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Community => Taxidermy & Scoring => Topic started by: SpokaneSlayer on August 26, 2008, 06:38:06 PM

Title: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: SpokaneSlayer on August 26, 2008, 06:38:06 PM: What sort of things should I do to make sure I don't ruin any velvet? And if I do, could it be repaired or is the whole rack ruined?

Also, I just want to do an antler mount. If there are any of you taxedermist's here in Spokane, what would you charge to preserve the velvet? I've read that it takes some pretty nasty chemicals that I could buy, but I'd rather leave it to a pro as this will be my first deer.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 08:37:22 PM: What ever you do, dont grab the velvet with bare hands. More than likely it will cause that area to slip. If you absolutely have to touch the antlers use gloves. I use a velvet tan from research and inject the blood vessels in the base of the antlers . It is time consuming . You have to use a seringe and find each individual vein and inject the tan until it comes out clear, oh and you must cut a small slice in each antler tip. The veins will plump up once you hit the vein. Once you have ran the tan through all of the veins take a paint brush and brush the velvet tan onto the velvet and hang upside ddown to dry. Once dry you can fluff the velvet with a light bristled brush.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 26, 2008, 08:49:46 PM: My Grandpa and Dad always just poured turpentine over the horns. I've got horns that are over 15 yrs old that I have used turpentine on and the velvet still looks ok. I haven't done it for quite awhile but I remember you need to pour it over multiple times because the horns are usually too big to soak them in the turpentine.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 08:53:39 PM: Wanabee taxidermists :bash: :chuckle: :chuckle:

Terpentine! DUDE! There are products specifically made for this very reason! Lets see, Velvet Tan or Terpentine, Ill stick to the correct preservitave. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 26, 2008, 08:59:05 PM: At least spell it right, :chuckle: They probably used turpentine on velvet before you were born, worked then and works now. Takes the blood right out :P
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 09:09:37 PM: I guess you are a taxidermist ? I have seen velvet with nothing used look fine too. As long as all the blood gets drawn out it should be good to go. The blood is what spoils and will cause the slippage. I will not use turpentine for there are products developed for this very thing ;) I am a professional so people will get a professional answer. Bad spelling and all :chuckle: There I used spell check for ya!
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 26, 2008, 09:17:06 PM: Bucklucky, No i am not a taxidermist and did not claim to be, SpokaneSlayer asked for ways to preserve velvet on horns and I replied with a tried and true method for a person who wants to do it at home. I gave him an option and it obviously ruffled your feathers. To each their own :dunno:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: actionshooter on August 26, 2008, 09:18:23 PM: Bucklucky, I had Alden do a caribou in the velvet a few years ago and he soaked it in some type of solution for what seemed like 6 months. Do you know what that might have been? It turned out awesome and still looks like the day I got it back!
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 09:24:41 PM: You are in the doghouse in central washington :chuckle:

I just want him to get the correct info, your info is OLD SCHOOL and UNSAFE!

No you didn't ruffle my feathers at all, you gave info that's fine. I'm just giving the better info ;) Would you listen to a professional or just some bum off the street for info like this?

If it works that's great, I didn't say it did not! Too bad I have never heard of such a thing used, but hay good luck with that. Most Taxidermists would have ripped up one side and down the other. ;) :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 09:27:42 PM: It is very possible he soaked it in a Aluminum Sulfate and salt solution. That is an old time tanning method used by alot of oldtime Taxidermists around here. It is real good for setting hair and velvet. If I had a cape that was slipping, I could usually save it eith this method. Probably what he used. That is how he used to tan also.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: actionshooter on August 26, 2008, 09:30:21 PM: I was just wondering what he used, I have had people ask and I had no idea........
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 09:47:10 PM: Her ya go Big10Gauge, thought you might like too see what has been said on the topic of turpentine for velvet preservation.

Tell your friend he's FOS. This silly assed suggestion is like a hemmorhoid that keeps flaring up on this site. Turpentine is distilled pine tar. It is used to thin oil paints for artists and used by foresters to clean the blades of pitch on tree cutting saws and devices. It is an oil base and as such will simply make the velvet slough into a greasy messy glop. Velvet is living skin tissue and injecting it with any type of petroleum product is sheer lunacy. My grandmother insisted that a tablespoon full of sugar saturated with turpenting or coal oil would break up a cold. Would you give that to anyone today? I had my share and sure enough, after 5 days the cold went away. Who the hell cared if the cold was going to go away after 5 days if I didn't take ANYTHING?

This came from a world renowned Old School Taxidermist. :chuckle: I thought it was kind of funny!
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: SpokaneSlayer on August 26, 2008, 11:12:30 PM: Thanks for the info guys. Sorry about start such a fuss with my first question. Figured it would info everyone could use. I still haven't seen a hard horned deer so I think there is a good chance of taking a velvet buck.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 26, 2008, 11:14:01 PM: :tup: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Opportunist on August 26, 2008, 11:41:39 PM: Isn't there a product that is fake velvet that is applied to hard horn. I thought I saw that at Corey Wrights taxidermy shop a couple of years ago.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: JoeVon on August 27, 2008, 01:00:32 AM: Bucklucky, can you show us some of the professional velvet work that you've done?
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 27, 2008, 06:19:38 AM: Here you go BuckLucky, I can copy and paste from taxidermy.net too!!! Just like this forum everyone has an opinion. ;)

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,47949.0.html

Have you guys ever heard of painting Turpentine on Velvet Antlers to preserve the Velvet? I just did this the other day....after a Recomendation from a friend, Damned if it didn't work! The velvet dried up nice, No rot, No smell, Now the guy who told me about it, Had done a pair of Antlers and ended up stripping the velvet, He said there was no blood at all under the Velvet where he had treated with Turpentine, and the Velvet was a bitch to get off...it had really stuck. Just curious how long this method has been around? and since it works so well why do we go through all this trouble of buying crap to inject?
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 08:04:29 AM: Like I said before leave the stupidity to yourself and let the experts handle this. I think you completely missed what I was saying, now the feathers are ruffled. That is a dangerous way of doing something so simple and if you like giving dangerous and hazardous info to pass around to others that I think you are a real Dipstick. Like I said before, you are a Taxidermist? No, so why are you arguing with a professional. Pull your head out of your ars buddy! DAMN I hate stupid ignorant people. :)
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 27, 2008, 08:59:35 AM: My My My, Such language coming from a professional :chuckle: Obviously you call yourself a professional but you are certainly seem to be lacking in professionalism if the best you can do is call people names. For something that you admitted that you have not heard before until this thread you are very opinionated. I just pointed out that there seem to be other "professionals" on taxidermy.net that have actually tried it and it works for them. It seems like the persons that have not tried it are the ones that have a negative opinion of it. Sometimes "old school" is still as good as the "state of art" methods as you admitted to on a post on this thread just after you made condescending remarks on "Old School". You also keep responding that it is unsafe to use turpentine, well so is filling your car with gas. I realize that you probably depend on these forums for a customer base so I will not spend any more of the forums time debating this issue with you since you seem to "rant" more than carry on a discussion over a simple disagreement. I also apologize to members of this forum for hijacking this thread into a "discussion" with BuckLucky.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 09:33:58 AM: Dude, I have read through alot of the turpentine discutions on taxidermy.net and most outcomes are pretty negative. With that said, I apologize for name calling but you just down right ruffled my feathers. :chuckle: :stup:

Now if anyone wants to use Turpentine go for it, you can use this info that has been posted to make your decision.

Oh by the way I meant profesional as having the knowledge of being a taxidermist versus a unknown non taxidermist that knows more than the Taxidemist(YOU) :chuckle: I love people like you that think they know more about a subject than the person that lives and breathes it on a regular basis. Come on dude, Im just a dang redneck :chuckle: Now I am just playing around! Have a good one, its fun to debate sometimes. ;)
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: JoeVon on August 27, 2008, 06:11:43 PM: Again, Bucklucky lets see some of your velvet work.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 08:50:44 PM: Here is the only velvet picture I got, never took many pictures till I got a digital a year ago.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: tlbradford on August 27, 2008, 08:54:47 PM: I need that to walk in front of me this coming month.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 08:55:53 PM: There wasnt much for preserving on this one, he had already started to peal and rub. When they are in this stage its almost a toss up on wether to rehydrate and take a chance on it falling off . Maybee the turpentine method would work well on this ;). They had let the velvet dry before I got them.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 08:56:30 PM: Thats what I will be lookin for! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bowsandhose on August 27, 2008, 09:12:14 PM: hey Charlie what did that bull score?
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: JoeVon on August 27, 2008, 09:14:49 PM: Cool. Thanks for posting that up.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 09:18:15 PM: 397 gross ! The left side is really impressive, its got 8 on that side.

Hey guys, I was wondering, do you think I went a little overboard on this thread? I think I did and wanted to apologize for being a peter head. Been haveing a bad week!
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bowsandhose on August 27, 2008, 09:23:39 PM: i know the feeling BL. Sept 8Th is so close but the anticipation is killing me :bash:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 28, 2008, 12:00:02 AM: It just wont get here quick enough man! You know where you are going to camp yet?
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Caseyd on August 28, 2008, 03:05:41 AM: I was entertained ;)

Hard week?? Thinking about that long drive to the blues arnt ya :P
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bowsandhose on August 28, 2008, 07:37:19 AM: BL still dont know where we will camp :dunno: may camp near the cut like you suggested
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 28, 2008, 08:51:13 AM: Research Manikind does the velvet service. Its $100.00 plus you measure the main beam length and all the point lengths , add them up and multiply by 75 cents I think. I have a blacktail I will be sending in here shortly fo another display mount so peopple can see how it looks.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 28, 2008, 09:15:22 AM: Quote from: bucklucky on August 27, 2008, 08:55:53 PM
Maybee the turpentine method would work well on this ;).

Probably :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: SpokaneSlayer on August 28, 2008, 09:58:46 AM: Thanks for all the info guys. Hopefully I won't even have to worry about it. Good luck to everyone on Monday.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 28, 2008, 11:06:59 AM: Its always easier when the are rubbed out!! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 30, 2008, 08:39:23 AM: Jeez Guys, This thread seems to be dying a slow death so I thought I would try to liven it up a liitle bit and probably cause BL to have a fit :'( even though I think he's probably left to go hunting!! This is a buck in velvet that I arrowed in 2000. The velvet was in good shape so I thought I would try to keep it on. I was 49 miles to the closest town and it only had a post office and a small store. Luckily they had a can of
TURPENTINE
:chuckle:. So I saturated the velvet with
TURPENTINE
3 times over a 2 day period. I took a couple pics today to show what it looks like after 8 years. Notice the velvet is still in great shape. By the way a can of
TURPENTINE
costs 7 bucks. Now I imagine the "wrath" of BL will descend upon me. :chuckle: :chuckle: :yike:

Day I arrowed it
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi275.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fjj283%2Fwpenney%2FMISC%2FAnimals%2FVelvetbuck-2000.jpg&hash=bb8f9d247da1e3dac9e0b2092e4160b3f45d95c0)

Eight years later
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi275.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fjj283%2Fwpenney%2FMISC%2FAnimals%2Fvelvetbuck.jpg&hash=a00be39a6ddc3af2a5a19a15a989c277daa3f04f)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi275.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fjj283%2Fwpenney%2FMISC%2FAnimals%2FvelvetbuckG3.jpg&hash=46579427d6434495e8ab63726dfe65ceb3dd67b4)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi275.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fjj283%2Fwpenney%2FMISC%2FAnimals%2Fvelvetbucktip2.jpg&hash=33a71d3f9f96e70bc7c704567d77ad779ad4f85c)
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bowsandhose on August 30, 2008, 11:12:22 AM: :bdid: :beatdeadhorse:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: tlbradford on August 30, 2008, 12:13:05 PM: I wouldn't be surprised if you were both right. There is quite a bit of difference in the make-up of elk and deer horns. Maybe you two could argue that for awhile. ;)
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: deaddog on October 08, 2008, 07:21:56 AM: i have always found turpentine to work great on velvet , so did my dad, and his dad , and his taxidermist showed him how to do it. :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: boneaddict on August 28, 2009, 10:58:45 AM: I am glad this got resurrected. It should be framed where Buck admitted to being a peckerhead. LOL
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: cberg on August 28, 2009, 01:38:27 PM: OK>. here is another question then... we have taken some antlers in with the velvet still on and it just hardens and stays on just fine. We have had one for many years that looks as good now as the day it died. There is no smell, no slipping and we didn't do anything to them. So what would cause that? I know at some magical time (like right about this time of the year) the animal stops sending blood up to those bad boys and they strip the velvet off but I don't understand the whole process. Any ideas on why we haven't had to do anything to these?
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: cberg on August 28, 2009, 01:45:52 PM: here is a bad pic of a great rack that is completely dry, no preservatives, 8 years old... my camera phone sux :bash:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on August 28, 2009, 02:21:05 PM: Or one of the easiest things to do is send it out to be freeze dried
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: markts on August 29, 2009, 12:42:43 PM: PECKERHEAD :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle: Finally some honesty :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle: ;) Mark
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 30, 2009, 01:04:09 PM: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: markts on August 30, 2009, 01:42:18 PM: Why has this thread died? It was very good for passing time. :dunno: Mark ;)
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on August 30, 2009, 04:20:42 PM: This thread ended because the two main players took their crayons and went home
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: bucklucky on August 30, 2009, 04:23:49 PM: Crayons are for girls, I use oil based pastels :chuckle:
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: markts on August 30, 2009, 04:24:50 PM: PASTELS :o :rolleyes: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:Mark
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on August 30, 2009, 04:27:45 PM: Quote from: bucklucky on August 30, 2009, 04:23:49 PM
Crayons are for girls, I use oil based pastels :chuckle:

Now that was funny
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Big10gauge on August 30, 2009, 05:30:02 PM: I wore my crayons down and my mom won't buy me anymore. :dunno: and I spent all my money on turpentine.
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on August 30, 2009, 06:29:46 PM: Quote from: Big10gauge on August 30, 2009, 05:30:02 PM
I wore my crayons down and my mom won't buy me anyone. :dunno: and I spent all my money on turpentine.

And that was even funnier
Title: Re: Velvet Field Care/Preservation?
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on August 30, 2009, 06:32:35 PM: :chuckle: :chuckle: