Degreasing A Deer Skull

[TommyGun496]

What is the longest you have had to degrease a deer skull?  I am going on week 5 and it is still looking grimy.  Have done a dozen or so (deer & elk) over the years and never taken this long.  My degreasing process is soak in warm water (fish tank heater) with dawn dish soap.  I change the water 1-2 days depending on the clarity of the water.

[mcallahan]

I’m no expert by any means, but when I do euro mounts after I boiled the skull and cleaned all the meat off I’ll clean the pot and put fresh water in with some OxiClean and reboil. Then I’ll bring the hydrogen peroxide to a slow boil put the skull in for 30-40min and it seems to get the rest of the oils out. If there’s still dark spots I’ll l use the salon care 40 volume cream and just brush it on the areas as needed.

[buglebuster]

The problem is your water isn’t hot enough. To properly degrease you need to have that water at around 120 degrees. You’re process is right, your just not hot enough. It could take a few months at that temp. Even at higher temps I’ve had some take 8 weeks to fully degrease. Some are just bad! If you want the real degrease hack, get yourself a large airtight container that the skull will fit in, sitting in a bucket. An old chest freezer works great. Make sure the bucket is an HDPE bucket that won’t melt from chemicals, and fill her up with acetone. Submerge the skull up to the bases and forget about it for a month and it will be completely grease free. This is the ticket with really greasy skulls like bears and cougars.

[TommyGun496]

Thanks for the reply’s.  This skull was nasty, sounds like I need hotter water!

[buglebuster]

If you boiled it, you may never get it all out

[TommyGun496]

If you boiled it, you may never get it all out

Did not boil it.  I did simmer for about 1/2hr while I was cleaning the meat off it.

[buglebuster]

If you boiled it, you may never get it all out

Did not boil it.  I did simmer for about 1/2hr while I was cleaning the meat off it.

Gotcha. Same method, same results.

[highside74]

Are you going to bleach it?

We boiled ours in a cup of borax and some dawn dish soap for about an hour. We started to clean them after 30 or 40 minutes and kept putting them back in the water as needed to get everything cooked off. Let dry 24 hours then bleached them with 50v and quick white. Just enough quick white to thicken up the 50v. 50v can be ordered on Amazon without a beautician license. Brush it on and inside pretty heavy and cover with plastic wrap for 24 hrs to a week checking after 3 days to see if areas need more. I don't have a pic after the boil but this is after the whitening process. Decreasing completely isn't that big of deal.

[Antlershed]

I’ve only boiled/simmered two skulls in my life, so I’m no professional, but I put some Dawn dish soap, and some laundry detergent with Oxiclean in while they simmered. After two years, they are still whiter than the ones that I paid to have bugs/maceration do, and I didn’t have to worry about the antlers coming back missing all their natural color.

[TommyGun496]

Are you going to bleach it?

We boiled ours in a cup of borax and some dawn dish soap for about an hour. We started to clean them after 30 or 40 minutes and kept putting them back in the water as needed to get everything cooked off. Let dry 24 hours then bleached them with 50v and quick white. Just enough quick white to thicken up the 50v. 50v can be ordered on Amazon without a beautician license. Brush it on and inside pretty heavy and cover with plastic wrap for 24 hrs to a week checking after 3 days to see if areas need more. I don't have a pic after the boil but this is after the whitening process. Decreasing completely isn't that big of deal.

Those look good!  I generally don’t bleach them, but this one I will.  I have a 40 volume creme that I was going to try.

[Pathfinder101]

Are you going to bleach it?

We boiled ours in a cup of borax and some dawn dish soap for about an hour. We started to clean them after 30 or 40 minutes and kept putting them back in the water as needed to get everything cooked off. Let dry 24 hours then bleached them with 50v and quick white. Just enough quick white to thicken up the 50v. 50v can be ordered on Amazon without a beautician license. Brush it on and inside pretty heavy and cover with plastic wrap for 24 hrs to a week checking after 3 days to see if areas need more. I don't have a pic after the boil but this is after the whitening process. Decreasing completely isn't that big of deal.

Those look good!  I generally don’t bleach them, but this one I will.  I have a 40 volume creme that I was going to try.

If you're using the creme volume 40, it's ready.  It's not going to turn white on it's own.  I think you have leached it out as far as it's going to get.   

[RC]

I’ve only boiled/simmered two skulls in my life, so I’m no professional, but I put some Dawn dish soap, and some laundry detergent with Oxiclean in while they simmered. After two years, they are still whiter than the ones that I paid to have bugs/maceration do, and I didn’t have to worry about the antlers coming back missing all their natural color.

Pretty close to what I do as well.  I boil for an hour and a half in soapy water, then get the pressure washer going and clean it up that way.  VERY messy, but gets the job done pretty quickly.  Then, it's back in a new pot of boiling water with the salon 40 added, and cook it in there for 20-30 minutes.  Comes out nice and white.

[HikerHunter]

If your water is still murky after 1-2 days, then something still isn't clean. I'm with the suggestion to get your water hotter, not a boil, but hotter than the fish tank heater is getting it with the dish soap like you've been doing.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Had same issue with one heater. Added another heater to bucket for masuration and degreaseing with dawn changing water once cloudy. The added heater expedited the process for sure. 

[TommyGun496]

If you're using the creme volume 40, it's ready.  It's not going to turn white on it's own.  I think you have leached it out as far as it's going to get.   
[/quote]

I will probably run it!  I appreciate your (and everyone else’s) input.  I am probably over thinking it.  Just done a good amount of them in very similar manor and never had this issue.  Probably could change things up a bit based off of a few of the reply’s here.  Thanks fellas!

[buglebuster]

If you're using the creme volume 40, it's ready.  It's not going to turn white on it's own.  I think you have leached it out as far as it's going to get.   

I will probably run it!  I appreciate your (and everyone else’s) input.  I am probably over thinking it.  Just done a good amount of them in very similar manor and never had this issue.  Probably could change things up a bit based off of a few of the reply’s here.  Thanks fellas!
[/quote]

No problem. Back when I had the business we’d do 100+ a year and I had my system dialed. Any questions feel free to PM me

[lewy]

I’ve been doing my own for over 25 years now, it’s amazing how different some can be from the others! Bears and pigs are the worst.

[buglebuster]

I’ve been doing my own for over 25 years now, it’s amazing how different some can be from the others! Bears and pigs are the worst.

If you haven’t tried it already, hdpe bucket with a lid full of acetone and completely submerge the skull and forget about it. Works exceptionally well on non antlered game like bears and wild pigs. There are a few spots you can drill small
Holes in that you can’t see that help release the grease in the acetone bath

[hunter399]

Put the cream on .
I just use a little paint brush. Paint on cream,let it sit for 24 hours in the sun is best.
Rinse it off with cold water. Let it dry out for a day .
If not desired white . Re apply cream ,let sit again,rinse again.

So ya that yellow spot ,may have to cream it twice.

[TommyGun496]

Put the cream on .
I just use a little paint brush. Paint on cream,let it sit for 24 hours in the sun is best.
Rinse it off with cold water. Let it dry out for a day .
If not desired white . Re apply cream ,let sit again,rinse again.

So ya that yellow spot ,may have to cream it twice.

Thx sir!

[eyesinfront]

I beetle clean skulls and degrease them between 115 and 120 with purple degreaser that I change out twice a week. Ive had old mule tails take a couple of months. You can go hotter and shorter timeframe but you run the risk of damaging the skull and all the boiled deer skulls ive seen start out very white but grease out after a few years.