European style (DIY)

[Coasthunterjay]

Ok so there are alot of guys out there that would love to know what and how to do a european mount. So first off i am going to tell you how and what you are going to need to get. So follow closely. ..

First things first you are going to need supplies. things on the list to get are cheep.....

1. Large pot, turkey cooker or chilli style pot. mine cost a couple bucks at a garage sale but you can get one at goodwill or at the store for about 20 bucks....

2. Something to boil the water with. I used a turky cooker. real nice, sort of like a grill but a little bit smaller and is made for certain pans. Attaches to propane. or you could use your grill. what ever you can boil the water and head with, remembering that while you are cleaning your skull that it is going to be hot and may be overly warm to the touch.

3. Now you are going to need your chemicals.
There are a couple things we need to know here first. What type you want to get. what consistancy. and strength. Remembering that when you apply this you can not get any of these solutions on the horn!!!
Here are the solutions to pick from. As far as i know these two can be found at any town with a larger beauty salon...
* bleach (in liquid and paste) 2 to 5 bucks
*or peroxide solution.(comes in liquid and creme) 3 to 5 bucks
I used a peroxide solution that was obtained at a local beauty supply shop. If you want to be inspicuois about what you are using it for ask the lady for some 20 or 40 volume developerthis is peroxide but to the hair world it is developer. Or if you want to use the bleech then just ask telling the stylist what type. liquid or paste.....and then last but not least grab yourself a small container of borax. This is 5 bucks at albertson and i am sure freddy's has it also. This has lots of uses(can put on capes after deer season to help preserve the capes a little bit. this does not take away from the salt you will still need to add for hair slipage reasons. That will be another post)

4.   Now that we have most everything get something to put it on with. Brush. syringe. Sponge. Q-tip. whatever works for you. only a couple bucks.

5.  A paint can opener and a soft wire brush. you can use a screw driver also but i like the bent tip on the paint can opener and the handle fits well in the palm of my hand.
*The Paint can opener is for helping take the skin and remainder of stubborn membrane off the skull that doesnt want to peel off. 1buck
*The wire brush for all the connective tissue on the underneath of the skull around all the nocks and cranies that stuff attaches to. 2 bucks for a couple.....

6. OK. Now that everything there is finished we are going to need some personnel protective equipment , Latex or Nitrile gloves. The Bleech and Developer(peroxide) are very strong solutions that with prolonged use  can bleech your skin or irritate your skin and possably cause temporary skin damage. these are priceless. ....

***************************************************
so here is a recap on what we need.....

Cooking pot, Stove( boiling source), Whitening chemical, Applicator brushes, Cleaning tools( for getting the stubborn stuff off), and PPE(Personnel protective equipment).

I am sure that i missed something small there but if i did i will read over it later and fix it as this thread goes. Next post will be steps with pictures of what to do.....

[Coasthunterjay]

The following will be steps to do to make and prepare a european mount.
keep in mind this is how i do it and there may be easier and better ways of doing this, but it works great for me and is easy.
Here we go......

Step 1. heat the head in the pot( for about 2 to 3 hours ) untill the water is steaming just barely boiling. I use about half a cup of borax to help control the oils that sweat off the head and control a little bit of the smell that is created during the boiling process. you want to in sence cook the head and sort of heat the skin off the skull. some people say to be careful about the horns leaning against the hot pan or boiling in the water(dont put the whole thing in there but if it is touching then it is ok). I have boiled several heads and have not noticed any staining or wierd markings created from the hot boiling pan.

Step 2.  Pull out the head, Peel the skin off using your finger or a pair of pliers to keep from burning yourself. as it cools down it should be easier to pull off. (Repeat steps 1 and 2 untill all flesh and meat are off) This is the time that you would use the screwdriver, paint can opener, and wire brush to scrape the tough membrane and conective tissue off untill it is clean. Rinse with fresh water occasionally to clean off oils from pot water. you can read the steps to take the brain out below. basically you are going to use a screwdriver( or something similar like a coat hanger) and scramble. then wash out.

The skull should now look like this. Hang it and let it dry.....


Step 3.  Pull out your skull onto a box or something you want it sitting in for application of your chemical. Bleech or Developer(A.K.A....peroxide) like so...


Then start applying the chemical(whitening agent)....INSURE THAT YOU GET NO WHITENING SOLUTION ON THE HORNS DURING THIS STEP
Should look like so after you are done.......

As you can see i used a acid brush and syringe( i used this to put the cream carefully around the base or crown of the horns) to apply the peroxide cream.

Step 4. Now wrap the box and skull carefully in a black trash bag and tie it shut. Be careful not to knock it over or get solution on the horns.

Step 5. Wait 24 to 48 hours and untie bag and rinse off thoroughly making sure that all the whitening solution is completely rinsed off.

Step 6. Put in safe bright place and let dry. i place mine under a set of saltwater aquarium lights(at about 500 watts 15000K, which is damn bright ). I dont have alot of sunlight were i live this time of year so this works for me. This step acts to help brighten the chemicals that are saturated in the skull. Brings out the true white.

When it is dry it should look like this......



NOW YOU HAVE A FINISHED EURO 
Next i will post how to easily mount your euro onto a piece of wood for all you plaque lovers out there...

[jstamp]

any tips for an easy way to remove the brains?

[wastickslinger]

I scramble them with a long screw driver after boiling and then flush them out with a gun on a hose (or pressure washer).

[M_ray]

If I may add to this I do just a couple of things differently. In my boiling process I throw a little powdered borax into the pot, this helps keep down the oils that will biuld up on the side of the pot not to mention the smell!
Another trick that I use is a small roll of shrink wrap to protect the horns just wrap it up where you want to protect it I think you can get this at Home Depot.


My wife is in the hair care industry so I use the same supply's but I mix the developer with dry powdered bleech until it is in a paste form. This is easier for me to control and I dont have to worry as much about getting it slopped all over. Then I skip the bagging process I hear of others doing this but for me I don't feel it's necessary plus it's one more step for me to get the Shi+ allover. I also only leave the developer & bleech mix on one day then I rinse it off, If you don't think it's white enough you can reapply. All of mine are done only once!







Not trying to highjack your post just some other thoughts for people to try, I came up with this way through trail and error and found the esiest way for me not to screw up! I figured the less technical the better for me 

[M_ray]

any tips for an easy way to remove the brains?

I use a coat hanger a couple of times throughout the boiling process, then do the same ... flush it out!

[Coasthunterjay]

any tips for an easy way to remove the brains?

Yes this is very easy. wait untill the head is about 15 minutes from you pulling it out of the pot. Take a screw driver and wiggle it in back and forth several times where the vertibrae attaches to the base of the head. this is going to be a little gross but it works. then put it back in the pot and let it finish. During the time that you are trying to take the skin off of the skull will be when you finish getting all the brains out. now when you start pulling all the skin off, insert the screw driver again and repeat jiggling it. Everything inside should feel mushy. then take it outside and shake it backwards with the hole facing away from you with a strong forceful downward movement and all the gewy stuff Brain matter will come shooting out. At this time when the skull looks good before you start the drying you can take your hose and spray it out. Make sure you get all the cavities and holes to insure that everything is out of it........

I hope all this is helpful to all those guys out there that have questions and would have liked to do this. i sure wish i would have done this a dozen times before i started this year.

[Coasthunterjay]

Thanks for reminding me m_ray, that is another thing that i will fix on my initial post. I too use borax while i am boilling the head for the same reasons you stated.

*I use the Bag to lock in the air that is in the bag. It is proven that air can lessen the effects of the peroxide solution. at what degree i do not know, but it helps to keep everything moist also. that way it doesnt dry to quickly.

And on the comment of only soaking it in the solution for one day. that is for the person to decide. You can open the bag or take a look at the skull where ever or however you have it being treated and tell wether you think it needs to be treated longer. But for myself like i stated before, i would rather treat it a little to long and have it be whiter than not long enough and have to waste the time reapllying the whitening agent.

Thanks for the reminders there M_ray those were good, and thanks for the shrink wrap idea, nevr tried it. A little bit more than i want to do but nice for someone that doesnt have a steady hand or for someone that is a beginner at doing this.......

[M_ray]

Your Welcome! Thanks for letting me add to it, the shrinkwrap deal only takes a couple of minutes and I guess for me it's peice of mind that I know I can't screw it up too bad! It looks like you don't need it though nice job on yours BTW 

[Coasthunterjay]

YOU TO!! and thanks   

[ICEMAN]

Hey guy, thanks alot, great info and write up. No more burying the skull in the flower garden for me.

[Coasthunterjay]

Hey guy, thanks alot, great info and write up. No more burying the skull in the flower garden for me.

OK that is another thing. Please dont wait to do this when you get an animal that you want to have done in a EURO. I messed with several heads and skulls and found out that you get a much better DEFFINANT white coloration from the skulls that are fresh.
I had a friend of mine put his head on the far side of the yard trying to get the maggots and bugs to just do there thing with it and finally got it after it was covered in nastiness and it still has alot of dark coloration on it that wouldnt whiten or stain. It looks dirty still, clean skull just isnt white, very splochy......


What i am going to have to do most likely is either SOAK it in the Peroxide longer and check it. OR, i can bleech it Whitish yellow to dampin on the dark spots and then Use the peroxide to bring out the really good white.

Just a reminder to everyone that has old mounts that they left out and have hangin on there fence or wherever. You can still pull out alot of white on your old skull and make it look nice and make it an indoor mount by simply modifying these steps. shoot, you already have most the meat and all the skin off. Just soak it longer in your whitening agent and spray off and let dry. BAMM.

[jstamp]

Thanks! Great info!!

[Bigshooter]

Thanks for the info.  All I need know is something big enough to mount.

[Coasthunterjay]

No need to wait. you can do this to everything.........

[Michelle_Nelson]

any tips for an easy way to remove the brains?

  A Dewalt Drill and a Coat hanger bent in half.  Ever use a drill to mix paint kinda the same thing!  Got to be careful when doing this.  You can mess up a skull!

[popeshawnpaul]

I know it says DIY on the topic thread, but for about a hundred bucks I paid Superior Skulls in Snoqualmie to have beetles clean mine.  Came back clean and almost all white, with no boiling mess and stuff.  Now I can whiten it myself and mount it the way i want.  If anyone needs their number, shoot me a PM and I'll gladly give it to you.

shawn

[Coasthunterjay]

I know it says DIY on the topic thread, but for about a hundred bucks I paid Superior Skulls in Snoqualmie to have beetles clean mine.  Came back clean and almost all white, with no boiling mess and stuff.  Now I can whiten it myself and mount it the way i want.  If anyone needs their number, shoot me a PM and I'll gladly give it to you.

shawn

Well yes Shawn that is an option if you have an extra hundred bones. I dont have that type of money so i learned how to do this. and actually like it. But then again i would rather deal with a smell that goes away later that day and put a hundred bones down on something else like??? Sportsman warehouse or cabelas maybe......

My skulls turned out just as nice as a beetle cleaned skull and i have the satisfaction of knowing i did it myself also. This was just an option for those people who dont mind getting there hands a little bit dirty. If you are a busy person and dont have the time or patents to deal with this then absolutely have a taxidermist do it for you or get it beetled......

I would still recommend to everyone out there that this is very easy to do and to attempt it. even if it isnt a huge rack try it. The little guys look good like this also.... if you have any questions please feel free to ask and i will answer as soon as possable.......

Also if you are thinking of attemping this and you have a smelly head to do it with and you want some help. get a hold of me and i would love to go over a few things on the phone with you if you are interested.....

[huntnphool]

Forgot about this thread, good one for all you guys that were looking for a do it yourself euro

[longstevo]

I read this topic and took the advice and covered my whitetail skull in a peroxide/whitener mix, so we'll see how it turns out.  I'm a little nervous that I didn't do it right. 

Mixed the peroxide and whitener together into a paste and then brushed that all over the skull, and now its hanging in the garage until I get around to brushing it off.  Does that sound about right?