get it all dried out.

[7mmfan]

I never really viewed borax as a degreasing agent.  Does it work well for that?

[steeleywhopper]

i use it when I cut the skull caps off a buck. I skin the fur off the top then pour borax all over the skull cap and let it sit for a month or so. Seems to dry them up and no stink. I would think it would work for the whole skull, worth a shot.

[7mmfan]

Hmm, maybe I'll give that a shot after I get the last little bit of it grease free, might be a good way to finish it off before whitening.

[Shaqdiesel]

Wrap the bases of the antlers with Saran Wrap and then electrical tape to keep them out of the water

[7mmfan]

Wrap the bases of the antlers with Saran Wrap and then electrical tape to keep them out of the water

I've done this before with good success but couldn't seem to get it to wrap up this time, something about the bases was goofy. Maybe I'll try again.

[Lingcod]

I use borax, you can also get powder dish detergent and make it into a paste.