Whitening bones with peroxide. Processing hunting trophies: how to make a skull with your own hands

The bone intended for bleaching must first be well degreased. If the bone is not sufficiently degreased, then the bleaching will be uneven and residues will remain on the bone. yellow spots. Degreasing is done by boiling the bones in a weak soda solution (take 7-12 g of soda ash per 1 liter of water). The fat deposits that form during boiling are removed. You can also degrease by infusing bone objects in gasoline.

The most common and reliable method is bleaching with hydrogen peroxide. The strength of ordinary commercial hydrogen peroxide is three percent, but thirty percent hydrogen peroxide, called perhydrol, is also found on sale. The bleaching effect of hydrogen peroxide is based on its ability, when decomposed, to release oxygen, which oxidizes colored substances into colorless compounds. Decomposition by hydrogen peroxide can be enhanced either by heating or by adding alkalis (for example, ammonia). Bone products are immersed in three percent hydrogen peroxide so that they are completely covered with liquid, then the temperature is gradually raised to 35-40° and kept at this temperature for 24 hours. You can place a vessel with bleaching products in a heated Russian stove. It is best to use a wooden bucket as a utensil.

If faster bleaching is necessary, it is done by boiling for 2-4 hours, but this method is uneconomical, since some loss of oxygen occurs. In addition, boiling can easily cause corrosion and destruction of the bone. After bleaching, the bone is thoroughly washed and dried.

Instead of hydrogen peroxide, which is not always available on the market and is relatively expensive, you can use sodium peroxide, which, when dissolved in water, produces hydrogen peroxide and caustic soda, as a result of which in this method the bleaching agent is also hydrogen peroxide. Caustic soda formed when sodium peroxide dissolves must be neutralized with acid. Sodium peroxide, which is a yellowish powder, becomes very hot when exposed to water and can burst into flames. It should be stored in jars with tight-fitting lids, and taken not with your hands, but with a wooden or aluminum spoon.

To prepare a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide, proceed as follows.

Pour 60 cm 3 of oil of vitriol into 1 liter of water in a furnace stream (pour oil of vitriol to water, and not vice versa) and stir with a wooden stick, then cool the solution and pour 70 g of sodium peroxide into it in small portions; this will cause the solution to heat up. The solution should not be allowed to warm up more or less strongly, so the vessel must be strongly cooled cold water or ice and add each subsequent portion of sodium peroxide only when the solution has cooled sufficiently. When all the peroxide has been added, use litmus paper to find out what the solution is. If the red litmus paper turns blue (alkaline solution), you need to add a little acid and then add a few drops of ammonia. If an acidic solution is obtained (the blue litmus paper turns red), then the excess acid is neutralized with strong ammonia. After neutralization, excess ammonia should be taken in an amount of 5 cm 3 for each liter of solution.

Among hunters you can meet a considerable number of real collectors. In their collections you can often find exhibits of ungulates, in particular their skulls and horns. Such an exhibit is a source of pride for any hunter and a real hunting trophy. If desired, you can make such a trophy yourself.

Brief information about ungulates

Among ungulates, hunters are mainly interested in two families - full-horned and bovid. Let's look at them in a little more detail.

  1. Bovid family- the most large group artiodactyls, numbering about 50 genera and 130 species. They differ from their relatives in the structure of their horns, which fall off every year and then grow back. Bovids have sharp, pointed bony growths on their foreheads, which are surrounded by a horny sheath. These growths constantly grow in length, and at the base they constantly become thicker. New layers are formed on them, which become a case for them. Thus, they grow in many layers from year to year.
  2. Deer family. Their horns form on the bony processes of the frontal bones, grow and fall off annually. This is a process that ossifies and is not covered with a horny sheath, like in bovids. After the antlers fall off, the deer's bone stump becomes overgrown with a cartilaginous cap covered with hair. A new horn develops from this cap, they are very sensitive, but as they grow they harden and ossify.

How to choose horns for trophies

There are several simple rules, according to which it is necessary to select the horns of artiodactyls from which a hunting trophy will be made.

  • Horns that are about 2-3 years old and have already been shed by an animal are not suitable for a trophy because they have lost their strength and color. They can only be used for making souvenirs and crafts.
  • Fresh, untouched by rodents and without damage, artiodactyl horns are suitable for a good trophy.
  • In order to wash off dirt, it is unacceptable to use water, this will ruin the structure of the fabric and mold will appear.

How to process correctly

As an example, we will look at the features of processing elk antlers.

In order for the trophy to look good and be stored for a long time, it is necessary to process it correctly:

  1. Dry the trophy a little.
  2. Remove dirt with a soft bristle brush.
  3. Polish with a cloth from natural fabric using wax.

After processing, the trophies are fixed on a stand. Thus, you can easily figure out how to make deer antlers with your own hands.

Stages of skull processing

When the task is how to make a skull, there are several stages in which it must be processed.

When processing, you must follow all the steps:

  1. Without using a knife, the skin, muscles and fatty tissue are first removed from the head. Using a knife, only the eyelids are cut off and the tendons are cut off.
  2. Removal of the brain. To do this, take a wire, twist it in the shape of a spiral and insert it into a hole in the back of the head. Using a wire, the brain is “shaken” and then removed through this hole. If any part of the brain remains, it is removed with elongated tweezers. Under running water, the animal's head is washed from all residues.
  3. In order to get rid of tendons and teeth, the head is boiled. This is a very careful and thorough process. To do this, take water from a stream, spring or melt water, or rainwater. There should not be any in the water chemical elements and bleach. Otherwise, the skull and horns may change color, collapse and lose their appearance. The dishes are taken in appropriate sizes - the head must fit completely into it. Cold water is poured in and the container is placed on the fire. The animal's horns do not touch the water. To prevent contact, a board is tied to them, and the bottom is wrapped with dry cloth.
  4. If the animal's head is small, then it is cooked in one stage. A sign that the head is ready is when the tendons and muscles have pulled away from the bone. But this process also takes several hours. When water boils, it will begin to evaporate, so it is necessary to constantly add fresh water to the dishes, without getting it on the horns.
  5. After cooking, leave to cool for about 8 hours. They are not removed from the water. The water should not be higher than 20 degrees, but also not fall below 10.
  6. After cooling, the head is removed from the water and left to dry in a place where the sun's rays do not reach.

Filing

This process is very delicate and responsible, since it will be very unpleasant to spoil so much effort done earlier.

There are several rules, following which, all the work done will not go to waste:

  • The skulls of deer, rams and goats are not filed down. The reason for this is that this hunting trophy becomes more valuable with teeth. By the wear of the animal’s teeth, connoisseurs can, in turn, determine the age of the artiodactyl. In these animals, the lower jaw is attached to the upper jaw using a cord or wire.
  • If you have massive and large antlers in your hands, such as elk, deer or deer, then only the base of the skull and teeth are removed. In the meantime, the nasal and premaxillary bones, as well as the eye sockets, are left behind.

To prevent the skull from crumbling, it is sawed only while it is wet. If after boiling there is still dirt left, you can rinse it in water with the addition of salt or soda. Wipe off grease stains with ammonia.

How the skull is sawed off:

  1. The base of the skull is sawed off with a carpenter's or surgical saw, which has very fine teeth.
  2. The cut line will be the part that remains above the water after immersion.
  3. After this procedure, the skull is taken out of the water and along the wet line, mark with a pencil where the cut will take place.

Skull bleaching

This stage prepares the hunting trophy for completion.

In order for bone bleaching to be of high quality, you again need to follow a few very simple rules:

  • Wrap the skull in cotton wool and tie it with a cord. Do not wrap the horns. If there are not many bones, then wrapping is not necessary.
  • In a sealed container, mix 25% ammonia and 15% hydrogen peroxide in a ratio of 5:1. Perform these actions with gloves, goggles and a mask to avoid damaging the respiratory tract.
  • The wrapped skull is filled with the mixture so that it does not flood the horns, but a couple of centimeters above the sawn-off base.
  • To ensure high-quality bone bleaching, the skull is kept in the composition for about 15 hours.
  • In order for the bone to acquire a natural color, you need to soak the skull in phosphoric acid (1%) for 3 to 6 days, then place it in chloramine for no more than a day.

Polishing

This stage is the final stage in making the trophy.

  1. For polishing, prepare a mixture of Viennese lime and powdered chalk in a ratio of 2:1. The mixture is applied to the skull with a dry cloth, not forgetting about any notch.
  2. Another method of polishing: denatured alcohol is mixed with chalk in a 2:1 ratio and the skull is treated.
  3. To give a matte shine to the skull, it can be treated with paraffin, but its layer must be very thin.

A few taxidermist tricks

There are several secrets that you can use to understand how to sculpt a skull perfectly:

  • If the animal's horns are light in color, they can be made darker using a solution of potassium permanganate or an infusion of alcohol and walnuts. The horns are rubbed with one of the solutions. A large number of There is no need to use solutions - you can ruin everything. To avoid damaging the skull in this process, it must be wrapped in plastic.
  • The horn shoots are rubbed with soft, fine-grain sandpaper.
  • When cooking, it happens that teeth fall out. They are put in place and glued
  • You cannot attach skulls made of clay, plastic or other materials to the horns.

Processing a skull without horns

At exhibitions you can find options when the horns are displayed with a skull from a completely different animal. Avid exhibition participants always have several skulls in stock, made according to all the rules. How to make it?

In fact, skulls without horns are easier to bleach. To do this, after boiling, the bones are treated with 15% hydrogen peroxide or the wrapped skull is placed in the oven and heated to 80 degrees for five minutes. Then, when the gauze cools, it is moistened in turn in a solution of soda and alcohol. This procedure is done about three times. After these steps, the skull is dried and only after that a part of the skull is cut out. Where the stumps for the horns are located on the skull, two holes are cut out. The horns are attached to them.

After these steps, the skull is completely treated with acetone. The bases of the holes are laid with clay, and inside with epoxy resin or glue that does not allow water to pass through. After a day, the clay is removed, the skull is cleaned, and the joints are covered with colorless glue. The hole for the horns is treated with acetone and the edges are filled with glue, and the horns are already attached to the skull with wire.

So, making a hunting trophy in the form of horns with your own hands is not so difficult, but still this process requires endurance and patience.

Video

In our video you will find step by step instructions on processing the skull using the example of a roe deer.

Ivory products appeared during the primitive communal system, although at that time these were essential items associated with human life: arrowheads, knives. Later, the use of tusks became widespread in art and began to be considered a sign of luxury and prosperity. So, in Ancient Greece wooden statues were erected and covered with ivory plates, but, unfortunately, no examples of this art have survived. The most popular items were and still are today jewelry, boxes, furniture decorative elements, and attributes for various board games(chess, dominoes), and even keys for musical instruments.

Nowadays, making products from bone is enough a rare event. This is due to widespread restrictions on the extraction and trade of this material. Therefore, small jewelry is most often made from it, famous for its amazingly beautiful carved ornaments, original texture and variety of shades - from milky to golden and even brown.

When purchasing ivory jewelry, you need to remember the rules for caring for this rather delicate item. Firstly, storing ivory in closed boxes is not recommended, since the lack of sunlight contributes to yellowing of the product. Secondly, if you are putting on a bone ring, you need to be very careful and not allow strong blows. Lack of care when wearing it can lead to the formation of cracks, which can lead to the ring bursting in the future. If such a problem does occur, you can glue the product together using transparent glue. Thirdly, the jewelry should not be allowed to get wet so that the bone does not begin to delaminate. Therefore, before showering or washing your hands, remove your ivory items and leave them in a dry, bright place.

The relief surface of carved jewelry quickly becomes dirty and requires delicate cleaning. Severe dirt is removed with a solution of mild soap, brushing a little, and quickly wiped off, avoiding complete wetness. If the product is not very dirty, you can wipe it with a soapy cloth and dry it immediately. If you own, for example, an antique bone box of high artistic value, you should not clean it yourself, but leave it to professionals.

“Whiter than white”: how to clean your favorite bone jewelry

Ivory jewelry is very durable and, according to experts, does not require special care. They are not afraid of water, sun, or intense wear. However, over the years they may fade and their color may lose its whiteness. Restoring the beauty of your favorite jewelry is not at all difficult: the procedures do not require a significant investment of your time, special qualifications or expensive products - some of them can be found in almost every home.

To whiten a “bone” product at home, you can use several methods.

The first of them is “whitening” with hydrogen peroxide. It is considered one of the most reliable methods. When decomposing, peroxide releases oxygen, oxidizing colored substances into colorless compounds, and decomposes most quickly in an alkaline environment and when heated.
When purchasing a 3% peroxide solution, remember that the jewelry is completely immersed in it: obviously, you will need a different volume to clean the earrings and bone bracelet. The container with the product must be placed in a very warm place– with a temperature of +30, +35° C. After 24 hours, your jewelry will only need to be washed, left to air dry or wiped with a soft cloth.

To use the second method, you will need baking soda and bleach. You need to make a 5% soda solution from soda, and mix lime with water in any ratio. First, the product is thoroughly washed in a soda solution, then covered with freshly prepared bleach slurry. It should lie in it for 10-12 hours. Afterwards, all that remains is to rinse off the paste with running water and wipe thoroughly.

The third method involves pre-washing the product with a soap solution mixed with a drop of ammonia. Afterwards, you need to immerse it in a 1% hydrosulfite solution and wait until it turns white. You need to rinse a bone product with warm water. clean water. It is advisable to add a little vinegar to it.

When choosing the fourth method, it is suggested to add a little ammonia not to the soap solution, but to a 3% peroxide solution. The product completely immersed in this liquid must lie for at least 12 hours, after which it must be washed and wiped.

There is another, more radical way to clean a “bone” product - using denatured alcohol, gasoline, turpentine and even oxygen-containing bleach. After this, the product can be polished with chalk powder by rubbing it with a piece of leather soaked in denatured alcohol.

As you can see, returning your favorite bone beads to their original beauty is not at all as troublesome as it might seem. And besides, it’s not at all expensive.

Ivory is back in fashion

Bone is perhaps the earliest material that primitive man began to use. During excavations of the Neolithic era, bone jewelry, carvings and figurines were found. Primitive man wore them in the form of various jewelry, amulets and necklaces, but they used not only the fangs of predators, but also the teeth of other animals - sperm whales, narwhals, wild boars, sharks and, of course, elephants. Pendants and knife handles were made from thin plates of elephant milk teeth; they were used for inlay and decoration of other interior and household items.

Since ancient times, bone products have been valued for their ease of processing, density, pleasant cream color and relative durability. True, over time, the bone begins to turn yellow, especially in damp conditions, for example, this is how the color of figurines, beads or keys on ancient pianos changed.

Today, bone products are especially highly valued, but for many household and everyday purposes, such as making knife handles or piano keyboards, cheap celluloid materials are used.

Mammoth tusks, whale teeth, and other “bones”.

It is interesting that ivory began to be called the tusks of elephants, the bones of sperm whales, walruses, narwhals, mammoths, and less commonly the teeth of hippopotamuses, as well as plant materials (outwardly similar in structure and color).

Ivory is the tusks of elephants (reaching 3 meters in length), which are the most valuable jewelry and ornamental raw materials. From tusks African elephants, living in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, receive the best raw materials of a uniform white or light fawn color with a slight light green tint; the bone is a little worse Asian species elephants (Lankan, Thai or Indian).

Mammoth bone is the tusks of female and male mammoths that lived in North America, Asia and Europe more than 4 thousand years ago. The tusks of these animals were more than 2 meters. Color ranges from glossy white (Siberian) to dark or light brown (Alaska and Great Britain).

Sperm whale bones are the teeth of various cetaceans, some of which reach more than 10 meters in length. They were used to make small figurines, decorative necklaces covered with ornaments and netsuke. The color is uneven, from light brown to white with a porcelain or silky sheen.

Walrus bone - teeth and fangs of walruses living in coastal areas of the Arctic. Reach 0.75 meters in length; were used in the past to make decorative figurines and figurines (Eskimo carvings), and were sometimes used for inlay into weapons. The color ranges from cream to light yellow with a silky and porcelain sheen.

"Vegetable bone" for a long time used in the manufacture of buttons, bobbins, buttons, imitation ivory products and became known in European countries only at the beginning of the 19th century. These were bone palm seeds from South America, which are pure white.

Imitation bone

The most common bone imitation is plastic, formerly known as celluloid or xylolite. This material was first obtained in England in 1865 as the main product from the interaction of camphor alcohol and nitrocellulose. The impetus for this invention was a persistent desire to find cheap substitutes for ivory, which was traditionally used in the manufacture of billiard balls.

stone74 25-02-2014 22:33

Greetings masters.
I started making a spacer in the handle from a deer antler. I sawed the horn, but it is black inside. I figured that when I process it, the blackness on one side of the spacer might come out. Can anyone tell me a way to bleach the horn or, on the contrary, paint over it? Or does such material go straight to the trash?

alex-wolff 25-02-2014 23:21

OlegNA 25-02-2014 23:34

hydrogen peroxide.
there is a search

Dedkoff 25-02-2014 23:35

I would throw it away and take another piece because where the blackness is there are pores, when they come out they are much more difficult to seal than to bleach the horn

M c Car 26-02-2014 02:02

Also here the marala was whitewashed
Pores turned white in a minute

El Peregrino 26-02-2014 07:48

quote: Originally posted by M cCar:

Pores turned white in a minute


After Vanish? or peroxide?

stone74 26-02-2014 10:57

quote: Originally posted by OlegNA:
hydrogen peroxide.
there is a search

I searched and couldn't find it. Do you have a link? Do you just dip the swab in peroxide and wipe off the blackness, or do you completely lower the horn (spacer)?

stone74 26-02-2014 10:58

quote: Originally posted by Dedkoff:
I would throw it away and take another piece because where the blackness is there are pores, when they come out they are much more difficult to seal than to bleach the horn

The pores are larger there in the middle, they don’t float at all. You can always throw it away. I don't have another piece. And small pores are filled with cyanoacrylate if necessary.

El Peregrino 26-02-2014 11:21

I just threw it in peroxide for 2 weeks... it turned very white, but the grayishness remained... so... I wonder what's wrong with the vanity

alex-wolff 26-02-2014 12:29

With vanish, everything is simple, we throw the horns into a container, pour vanish, dilute it with water (the higher the concentration, the faster the process), and wait a week, the horn becomes like Aunt Asya’s shirt. (through and through, not superficially) then rinse it and let it dry. Now I’ll get my act together and take a photo of the difference, before and after Vanish.
Well, that’s how it turns out. the blue in places becomes pinkish. bottom before, top after.

El Peregrino 26-02-2014 15:04

Thank you, I'll soak it tomorrow))

stone74 26-02-2014 15:22

Vanish? Which useful remedy...I'll try it today. I'll post the results.

Dedkoff 26-02-2014 16:52

quote: And small pores are filled with cyanoacrylate

The problem is that when processing the horn with fine abrasives (starting from ~ 600-800 grit), these very pores become clogged with dirt and nothing can get it out of there, only steel wool and yes, cyanoacrylate...

Boule 26-02-2014 21:18

horn reindeer bleached with hydrogen peroxide 3%. But since the peroxide was old, I gurgled a couple of tablets of dry peroxide (hydropyrite) into 50 ml. this piece of horn dangled for about a month closed jar, whitened whiter than fresh village snow, and softened to the point that the porous part was literally pulled out with your finger. Washed, dried, became hard, but rough, can be soaked with whatever you need

Igor77 26-02-2014 22:12



With vanish, everything is simple, we throw the horns into a container, pour vanish, dilute it with water (the higher the concentration, the faster the process), and wait a week, the horn becomes like Aunt Asya’s shirt. (through and through, not superficially) then rinse it and let it dry. Right now I’ll get my act together and take a photo of the difference, before and after the vanish. Well, that’s how it turns out. the blue in places becomes pinkish. bottom before, top after.


There is one thing. Both peroxide and vanish cannot be soaked for a long time and deeply. The horn becomes fragile - the adhesive substances are destroyed. The best solution is to lighten it before polishing. And only the very surface. And if it’s a little less than perfectly white, so what? This is horn, not plastic. The photo shows that the working layer of the horn is quite thick. So it will go to work. True, the size of the horn is not indicated, and I don’t know the size of the supposed handle.
Here they are talking about small pores on the surface of the horn - a horn that is ripe, just before the discount, or one that has just been shed, does not have any pores. After polishing, it has a uniform, clear glass sheen.
If the horn is not ripe, it will appear layered. When cut with a knife, scales are visible. This one doesn't work. No matter how it is polished or filled with glue, the layering is the same as in other things, and the pores cannot be hidden, they will be visible.

VERETINO 26-02-2014 22:25

quote: And if it’s a little less than perfectly white, so what? This is horn, not plastic.

+1000000

alex-wolff 26-02-2014 22:47



There is one thing. Both peroxide and vanish cannot be soaked for a long time and deeply. The horn becomes fragile - the adhesive substances are destroyed. The best solution is to lighten it before polishing.


Igor, I didn’t notice any fragility after Vanish, maybe it’s there, but it’s not relevant to me, because... I only use horn for inserts, but solid handles and scabbards are made of horns, they are certainly beautiful, but not my thing - they are too slippery to work with.

stone74 26-02-2014 22:50

Igor77 26-02-2014 23:20

quote: Originally posted by alex-wolff:

solid handles and sheaths made of horns, they are certainly beautiful, but not my thing - they are too slippery to work with.


Well, they are not for work). Of course, they are absolutely functional, and you can peel the carcasses, and they are slippery with blood, just like wooden ones that are impregnated or made of stabilizer.
And so the most working ones, it’s a straight handle made of unimpregnated plain birch wood, long, so that it’s comfortable to work in a mitten, and it will still slide.), but it’s not a pity, it’s one, two, you just need to keep the handle clean and from time to time wash off mucus and blood if it gets in and it won’t slip. And this is mine).
Let me add - the most non-slip handle, so as not to bother with washing off mucus and blood - this handle, with a nylon thread wound around it, is thick. 2.5-3mm. Reeled in like a noose knot. Practice has shown that this is the best option.)

Igor77 26-02-2014 23:28

quote: Originally posted by stone74:

After three hours in Vanish


alex-wolff 26-02-2014 23:35

quote: Originally posted by Igor77:

Absolutely does not mean that it is the same inside).


the one that I showed in pieces was completely whitened in a week (already sawed)... in three hours, superficially of course.
Igor, what do you use to bleach your Sami clothes?

Igor77 26-02-2014 23:47

By the way, about 15 years ago I experimented with a sanitary fluid containing oxalic acid. So, I put the horn plate in this liquid for 4 hours, it became almost transparent, and it could be tied into a knot.))) After drying, it shone with pristine whiteness. This record was a failed insert. That's why I experimented. So, after experimenting with it, I threw it in the box. And then I forgot about her. Three years later I did a revision and found it. She became as fragile as a cracker. So don't overdo it.

M c Car 27-02-2014 12:03

After peroxide, my horn thickens and really becomes brittle, it cracks slightly when it dries, then some tinting doesn’t work at all
When you cut it into white sawdust, like cottage cheese today.

grafolog 27-02-2014 12:15

Just recently I did it with deer antler and birch bark. Before finishing polishing, I wiped it with a cotton swab with 30% peroxide. After that, the antler dried out for more than a day. Peroxide definitely peels the top layer, you need to make a reserve.
Moose horn (shoots) or the frontal part are less demanding for bleaching, and are also more accessible.

Igor77 27-02-2014 21:05

quote: Originally posted by grafolog:

Peroxide definitely peels off the top layer, you need to make a reserve.


I wouldn't say so categorically. In any case, I myself did not notice any peeling after bleaching the surface layer. Most likely you used layered, unripened horn. It will flake simply from moisture, because the structure is loose.
After 15 min. soak the polished horn in 30% peroxide, after half an hour you need to wipe the surface with a damp cloth, possibly with a small amount of PVA. Just in case. And dry for at least a day. In a cool, dry place. Not for batteries or incandescent lamps. Then everything will be ok. After final polishing.

grafolog 27-02-2014 21:33

quote: After half an hour, you need to wipe the surface with a damp cloth, possibly with a small amount of PVA.

Thanks for the tip. I left the horn to dry with peroxide without wiping it.

For many hunters, the purpose of hunting is to obtain trophies. Skins, fangs, horns - these are the most popular hunting trophies. Trophies such as animal skulls are less popular. This is due to the difficulty of preserving and making such trophies. However, if you follow the instructions, this task may not be that difficult. That’s why we would like to tell you how to properly file and process the skull of a hunted animal.

How to file a skull

First you need to thoroughly clean the skull of meat, brain and ligaments. You can read about this in a separate article. Now
you need to very skillfully, masterfully, one might say, start filing. In animals such as deer, goats and sheep,
It is advisable to preserve the entire skull. This trophy is much more valuable because
that by determining tooth wear, it will always be possible to determine age
the animal itself. A lower jaw preferably should be attached to the trophy
either with a cord or thin wire.

In some cases, only a small one can be left with horns
and a shapeless piece belonging to the frontal bones, the horns in this case may
lose its natural connection with the skull itself. Processed in this way
the horns already look somewhat separate, but do not look like combat or tournament
weapon of a horned male. To avoid this, you need to leave the frontal and
nasal parts, as well as part of the parietal bone. If the animal has horns
huge and very massive, then remove only the cranial base with teeth.

To file the base of the skull, use
surgical or regular carpenter's saw with fine teeth. In advance
Mark the line along which you will cut. For this purpose, immerse the skull in
water, but so that only the parts that need to be
preservation along with the horns. Strengthen the skull in this position and trace now
draw a water level on the bone with a pencil, then remove the skull from the pan and
cut along the line outlined in advance. When you file a skull, you need to
keep in a state of moisture, otherwise those bones that remain dry will easily
will crumble.

How to degrease and
bleach
scull

Whatever method you use to cleanse the skull,
one way or another, fat will remain in the bones, and it gives an unsightly yellow tint,
and sometimes color. That's why bones need to be degreased. The easiest way -
is to soak the skull using pure gasoline (soaking time
approximately one day). Then put the skull in the water and start boiling quickly.
There is, of course, some danger in this method - carefully observe
fire safety to avoid undesirable consequences. Before,
how to bleach a skull, it is recommended to rinse the horns with a brush in water, first
dissolving a little detergent (powder, for example) in it.

When whitening, you can use a 30% solution
perhydrol (hydrogen peroxide). Immerse the skull in this solution, but no more,
than fifteen minutes, make sure that this solution under no circumstances
did not hit the horn area. Using a peroxide solution in the concentration
which is indicated, you must be extremely careful, because you can easily
damage your skin on your hands and ruin your clothes. Skull after bleaching
rinse under running water and dry thoroughly.

Here's another way to quickly whiten your skull -
is to boil it for five to fifteen minutes (it all depends on the size
skull) in ammonia (at the rate of 25% solution, i.e. 250 ml must be diluted
in one liter of water). Make sure that the horns do not come into contact with the water.
When you finish boiling, apply to the bones several times while they are hot.
hydrogen peroxide - 30% solution with a brush, without closing it. And then
dry the skull. When working with peroxide, it is better to use rubber
gloves to avoid damaging your hands.

There is a third interesting way. After washing, cover the skull
cotton wool or gauze, pre-soaked in peroxide solution
hydrogen - it should be 7-10%, add 5 ml of ammonia per liter of water -
the solution should be made 25%. Whiten for about four or five
hours, the place for this should be as dark as possible.

Here's another way. Soak the skull for two
hours in water, then boil it for a few minutes. Then lightly
dry it and apply hydrogen peroxide to it - a 30% solution, which before
with this you need to mix until the consistency of sour cream with crushed regular powder
chalk. Be careful not to get this mixture on the horns. Place the skull in
dark place so that it is moist enough and keep it there for about
ten hours to 24 hours, then rinse thoroughly in running water,
brush and place to dry in a sunny place.

After you have bleached it, you can do a light
cosmetics on the horns and skull. A light one will look good on light antlers.
touch-up with weak potassium permanganate or tincture walnut. Place the shell in
boiling water and leave for several hours. Tint the horns with great
caution, because if the horns are light, the experts reduce points when assessing, and
if the horns are inappropriately painted, they are generally removed from the competition. Cover the horns with varnish
or some paints are not allowed, in such cases they are not allowed to
participation in exhibitions and competitions. Before
To make cosmetics for horns, the skull must be tied with a plastic bag.
Processes deer antlers, or rather, their tips can be polished white with
using fine sandpaper. And to add shine to dry horns, coat them
stearin or paraffin using a brush - stearin and paraffin must be dissolved
in gasoline. As soon as the solution has dried, brush the horns until they shine with a brush.
shoes

To eliminate the roughness existing on the skull, you need to
polish, for this you will need fine sandpaper. Wipe with chalk
powder, mixed in advance in denatured alcohol. After wiping the bone clean, cover it
synthetic varnish, but it must be colorless and applied in a very thin layer. Wipe
bone with cotton wool soaked in polish. This method of varnishing is usually done on
turtles of predatory animals.



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