Doing a bear Euro mount...need help

[A.S.]

I'm doing a black bear skull euro mount for a friend. I have it all ready to go, except I still have a few greasy spots around the outside of the brain cavity.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help this out. I've always had good luck with deer, but bears seem to give me fits!!

[FerretWYO]

Bears are really bad for grease. I use coleman fuel on bears and antelope to cute the grease. You may have to do it several times. Then maybe touch up the your whitening a little bit.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

go to  www.vandyketaxedermy.com   They have several different skull degreasers you can try and skull whiteners as well

[A.S.]

Thanks guys!

I have the skull whitener that you mix with peroxide. I've applied it twice. I will give the Coleman fuel a try. I remember trying lacquer thinner in the past. It's so expensive, I was hoping to find something cheaper.

[Olin Rindal]

When I boil out a skull I put dish soap in the water. Never had a problem with greasy bear skulls. I then use dental tools (dentists usually give me the wore out ones)to scrap any cartilage left over. As for bleach I use hair bleach. Works great. Its a paste, so I dab a cotton ball in a bowl of hair bleach then stick it to the skull covering the entire skull for about 24 hours than just pull off the cotton balls and disscard. Wolla a great looking skull.

[JimB]

You have to get the grease out before bleaching.I never had luck with any detergents or water based degreasers.I submerge them in acetone and it still takes time.It is not an overnight thing.It may take a week or 2 or 3.

The Coleman should do the same thing.After several days,pull it out and let the acetone evaporate from the skull.After it is dry,any spots that appear wet,are grease.Put it back in for several days and repeat.It takes as long as it takes.

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

SIMMER don't BOIL!! Use "OxyClean" or similar product from the laundry section of your supermarket. It'll gell all flesh and it takes little to no effort to remove.

Next, bleach the skull in industrial grade hydrogen peroxide. Not the 3% stuff you get at the pharmacy. You may have to shop around for the stuff (I found it - of all places - in a hydroponic garden supply store. It's used for plant roots...) Anyway, soak it in the H2O2 overnight and it'll come out bleached (though it'll appear somewhat yellow until it completely dries.

Next glue in the teeth with Elmer's or other white glue and let dry. Finish the skull off with a table-top lacquer brushed on and you're good to go. I'll try to post a photo of the deer skull I have Euro mounted. By the way, if you do a deer skull, be sure the antlers stay out of the whole process. To get the H2O2 around the base of the antlers and the top of the skull, use gauze and let it wick up to those areas.

GOOD LUCK.

[bornagainbowhunter]

I am with Cali on this, but be sure to glue the teeth on the inside of the mouth.

[calgarychef]

You gotta degrease bear skulls before you do any gluing, whitening etc.  The other option that I've done for myself is not to bleach and just let it be natural bone color.  It'll darken over time but it seems to be a better idea with the grease involved than trying to whiten it.  

I've never had any actual grease spots though.  Maybe because I very gently simmer, change the water often and use soda ash (available at pool/hot tub suppliers).  Also since theoil rises keep the skull well below the surface and skin the "yukky stuff" off the top as soon as it shows up.

the chef

[lpcjon2]

As a Forensic Tech we boil human skulls in Borax and Peroxide for like an hour,That makes them clean and white.Did you use Beatles on the head to get all the fat and meat off?

[A.S.]

I appreciate all the input guys. I've done lots of deer heads, and a few bears in the past.

Here's what I did.

Soaked the skull in water/Dawn dish soap for a few days prior to cooking.

Cooked/simmered with sodium carbinate to remove all flesh (also aded some Dawn to the pot).

My bleaching solution is magnesium carbinate mixed with peroxide.

Both the cooking and bleaching chemicals came from a taxidermist.

I just bought some Coleman fuel. I'll give that a try for a few days.