Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 02, 2009, 01:22:20 PM
Could one of you experts give me an idea of the process and time frame it would take to do a bear rug as it is a mount I have been wanting since I started hunting.
Post by: Gobble on February 02, 2009, 01:26:12 PM
Post by: 509er on February 02, 2009, 03:40:01 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 02, 2009, 04:57:20 PM
First you bring me the Bear. Than I usually have to skin the paws and head out of the hide. Split the Lips, eyes, nose, and turn the ears and than I have to completely flesh all the Fat and meat off the hide. Than I need to salt the hide. After 24 hours I change the salt and after another 48 hours I shake the salt off and hang the hide up with a fan to air dry. this will take atleast a week or little longer because of the grease in a Bear hide.
Than the hide is either driven or shipped to the tannery. The tannery can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 1/2 months (at my tannery) to get the hide back. Some tanneries can take up to 6 months befor taxidermists get their capes and hides back. You have to remember my customer hides are not the only ones the tannerues have to work on.
Once I get it back I have to wet the head up over night. Than mount the rug shell into the hide. That can take a couple hours depending on the repairs to the face and such. Than the head is left to dry. I usually leave it for atleast 2 weeks to make sure it is good and dry.
After that I will wet up the entire bear hide except for the head area. This usually takes over night. The next day sew all the holes up and repair any wrong cuts made by the hunter that skinned it. Than I lay the hide on my stretching table and stretch it. First I secure the head and than stretch it from nose to tail and staple it. Than I pull it width wise to square it off. It usually involves a pair of pliers and a T-50 staple gun. I will use around 200 - 300 staples. This can take 2 or 3 hours. the hide gets staples every inch all the way around.
I let it dry for atleast a week and than go and even it out and trim the edges and pull all the staples out of the stretching board. This can take an hour on average bear.
Now I will cut the felt into 3" wide strips and edge them, by hand. Than I will sew the felt together and make my ruffles. Than I will sew the felt on to the hide. Their are areas that will need to be sewed by hand. Once the felt is done you will need to glue the badding on the skin side and trim. Than lay the backing out and trim it. Than pin it all the way around. The backing is sewen on by hand. This will take most of the day. Than I make my hangers and install the hangers on each paw head and tail.
Than I take it out to the shop and do all the epoxy work on the face and recreate the lips. This will set up over night and than I will paint and seal it. Than install the tounge.
At this point the rug should be complete.
You also need to take into consideration that yours is not the only mount that is being worked on. I may do one step and not get back to it for a couple weeks. I try to work on a batch of Bear Rugs at a time. Because when I am set up for one step, wether it be stretching, trimming, sewing, or finnishing, I can get a lot more done.
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 02, 2009, 05:03:59 PM
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,299.0.html
Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 03, 2009, 09:09:35 AM
I know it takes time and it is a tedious process and that the world doesn't revolve around my mount (although it should ;) ) I didn't know that the hide went to a tannery, just thought it was all done in house.
Again thanks for the info.
A side note and probably TMI but I have always had a fantasy of getting jiggly with it on a Polar Bear skin rug. Anyone know where I could get one? My wife says a black bear will do for now.
Post by: robodad on February 03, 2009, 09:14:32 AM
Quote
A side note and probably TMI but I have always had a fantasy of getting jiggly with it on a Polar Bear skin rug. Anyone know where I could get one? My wife says a black bear will do for now.
I thought this thread was very informative and educational up until that visual !! :yike:
Post by: bucklucky on February 03, 2009, 09:33:29 AM
Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 03, 2009, 09:47:17 AM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 03, 2009, 11:08:09 AM
Plus tannery's specialize in tanning. That is what they do and that is how they make their money. They have all the equipment necessary to do the job right.
You do have to be careful with in home tanning because some people just don't know the process and it can lead to a mount that will deteriorate quickly and acid rot.
If you have seen the dudes work and don't like it than don't take anything to him.
Post by: saylean on February 03, 2009, 01:40:55 PM
Post by: rasbo on February 03, 2009, 01:45:50 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 03, 2009, 02:08:45 PM
Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 03, 2009, 02:24:12 PM
Quote
Ohh yeah, 8 months is a good time. You should expect to wait a year. That is average. I know taxidermists with a 2 and 3 year waiting list.
And they had better be charging 2 to 3 times less. I've got a trophy I'm not going to wait that long to get it back I don't care how good you are. Its a shoulder mount or rug not a full body elephant.
Post by: boneaddict on February 03, 2009, 02:39:56 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 03, 2009, 04:44:36 PM
What do you tell a guy that brings you 3 or 4 critters a year and price and time is no object to them? You going to turn that down? Those are good customers. Do you want them going somewhere else? If the taxi is up front on the return date and the customer is willing to wait 2 - 3 years than why is the taxidermist the bad guy? Seams like a customer chioce to me. No one is twisting their arm to leave your critter with them.
I tell everyone a year and I put a year on the paper work now. If I think for any reason it will be longer I will write an extended date. Even though in reality you are looking at 6 - 8 months. Sometimes it takes longer if their are a lot of repairs to make.
Post by: Ghost1941 on February 03, 2009, 04:59:33 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 03, 2009, 05:22:04 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on February 03, 2009, 05:50:39 PM
one year is a respectable wait, after that I thinkit becomes excesssive and if its 3 years, well the taxi shlould thlink about declining some bizz
I agree 100%!
We just got the call for my brothers bear. The taxi is just now getting ready to start it. It has been over 2.5 years right now. Probably 3 by the time it is done. :bash:
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 03, 2009, 06:02:50 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on February 03, 2009, 06:09:07 PM
You say he is just getting started with it? Does that mean it is frozen or tanned? If it is frozen you have atleast a couple weeks befor he sends it to the tannery and 2 - 3 months for the tannery and another 3 -4 months if he sends it off to be rugged. Those figures are probably low. Some tanneries take as long as 8 months to get stuff back to you. Some ruggers 6 months. Even if it is tanned and he hasn't rugged it yet you will be lucky to see it in 6 months.
Like I said in pm.
It is already tanned. If he really wanted to get to work on it he could have it done in a few months, but I doubt it.
Post by: bucklucky on February 03, 2009, 07:54:54 PM
Give it a few more years and I will probably has a 1 year turn around. Still new to the area. Though I brought 5X as much work in this year as I did last year. :yike:
Looks like michelle got 5 critters in this year :chuckle:
Post by: billythekidrock on February 03, 2009, 08:00:11 PM
Give it a few more years and I will probably has a 1 year turn around. Still new to the area. Though I brought 5X as much work in this year as I did last year. :yike:
Looks like michelle got 5 critters in this year :chuckle:
:yike:
Post by: runamuk on February 03, 2009, 08:09:06 PM
Give it a few more years and I will probably has a 1 year turn around. Still new to the area. Though I brought 5X as much work in this year as I did last year. :yike:
Looks like michelle got 5 critters in this year :chuckle:
:yike: low blow low blow :yike:
:boxin:
:chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 03, 2009, 08:09:16 PM
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 03, 2009, 08:26:50 PM
I do have a friend down the street , and this past Sep was his 4th year waiting for his full body mount cougar.
Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 03, 2009, 10:16:22 PM
I'd like a full mount to put atop a 3/4 wall and have a paw hanging down the wall like its taking a step down off the wall as if starting to pounce. My mental image is better than my typing.
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 03, 2009, 11:09:33 PM
Give it a few more years and I will probably has a 1 year turn around. Still new to the area. Though I brought 5X as much work in this year as I did last year. :yike:
Looks like michelle got 5 critters in this year :chuckle:
You know for such a little guy you sure talk a lot of crap. You better be nice or I might slip. :P
Post by: MuleySniper on February 03, 2009, 11:16:50 PM
WOW Thanks for the long write up.
I know it takes time and it is a tedious process and that the world doesn't revolve around my mount (although it should ;) ) I didn't know that the hide went to a tannery, just thought it was all done in house.
Again thanks for the info.
A side note and probably TMI but I have always had a fantasy of getting jiggly with it on a Polar Bear skin rug. Anyone know where I could get one? My wife says a black bear will do for now.
I had a huge party at my parents house when I was in High School. There were around 100 kids at it. We dug out my dads old bear rug for a novelty :chuckle: Long story short, after a long night and all the booze was gone, my buddy ended up nailing this girl UNDER it in the family room. We bring it up every once in awhile :chuckle: Good times... Good times.
MS
Post by: bucklucky on February 04, 2009, 08:00:38 AM
Give it a few more years and I will probably has a 1 year turn around. Still new to the area. Though I brought 5X as much work in this year as I did last year. :yike:
Looks like michelle got 5 critters in this year :chuckle:
You got to admit , that was a good one ;) Thought of it myself :chuckle:
You know for such a little guy you sure talk a lot of crap. You better be nice or I might slip. :P
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 04, 2009, 11:33:50 AM
You got to admit , that was a good one ;) Thought of it myself :chuckle:Give it a few more years and I will probably has a 1 year turn around. Still new to the area. Though I brought 5X as much work in this year as I did last year. :yike:
Looks like michelle got 5 critters in this year :chuckle:
You know for such a little guy you sure talk a lot of crap. You better be nice or I might slip. :P
:chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: Elkstuffer on February 04, 2009, 04:32:58 PM
Post by: boneaddict on February 04, 2009, 04:42:22 PM
Post by: bucklucky on February 04, 2009, 06:21:08 PM
Three years a lot can happen. Freezers, bugs, decay, amputations, heart disease, recessions, laws, presidents, foreclosures, volcanoes, floods, fires. I think if you are that damn busy you'd should hire help.
Yup, one should hire help and need to think about doing that before you get too buisy not after ;) Easier said than done though.
BLKBEARKLR, Dont take this as a attack ;) what do you know about tanning? Did you go to school for it? Do you know all the different PH levels to tan certain animals at? Do you have set times for specific animals? Static tan or pressure tan? What tan do you use? Do you know how acid rot happens? How do you neutralize your tans?
Not trying to attack you , just curiouse as to what you know . There are Taxis out there that claim they know what they are doing, that really dont. If I ever start tanning my own stuff again I will got to school and lern the right way. Personally I am almost scared to tan my own crap because there is so much knowledge that goes into it. My tannery guy blows me out of the water when we get to talking about all the molecules , and crap. Thats just not taxidermy to me, thats too much for my pee brain to handle :chuckle:
Post by: billythekidrock on February 04, 2009, 06:36:05 PM
If I ever start tanning my own stuff again I will got to school and lern the right way.
:o
Post by: boneaddict on February 04, 2009, 06:40:20 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 04, 2009, 06:49:15 PM
but, the good part is I don't need all of that slt Michelle uses, just some of it. I do have more freezers than the average geek thoguh
Salt? huh?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 04, 2009, 07:16:34 PM
Thanks
Joe
Post by: bucklucky on February 04, 2009, 10:22:30 PM
If I ever start tanning my own stuff again I will got to school and lern the right way.
:o
but, the good part is I don't need all of that slt Michelle uses, just some of it. I do have more freezers than the average geek thoguh
Salt? huh?
I was lurned whell :chuckle:
I cant even remember how many pounds of salt I went through this year, its right around 4500 pounds :o No wonder my backs been sore ;)
Glad I'm not the one manhandling those moose capes. Of course my tannery guy just hurt his back........... :bash:
Post by: Elkstuffer on February 05, 2009, 10:53:58 AM
Glad I'm not the one manhandling those moose capes. Of course my tannery guy just hurt his back........... :bash:
[/quote]
I just bought an electric winch to hang above my re-hydration tank specifically for Buffalo and moose. It should pay for itself in one or two visits to the chiropractor. :)
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 05, 2009, 11:03:43 AM
Of course my tannery guy just hurt his back........... :bash:
He probably hurt it wrestling with that Buffalo hide I brought him. Man that thing was huge! :yike:
Post by: bucklucky on February 05, 2009, 12:04:33 PM
I can't remember how many pound of salt I went though. I know I went through 300 just on that buffalo hide! :yike: I bet around 3000 lbs worth.
Of course my tannery guy just hurt his back........... :bash:
He probably hurt it wrestling with that Buffalo hide I brought him. Man that thing was huge! :yike:
300 pounds! How much stuff did you take to the Tannery? I have about 80 peices or better.
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 05, 2009, 12:09:32 PM
Was that the buffalo that was like 72 square feet?
Joe
Post by: boneaddict on February 05, 2009, 12:10:42 PM
Post by: bucklucky on February 05, 2009, 12:12:04 PM
Michelle
Was that the buffalo that was like 72 square feet?
Joe
Pretty sure it was :yike:
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 05, 2009, 02:39:54 PM
Joe
Post by: boneaddict on February 05, 2009, 02:41:19 PM
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 05, 2009, 03:03:18 PM
Then silly me did not learn my lesson and went and did it again the next year, only difference is she shot it this time and not me.
Post by: Elkstuffer on February 05, 2009, 04:49:29 PM
That sounds really cool elk stuffer. Its more fun haveing that acid drip down your forearm as you lift with all your might and try not to bear hug the cape lifting it up to drain. :)
Been there, Done that!
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 05, 2009, 08:04:01 PM
Yeah that was the hide alright. That hide came off of a 6 year old Bull. Imagine what a 12 year old bull's hide would look like.
Took me and another guy to flesh that thing and move it oround. Than me and the owner lifted that sucker 6' onto the rack to drip dry after washing the blood out of the hair. What really sucked was I took it out of my truck bed to thaw out. Than had to load it back up in the bed of the truck to take it to the tannery. :yike: I am just guessing but that thing had to have weighed around 150lbs.
BLKBEARKLR did you see it layed out on the floor in the shaving room salted?
Call me nuts but I like working on those big hides.
Post by: Elkstuffer on February 05, 2009, 09:50:48 PM
After the tannery shaved it down and tanned it it still weighed about 80 lbs. It was the most beautiful hide I have ever done. I was hoping that they wouldn't come to pick it up. LOL
Oh the good ole days! I don't do those any more.
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 05, 2009, 10:19:43 PM
Yes I did see it laid out on the floor, actually seen it take up the entire floor.
And since you asked so politely your nuts!!! HAHA, there is no fricken way I would ever take something like that on, I can promise you that if I get a call on something like that I will gladly give them your number.
I have about a 3 foot deep tub that I do a lot in and the other day had half a bull elk hide in there and had to dead lift that out of there after it was so wet , now granted it is not that bad but when you are 90% disabled that thing kicked my a$$.
And to make it even worse or better is I had the wife out there asking if I wanted some help.
Think I am going to rig up a super winch that I have and let that do the heavy stuff for me.
Joe
Post by: bucklucky on February 06, 2009, 08:24:36 AM
Michelle
.
And since you asked so politely your nuts!!! HAHA, there is no fricken way I would ever take something like that on, I can promise you that if I get a call on something like that I will gladly give them your number.
Joe
I told her the same thing :chuckle:
Post by: littlebuf on February 06, 2009, 08:00:27 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on February 07, 2009, 10:24:03 AM
Do people really think we puropsly keep their stuff for a year? That we get some kind of thrill out of it or that we are just singling a few out? Or maybe it's because we get some kind of interest from somewhere the longer we keep an animal in the shop? I guess we could be doing it to see how many people we can piss off. I don't get it. Returning critters to their owners is how we make our $$.
So someone tell me what benifit or kick back we are getting by keeping your animal in our shop for a year?
I don't know the vibe I get from a couple of people is that they think their special and that their animal is going to be automaticlly moved up in line as soon as they drop it off? What about the other critters that were dropped off befor yours? I sure don't want to have to exlain to other customers why your getting special treatment because you don't want to wait in line.
One of these days I think I am going to do a break down of how many animals we have to mount in a month to cover shop, house, mnedical, incuranse, etc bills.
Post by: Elkstuffer on February 07, 2009, 01:22:15 PM
got two mounts back this year in a little over 5 weeks, dropped um off about two weeks apart both blacktail mounts, great work. i really think it depends on the taxidermist, the whole reason this guy started was he was tired of waiting a year to get a freakin deer head back, so he prides himself on turning them over quickly
Wow! I used to be that guy! Then word gets out and next thing you know you are burried up to your armpits in work. So don't get used to it Littlebuf. If he's that good it won't last.
Good post Michelle!!!
Post by: Gobble Gobble on February 07, 2009, 06:37:01 PM
Quote
I don't know the vibe I get from a couple of people is that they think their special and that their animal is going to be automaticlly moved up in line as soon as they drop it off? What about the other critters that were dropped off befor yours? I sure don't want to have to exlain to other customers why your getting special treatment because you don't want to wait in line.
Uuummmmmm YAHHHHH!!!!!!!!! And its because I'm cute and special and you like my avatar and cuz your soooo nice ;)
You know I never thought this thread would last as long as it has. I have never had a mount done... YET.
I have just heard it takes about a year to get it back and I just wanted to know the process for any mount and how long each process takes. I do know there are others using the same taxi as me and that there are probably mounts before mine.
I do thank those who have put time & effort into long replies with detail of the mounting process. I have learned quite a bit From this thread as well as reading some of the other threads in this forum.