Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Taxidermy & Scoring => Topic started by: highmuley on December 18, 2013, 10:54:23 PM

Title: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 18, 2013, 10:54:23 PM: I really want to do a Euro mount on the next buck I harvest. If anyone has some tips and tricks for doing one, please share, if you don't mind. Also some examples would be very much appreciated. ...who doesn't love pix?!?! Thanks
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: PolarBear on December 18, 2013, 11:14:53 PM: DO NOT BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a couple of threads on here about maceration. IMO, it is the ONLY way to get your Euro looking right. I've done a bunch of them by maceration and will never boil or simmer and other skull again, period!
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: redi on December 18, 2013, 11:31:14 PM: Maceration is definitely the way to go.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: Big6bull on December 19, 2013, 09:39:02 PM: Maceration definetly seems the best option. However this was not possible for me to do in my small housing development (the smell got pretty bad) I did one last year and one this year (still learning) both boiled to get them done faster and I was very pleased with both but took a lot of patience and time. Watch the water temp if you go that route.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: kentrek on December 19, 2013, 10:05:02 PM: There's a lot of personal preference in this..imo the mac seems to do a great job from what I've seen in pics but boiling and painting is pretty dang fast an easy.if I were to have a oil trophy euro'd and hung on the wall at eye level I'd want it perfect no doubt mac would be my route....but lots of times skullz get put ten feet high an at that distance you can get away with a less than perfect job

Here's my whitetail this year that's been simmerd at around 150 deg an then cleaned/painted..its at the same height as a buffalo skull that was done with beatles an you really can't tell the difference and I think I have 2020 vision :dunno:
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 22, 2013, 04:28:44 PM: Looks great! Thanks for sharing
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: Wilderness Addict on December 22, 2013, 04:58:47 PM: Just watch a couple youtube vids. It is a very simple process. It just takes a little effort and care. Cook and pick, cook and pick, cook and pick some more, soak in peroxide for a day or so, sit outside in sunshine. DONE!
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: PolarBear on December 22, 2013, 09:09:29 PM: And for those of you who do not like the yellow grease spots between the antlers and base of the skull, degrease, degrease, degrease!! You are not going to get them out by simmering before you destroy the bone.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: bugs n bones on December 23, 2013, 12:42:08 PM: Quote from: PolarBear on December 22, 2013, 09:09:29 PM
And for those of you who do not like the yellow grease spots between the antlers and base of the skull, degrease, degrease, degrease!! You are not going to get them out by simmering before you destroy the bone.
Well said...alot of people are uneducated in this matter and think they are saving money, there not. Ruin the skull and it will look like hell later.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: PolarBear on December 23, 2013, 12:55:04 PM: Once again, the difference between simmering/boiling and maceration and long and slow degreasing.
Boiling/simmering
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv103%2FPolrbear%2Fwhitie.jpg&hash=372b3a2300854bab96059f498de1ca1335ab8fbf)

Maceration/ degreasing
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv103%2FPolrbear%2FDSCN0118.jpg&hash=762d71089ba02f6f2fb7a045e1deec1ff9a71d92)

Now that I look back, I ruined the buck in the first pic and it bugs me to look at it in that state.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: bugs n bones on December 23, 2013, 12:57:18 PM: whats on your antlers polar bear?
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: PolarBear on December 23, 2013, 01:00:05 PM: I got too much matte finish clear on them. I usually just give them a really thin coat but not enough to make them shiny. There are a lot of things that (looking back) that I did wrong with that buck. Mistakes that won't be repeated.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: bugs n bones on December 23, 2013, 01:02:09 PM: future floor wax or mop in glo nothing else....
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 01:45:38 PM: Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: blindluck on December 23, 2013, 04:52:32 PM: That's right, Mop and Glo
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 08:14:30 PM: Hmmmm.....I'm gonna try that tonight. ...Thanks
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: Wazukie on December 23, 2013, 08:25:44 PM: Quote from: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 01:45:38 PM
Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

If it were me and i was using the antler for knife hanlde, I would have the antler piece stabilized first, but that's me.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 09:18:29 PM: Quote from: Wazukie on December 23, 2013, 08:25:44 PM
Quote from: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 01:45:38 PM
Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

If it were me and i was using the antler for knife hanlde, I would have the antler piece stabilized first, but that's me.

Stabilized? With what (I have literally asked on 5 threads)
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on December 23, 2013, 11:35:42 PM: Boiling is for instant gratification.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 24, 2013, 12:16:50 AM: Quote from: Michelle_Nelson on December 23, 2013, 11:35:42 PM
Boiling is for instant gratification.

What steps do you suggest? Do you recondition sheds?
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: 6x6in6 on December 24, 2013, 12:23:53 AM: Quote from: highmuley on December 24, 2013, 12:16:50 AM
Quote from: Michelle_Nelson on December 23, 2013, 11:35:42 PM
Boiling is for instant gratification.

What steps do you suggest? Do you recondition sheds?
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,135974.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,135974.0.html)
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 24, 2013, 12:26:49 AM: How about sealing/preserving? Specifically for knife handles? I have yet to get a straight answer on this (if I missed it. ..I apologize)
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: grundy53 on December 24, 2013, 06:22:26 AM: Quote from: PolarBear on December 18, 2013, 11:14:53 PM
DO NOT BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a couple of threads on here about maceration. IMO, it is the ONLY way to get your Euro looking right. I've done a bunch of them by maceration and will never boil or simmer and other skull again, period!
:yeah:

sent from my typewriter
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: grundy53 on December 24, 2013, 06:22:57 AM: Quote from: PolarBear on December 22, 2013, 09:09:29 PM
And for those of you who do not like the yellow grease spots between the antlers and base of the skull, degrease, degrease, degrease!! You are not going to get them out by simmering before you destroy the bone.
:yeah:

sent from my typewriter
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: BULLBLASTER on December 24, 2013, 09:12:38 AM: Maceration or beetles is the only way to go. Then like others have said DEGREASE! I just pay my taxidermist to do it. The cost is worth not dealing with it to me... I have ruined some trophies trying to save a few dollars and like polarbear said... my mistakes won't be repeated.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: Wazukie on December 24, 2013, 09:22:34 AM: Quote from: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 09:18:29 PM
Quote from: Wazukie on December 23, 2013, 08:25:44 PM
Quote from: highmuley on December 23, 2013, 01:45:38 PM
Really?? That's all? I asked around for what kind of coating to put on antlers. If i'm going to just hang them, a nice wood polish would work? But what about sealing them? Like say for a knife handle? What would I use?

If it were me and i was using the antler for knife hanlde, I would have the antler piece stabilized first, but that's me.

Stabilized? With what (I have literally asked on 5 threads)

To have the stabilizing done correctly, it'd be best to send it out to some place like http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php (http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php) It cost's about $5 to have it done. If it's a piece of dry horn, and it is a hidden tang knife, you could probably just rub it down real good with some boiled linseed oil.

I haven't really worked with any antler yet, but this is what the pro's in the knife making world say to do.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: highmuley on December 24, 2013, 09:52:51 AM: Awesome Wazukie! Thanks for the input. Bullblaster..how much does it usually cost for the taxi to do it?
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: BULLBLASTER on December 24, 2013, 10:33:26 AM: Quote from: highmuley on December 24, 2013, 09:52:51 AM
Awesome Wazukie! Thanks for the input. Bullblaster..how much does it usually cost for the taxi to do it?
Seems like $100-150 is what I see mostly. Depending on plaque etc. Maybe a taxi will chime in.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: blindluck on December 24, 2013, 11:07:55 AM: My Taxidermist uses mop and glo on the antlers, to me its the perfect touch kind of like what the antlers would look like on a cold November foggy day.
Title: Re: Euro mounts
Post by: blindluck on January 11, 2014, 08:21:32 AM: simmered