Just finished a European Mount

[tradbower]

This is the first time ever trying a European Mount. This is the hog that I took at Shiloh Ranch last Tuesday.
 

[KentuckyTJ]

Nice job I like the board

GOOD JOB, NICE PLAQUE TOO. BET IT WAS FUN BOILING -HUH?

[ron w]

Nice job!!

[DW Dyer]

Looks great!

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Looks good !

[gudspelr]

I've heard of a few different methods of doing the skulls-which did you use?  Looks really nice on that plaque, too.


Jeremy

[Zbearclaw]

Great!

I have a javie skull that has been degreased and bugged, just trying to verify the best bleaching method.

What did you do to bleach?  Looks incredibly white.

[3Feathers]

Real nice job,awsome plaque too.

[tradbower]

zbearclaw
  I soaked it in peroxide for 24 hrs.

[tradbower]

Jeremy
  Just boiled and  cleaned then soaked it in peroxide.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Nice!!  I like it!

[WarDancer]

what was your process?

[Mike Desadier]

I did a European Deer mount and did alot of research on the net, since it was my first one.  I used Salon Care 40 Volume Creme Developer.  You can get this at a hair salon business that sells salon supplies.  Just brushed on and let set for several hours, washed off and repeated the process again.  I did this about 3-4 times or until I was satisfied with white-white.  Be sure to cover horn bases with aluminum foil to keep creme off of them.  Really does a good and clean job and the price is right.

[coaster500]

Nice !!! I like it !!!

[Deadbolt]

First off...great hog!  Very fine animal and good job cleaning.

Do yourself a favor if you didn't seal it yet go out and get an aquarium heater, a 5 gallon bucket, some acetone, and some dawn dish soap.  Crank the heater up as high as it can go add acetone, water, and dawn soap to the bucket and forget about it.  Change the water solution once a week for the next few weeks.  I can see some grease spots in the forehead and nose that will turn yellow over time.

It takes me no less then 6 months to do a hog/bear just for a time frame on degreasing.

As for the best method to clean that would be beetle cleaned, followed by maceration, then SIMMERING not boiling.  Never boil anything greasy (bears, predators, hogs, etc)

For whitening get the strongest peroxide you can and soak the skull in it.  3% is the brown bottle stuff...the strongest most can get is 40vol (12%) but I buy 35% by the 55 gallon drum.  Its rough stuff but it does a superb job.  If you dont want to whiten and repaint the antlers either make a paste and brush it on or put latex over the antler burrs.  

Soak in peroxide for 24-48 hours depending on the strength remove and place in front of a heater/heat lamp for an hour or so then set in the sun and for the day and it will be nice and white.

[jomama]

Very nice!

[stabow]

looks good to me.....stabow

[Zbearclaw]

I soaked my javie skull for one week in pure kerosene, rinsed and dried and then in pure acetone for ten days.  

Where do you get the 35% peroxide?  That is food grade, correct?  I can't find it here.  I have two bottles of the v40 but that won't cover it entirely and I don't want to have to redo it...

[Deadbolt]

I get my 35% in 55 gallon drums from a chemical supplier but you normally need to be a buisness owner to purchase it.  I use tech grade...same stuff just cheaper then food grade.

You can get 27% from pool supply stores...just ask them for BO (bacequil oxidizer).  It will work fine.

Hogs have a ton of grease and take a while to degrease soap water and heat is a safe way and i bounce back and forth with acetone and peroxide in the mix (never mix them together) and keep at it until its degreased.