Bleached Skull

[smdave]

Okay my freezer still has a deer head in it from last year, how do I go from this whole head to a nice white bleached skull?

Dave

[boneaddict]

I boil the heck out of it, being as careful as possible not to boil the antler portion of it as it discolors your antlers.  I then use a chemical that I promised I would look up for Jackelope and haven't yet, mixed to a paste with hydrogen peroxide.  It leaves a very even nice white bleached look without using the bleach and without getting bleach on your antlers.  One thing you have to watch is overbleaching your skull which breaks down the porous bone.  Its also hard to get an overall even appearance.   You can bleach them then use this chemical, but the peroxide does a wonderful job.  I'll look that up and give you a source to get it if interested.  I'm sure Michelle has some better insight, and I know polarbear has turned out a nice skull or two.

[PolarBear]

I do all mine and my friends (a couple hundred by now)
Remove as much meat (eyes tongue pallate etc) as you can.  Do not boil!!!  Simmer!  Boiling for a long time will set the grease into the skull and make it tough to get out and stink.  Get the water to a rolling boil and then turn it down to a simmer.  Add a couple cups of sal soda (taxidermy suppy) and a little Dawn dish soap.  The sal soda will loosen the meat and the soap will cut grease.  Place the skull in and soak for 1/2 hour and remove.  Use dental pics, exacto knives, scalpels etc to cut, peel and scrape the meat off.  If you have to put it back into the water change it out with fresh so the skull does not soak up grease.  When you have it all picked clean rince it off and let it dry.  You have to get this stuff from a hairdresser or taxidermy suppy.  Mix Clairol Basic White 2 powdered hair bleach with 40 volume peroxide.  Mix it until it is like whipped cream and paint it on the skull.  Be sure to set it on a white towel or paper towels, the mix can draw color out of stuff and discolor your skull.  Leave it on until it dries.  Once the mix dries it is no longer active so keep it in a warm damp place.  (no, not there) Rince with cold water (hose it off) and let dry in the sun for a day or two.  Seal with a clear spray sealer and you are done.  It will get a little whiter once it dries completley and if it sits in the sun for a little while.

[ICEMAN]

I just bury the whole skull in the flower garden with the antlers sticking up thru the soil. By spring, pretty clean, a simple hosing out, then dry it out, then peroxide it...worked for me...  wife wasn't too happy though...

[Michelle_Nelson]

  Sounds like all good information!

[Ironhead]

I haven't seen any mention of removing the brains, if you don't do it before boiling it is a real biatch later and it stinks to high heaven.

[PolarBear]

I simmer the head first to loosen the membrane and then hit it with the pressure washer right in the hole.  It will blast those brains and mambrane right out and they come out in chunks instead of a big glob of snot that tends to always land on your face.  It works good on the nasal cavity as well.  Make sure to get every piece of junk out of every hiding spot on the head or it will eventually stink and attract bugs.  I even use dental picks to clean the stuff from between and inside the teeth and scrape off the black build-up.

[boneaddict]

Works either way.

[smdave]

Thank you all for the help. and I thought it would be a good topic for others.

Miles, I am talking about doing the whole skull.

Dave

[saylean]

When I did my bear skull, I got all the meat off I could, boiled it for a bit...poked a knife by the base of the skull where it connects to the neck and sliced out alot of the brains (boiled, repeated process)..then once it was all clean I painted on hair lightener (perioxide) from a style salon. I placed it in the sun for a week or two, continuing to paint the stuff on and it turned out great. Doesnt stink, a nice white, im happy with it.

[Krusty]

It's not worth the trouble to do it yourself anymore.

I'm not sure how much it costs to have a deer skull done, but I have all my skulls done professionally (it's 25 cents for a muskrat).
He uses beetles, so theres no heat to break down the bone or cause the teeth to fall out, and no grease problems.
They are finished off with a chemical solution, and come out a beautiful natural color.

PM me if you'd like the contact info.

Krusty

[sisu]

It's not worth the trouble to do it yourself anymore.

I'm not sure how much it costs to have a deer skull done, but I have all my skulls done professionally (it's 25 cents for a muskrat).
He uses beetles, so theres no heat to break down the bone or cause the teeth to fall out, and no grease problems.
They are finished off with a chemical solution, and come out a beautiful natural color.

PM me if you'd like the contact info.

Krusty

All I want to know is what species beetle!

[PolarBear]

Dermistid beetles.  They are readily available on-line but are a pain in the butt to maintain, plus they stink to high heaven!  They do a great job in just a couple of days but are not practical unless you are doing it professionally.  I looked into getting a colny and decided that the half dozen heads that I do a year did not warrant the cost and up-keep of the critters.

[GoldTip]

The dermestid beetles do a darn fine job, I have been very happy with couple of bear skulls and european mounts I have had cleaned with the beetles.  But yes, would not them at my house, just dropping the skulls off at my guys house, I get nauseous.......   They do stink pretty badly...

[jackelope]

I think my buddy paid $160 or so to have his done a couple years ago and that included a nice plque/stand that could hang on the wall or stand on a  table.

[Muleyslyr]

I like doing the work myself.  Little more gradifying to me when it's finished.  Anyway I pretty much do exactly what polarbear does only I use a combination of Magnesium Carbonate which I get from Van Dyke's (www.vandykestaxidermy.com) and mix it 3% Hydrogen Peroxide.  Mix it into a nice paste and brush it on the skull.  Pretty much clean the skull before and rinse it after just the way pb described.

[robb92]

I agree I like doing myself better. I used a fillet knife on the brains and then with the nasal passages I used a piece of safety wire. Also when the skull is done to your liking I coated mine with a clear coat, this will keep it from weathering. I have done a couple like this and have never had any problems. I know if you boil the skull to long it will crumble. Also if the base of the antlers get discolored you can use a wood stain to take them back to the original color. I used a turkey fryer pot and tied the antlers to a 2x4 and set it on top of the pot this way it will keep the antlers out of the water, and the pot is deep enough to submerge the whole head. The first part of the skull to fall off will be the lower job, if you want to save this fish it out of the pot and when it is cleaned to your liking take and let it dry and coat in peroxide and let is sit in the sun, then take some super glue and place a bad behind each tooth, this will insure that the teeth will stay in place. The when the whole skull is done use super glue or expoy to attach the lower jaw to the rest of the skull. I'll attach some photos of the ones I have done. I did my big 3x3, my uncles 3x3, another 3x3 and  a spike.

[boneaddict]

Magnesium carbonate.  Yep, thats what I use.