Boiling/Cooking skulls

[brian brooks]

What is in your opinion the Best recipe for cleaning a skull for bleaching?What detergents or anti-greasing agent works best?Need some opinions please

[Steve Chappell]

Good post Brian...I am interested in knowing the same thing.

[adeeden]

I did two this year for thie first time using only water and dawn dish soap wile simmering.

I Changeed the water every 2 hours and simmerd for a total of 6 hours. Then power washed off the remaining meat at a local car wash.

Then used hydrogen peroxide to finaly whiten.

There was a past thread on here that gave me in the information.

They both turned out nice in my opinion.

[Dave Bowers]

I actually stopped boiling them last year and started using mountian mike's reproduction skulls. Its alot easier and alot less messy.

[brian brooks]

adeedan, Looks like they turned out real nice.How did you apply the peroxide?Also i seen that post earlier,but cannot find it now.

[JimB]

First,trim the bulk of the meat off.If you have a place where you can let it spoil a few days without causing a divorce,put it in a garbage bag and let it sit at least three days.This will loosen the meat up and reduce cooking time.

Don't boil,just simmer.Put a handful of baking soda in the water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid.

After an hour or two,pull it out and check progress,picking off any meat and tissue you can.Keep repeating this process.If the water gets real dirty halfway through,change for fresh,adding more baking soda and soap.

You can scramble the brains with a wire or screwdriver and shake those out after a couple ours of simmering.I usually blast them out with a garden hose.Don't stand directly behind the brain cavity hole!

When the stuff gets loose enough,I use the garden hose to flush out the sinus cavities,using gentle pressure.Work over an area that is clean enough that if small teeth etc,fall out,you won't lose them.I have an outdoor table made for this using 1/8" hardware cloth on the top.

There are some spots on the rear of the skull where neck muscles attach and these spots are tough and you will have to do some scraping with the end of your pocket knife.

Once it is cleaned,it may or may not need degreasing.There will be a grease ring on the base of the antlers most likely.Clean that off with the dishwashing liquid and a small brush.

Let the skull dry to see if you have any grease spots.If you do,they will look like wet spots.Some deer will be fine,same with antelope.I submerge mine in acetone but that can be spendy and it is a flammable liquid,so only outside and no sparks-even static.

Degreasing often takes days,sometimes weeks.You are just diluting the grease and waiting for it to leach out on it's own,so it won' go fast.Some use dishwashing liquid in water and it may work on mild grease,definitely is safer,but the acetone has always worked better for me.

Bleach only after removing any grease spots.I use beauty salon type bleach.You can get it from Van Dykes Taxidermy Supply or a salon.Some submerge skulls in household peroxide and say that works.If you use the salon stuff that you whip up like shaving cream,brush it on and wrap the skull with cling wrap to keep it wet.Sit it in the sun if you can.Wash the stuff off next day.

The best thing I have found to seal the finished skull with is Future floor finish,thinned 50/50 with water.If you want a lot of shine,don't thin it.It is crystal clear and non yellowing.The thinned version can be wiped on the antlers too and really brings out the colors.If the antlers get too much sheen,just wipe them down with a rag and Windex.Just brush the Future on with a clean brush.

After sealing,I glue any loose teeth or nasal bones with white glue.After sealing because the Future can soften the white glue.

Hang it on the wall.

[adeeden]

Brian, I just used a squirt bottle (windex to be exact) and used a 35% peroxide.

[JSC]

I use 1 cup of soda ash in boiling water.Boil skull for 1 hour then hit it with the pressure washer.Clean all the meat you can off of the skull before you boil,then wire brush or scrape any remaining meat off that pressure washer doesnt get.Bleach with peroxide from a local beauty salon,get the strongest stuff they have and be careful not to get it on your skin, it really burns if you do.

[Steve Chappell]

Thanks for sharing guys. I think I will wait till Spring to try this on my skulls.

[brian brooks]

Thanks for the info fellas.Have got a nasty day and was wanting to try my hand at this.Thanks for everything.Very helpful.....Thanks to all

[Jeff Mundy]

I've boiled & bleached a couple of skulls. The most important thing you need is a mask, goggles, & a gag bag! Nastiest job around in my opinion...

[Roy Steele]

I've did 27 of my own and over 25 of friends. I add a few things. Skin remove all the meat you can. I put mine in the sun for a month or when ever I get to it. But you can skip this part if you want.
 Never boil simmer removeing meat and brains.Power washer works good here but you can scrape also. Keep doing this a few times untill all the meats gone.
  Then I'll put it under hot water spicked and brush it really clean. You can get small brass brushs. Then I let dry a day then I'll take and rap it in ace bandge. Get the beauty salon peroxide you can add a spoonfull of bleach. But I quit doing this I saw no difference.Even tryed more. Put it in a pan and keep soaking it a few times a day for a couple days don't submurge. Let it dry a day Now if you like to put anything on it.I have painted things on a few then sign them nows the time.
 Then I take delco glue drys clear add to ALL THE SEAMS AND WIPE OFF THE EXCESE. Let dry I go to lowes and get a can of varafane and spray this this adds a thin platic coat. Let dry and if you want put some floor polish on it. It'll stay this way for ever I have some over 25  years old.

[medicineman]

I guess this would be the same for a pig skull?

[USN_Sam1385]

I did a full write up on this w/ pictures step by step:

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=100497;p=1

[JimB]

"I guess this would be the same for a pig skull?"

It would but expect to do some serious degeasing.The same goes with bears,especially big ones.

[WESTBROOK]

I just put mine in a bucket of water, submerged to the antler bases, and let it soak for a few weeks. In warm weather  bacteria forms in the water and disolves everything and the meat and brains fall right off. Just spray with a hose to clean it up, then whiten. Just make sure it down wind of the house!

Eric

[meathead]

I do what Westbrook does.  I cut off as much meat as I can first and I don't let the bucket set in the sun.  It tends to start bleaching the antlers.

[Morning Star]

One thing I've noticed is that dish soap does a great job getting rid of the oil/grease in the skull, but can leave the base of the antlers discolored.  I think using the soap is a necessity because if you don't get rid of the grease in the bone, it will look yellow after you whiten it with peroxide.
So,the next skull I do, I'm gonna wrap the base of the antlers exposed to the steam with leather or something that will protect them.

[fireman_3311]

I do alot of skulls with my beetles, and do spend extra time degreasing, especially antelope and bear. If you discolor your antlers, there is a fix!!  Easy and cheap, most deer I send out the door have been fixed! Shoot me a pm when you get that far if you need help!!

[Thunderhorn25]

adeeden, that's a nice looking skull. I would worry about the power wash breaking the nasal area on the skull, I once peeled the skin on my wrist by a power washer.