peroxide process on skulls

[bisonhunter1]

okay, I've don an additional months worth od skull soaking in water with dawn detergent to get the grese out. Now I need to do the peroxide treatment, but the cost of the liquid 40 volume would be a killer, so I need to do a paste of it. The Basic White I found at the beauty supply store is of a bleach base and according to the slaes gal, I would end up with a bleach type paste, even if mixed with 40 volume peroxide. Is this the same type bleach as good old cholorx type which I know is BAD juju for skull work. What else could I use to make the paste with the 40 volume peroxide and how long does it need to stay on the skull, I'm thinking less than 24 hours.

[Michelle_Nelson]

40 Volume Hair Developer is what you need.  It is only 12% peroxide.  It will work fine but you may need to do it 2x.  To keep it from drying out as fast wrap the skull in plastic wrap.

[sharpeshooter]

You guys make bleaching skulls too complicated. Two bottles of hudrogen peroxide for two bucks at the grocery store. Fill up your crab cooker and fill with water and peroxide to base of horns. I tape off my horns at base to prevent discoloration if you boil for more than couple of hours. It will come out as white as the 75 dollars you would pay a taxidermists to do. I do one or two every year and they still look great after ten years.

[Michelle_Nelson]

No comment.

[KNOPHISH]

Oxy clean works well also.

[kckrawler]

No comment.

If you don't mind Michelle, I'd actually like to hear what a professional has to say about that method so I don't make the same mistakes. What are the pros/cons of doing it that way? I have several deer skulls that I've boiled in the past to get the meat off but have been very unsuccessful at getting them really clean...or I end up trashing the delicate bones in the nose and ruin it anyways...I've heard about the hydrogin peroxide method but have never given it a shot myself 

[shedcrazy]

I'm working on my 4th bear skull right now. I paid a local taxi for my first one, and I didn't get my lower jaw back, and the nasal cavaty was just gutted. So that turned me from paying any one for them. Mine have all turned out way better than that first one! Lots of soaking to remove grease, then peroxide to whiten. It's fun and easy to do, and saves yourself some dough

[bucklucky]

Sounds like you had a hacksidermist do your skull 

[Miles]

Who needs peroxide when the sun will do it for free?  I just peel the cape off, stick it on a branch, and nature does the rest.   I think mine turn out pretty well when you consider the lack of work involved.  Another week or two and this sucker is ready for the wall.

[bucklucky]

Wow miles that is a great skull, can you explain further how your process works  Definately better than maceration and degreasing , maybee I should go to your method 

[shedcrazy]

Sounds like you had a hacksidermist do your skull 

Your not kidding! It was a whole freakin nightmare with my rug also.

[Michelle_Nelson]

There is a reason why a LOT of Taxidermists don't "boil" skulls.  It's because the long exposure to extreme heat damages the bone and will cause teeth to crack.  For a lot of people by the time they are done picking away all the meat the delicate nasal bones break down and fall apart.  Boiling a Skull in water does very little for the degreasing.  Some of the chemicals people use in with the water just makes the bones break down worse and does nothing or very little for the degreasing.  So the grease gets set into the bone.
 
I charge $150 to just clean and whiten a Deer Skull.  If I wanted to I could set my crab cooker up and boil 20+ Deer or Bear Skulls in one day and make $3000+.  Sure would be an easy way to make some quick $$.  I use to boil my skulls when I first started out like most taxidermists did for the first few years. Now I use Maceration.  Maybe I just don't know what I am doing after 9 years.
 
There are still taxidermists that boil there skulls and get decent results.  Though I can still tell the difference.  If you really don't care enough about a skull to pay someone to do it for you and you just want to be able to hang it on your wall than boiling it will get the job done.  It still won't look as good as if a competent taxidermist did it. 
   
For you experianced boilers please tell me the results you got the last time you did a bobcat skull?


 




 

[Miles]

Wow miles that is a great skull, can you explain further how your process works  Definately better than maceration and degreasing , maybee I should go to your method 

Well, It's all about picking the right branch and getting the skull to sit at the required angle.  I tend to look for a branch that is facing south and about 3-4 feet high.  I place the skull there by jamming the stick in to the back of the skull, then the process begins.  It's ok and sometimes preferable to have nearby branches that allow access for bugs and such to climb on and go to work.  It's important to watch the weather channel prior to starting this procedure to ensure there will be plenty of sunshine in the days to come. The best part it's absolutely free and turns out amazing. The sun doesn't get the skull too hot so cracking the of teeth is a non-issue. The winds tend to carry the grease away so no degreasing is required.  I would definitely recommend the natural process over maceration or boiling.  It's the "latest and greatest" so to speak.  Start doing your skulls this way and watch your profit margins go through the roof.

[boneaddict]

I heard doublelung has some dermatasid beetles at his house.  Those work pretty well if you have a couple of them.  I had a colony but my neighbor pissed me off so I dumped them under his house.   He's been trying to figure out what the smell is for weeks.  I heard him talking to my other neighbor. 

[boneaddict]

the last skull I boiled was on my moms oven/grill.   I think it was a bobcat skull, and maybe a beaver and coyote.    Funny thing was as Idabooner had been doing Miles method and I got inpatient.    Did I mention I tried to cover up the smell by adding cinamon to the sauce.