Euro Elk - Filthy Teeth

[MagKarl]

I'm slowly making progress on my elk euro mount.  The skull was beetle cleaned, soaked in soapy water, and generally looking/smelling quite nice now.  Next step before bleaching is to clean up the teeth.  I've gently picked what I can get loose, but the teeth are still filthy.  Simple Green and a scrub brush didn't do squat.  Will the peroxide help on the teeth, or do I need to get more aggressive with a wire brush, scraper, or specific chemical?  So far I've been pretty gentle and only used a plastic brush, oxy-clean, dish soap, and simple green.  Thanks.

[bucklucky]

Put it in the peroxide and you will be surprised. If you have aleready scrubed them the peroxide will whitteh them up pretty good. I assume your submerging in the potent peroxide.

[longrange7mm]

power wash it with the wide spray nozzle DONT use a straight stream but you can use the wide spray and it will cleen up nice.along with the small pieces of cartilage. clean the nasals gently!  ive done 1000's of beattle cleaned skulls from 01 to 06

[PolarBear]

I use dental tools to scrape all to build up off and between and then hit them with peroxide/bwII .

[Pathfinder101]

I have been watching these Euro threads with interest.  I notice that most guys that know what they are doing use either beetles or maceration, and I couldn't really figure out why, when boiling/picking has always worked for me, and it only takes an afternoon.  But looking closer at some of the pictures, I see that it preserves those feather-thin nasal cavity bones that I usually just root out with pliers when I pull out the nasal tissues. 
As far as the teeth, I just clean them out as much as I can, and do my peroxide treatment.  It seems to whiten the teeth just as well as the skull.  This year, I made a paste of peroxide and baking soda, since I always have a problem soaking up to the top of the head without bleaching the pedicals.  The paste worked great for me, but then again, I am not doing taxidermist-level work...

[MagKarl]

I did a little more dental hygenist work this afternoon with a freshly sharpened chisel and now have the skull submurged in regular 3% peroxide from the grocery store.  Any ideas how long to let it go?  Can you go too long?  If it doesn't work I'll go get some of the strong stuff.  I know it will bleach the antlers, but can peroxide damage the skull or teeth if it's too strong or left too long?

[bucklucky]

With 3% you can leave it in for a week or two . Just keep checking it. After a week pull it out and let it dry, if it isnt good enough leave it in. All the higher volume does is get the job done quicker. The 3% will take longer to work. It will loose potency as it is out of a closed container, Im not sure how long it will keep working. Seemed like 2 weeks was about as long as I used the 3% before dumping it and using fresh stuff.

[PolarBear]

Here is a tip, the next time you go to the Dentist ask if they have any spare or scrap tools/pics/scrapers.  My Dentist now saves them up for me.  They really come in handy for all kinds of stuff.  I also have a couple that I made for specific taxidermy stuff.

[Buckhole]

Maybe you could bring the skull to your dentist for a check up. 

I just did a few skulls and I don't know if it's recommended by taxidermists, but I dipped the lower part of the skull in a mix of bleach and water just for a few minutes and it whitened up the teeth. I rinsed the skull off right after and it didn't do any damage to the bone at all.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Buckhole the problem with bleach is that you can't neutralize it.  Peroxide you can.  Ever wonder why your white clothes (if washed in bleach) wear out faster than other clothes.  It's because the bleach continually work on them.

I have had people bring me skulls that they boiled and than soaked in bleach or some form of bleach/water solution that completely ruined the skull.  The bone eventually will turn chaulky and britle.

[Buckhole]

Buckhole the problem with bleach is that you can't neutralize it.  Peroxide you can.  Ever wonder why your white clothes (if washed in bleach) wear out faster than other clothes.  It's because the bleach continually work on them.

I have had people bring me skulls that they boiled and than soaked in bleach or some form of bleach/water solution that completely ruined the skull.  The bone eventually will turn chaulky and britle.

That's good to know. I won't try bleach on my skulls anymore. I did use a flat matte Krylon clearcoat spray on them to protect them a little. Seems like they are okay.

[Michelle_Nelson]

They will be alright for a little while.  Sealer coats protect from staining and dust.  Thats is about it.  The bleach may or may not have a stronger reaction to the clear coat but of that I am not sure.  You never know how 2 chmicals are going to react.

[PolarBear]

Chlorine bleach will also turn skulls yellow if left too long and at too strong of a consentration.

[Ripper]

 I've never done a euro mount before. I appreciate all the good info, hopefully I can put it to good use soon!

[MagKarl]

Thanks for the input folks.  Sounds like with the 3% I'll probably be safe to leave it soaking till we get home after the holidays, that will be 2 weeks or so.  Looking forward to getting it inside and on the wall.