"prettying up" a turkey fan advice??

[graybarkhunter]

I killed my first recurve Rio this year and was wondering how y'all keep your fans from lookin like he just got in a fight..i got him dried and fanned out.. is there anything i can put on the feather "filaments" so they wont separate as easy or often after I comb with out with my fingers. i.e. like hair spray or some type of spray polyu? or any other tips/tricks would help! thanks GBH...    

[Dirtybird]

Borax to keep the bugs from eating away at it.
Nice bird.

[Coonbait]

Real Nice Bird! Congratulations! The copperheaded limbs- are they from 3Rivers? Look good
Glenn

a hair dryer and a dry paint brush, i wouldn't put anything on the feathers, make sure you clean the meat and fat from the quill ends on the back side then borax them a few times,shaking the old borax out or brushing it off.

oh, congratts!  

[m midd]

Ive always tacked it down fanned with borax until dried and covered the dried base with hot glue.. Ive never used anything on the feathers themselves. I mount them to a plaque. My first recurve  turkey i made a nice black walnut plaque and mounted a old bear razor head with his beard attached. Ill post a pic when i get home from work.

[graybarkhunter]

thanks guys, i fanned him out, put borax on him (sorry forgot to mention that), and let it set for 2-3 weeks. it looks good. i figured i prob shouldnt put anything on the actual feathers for some touching up, but just wanted to make sure. arrow30, ill try the hair dryer and brush trick. sounds like a plan. thanks again, and its the happiest i've been in a long time when i shot that turk.

Coonbait, those skins are from 2 copperheads from MS, 1 that I killed and 1 I got from a buddy. Bob Morrison put them on for me. very pleased with his work!        GBH

[maineac]

I have had a fan in a wall holder for fifteen years, and it looks great.  Dust it every so often, stroking up with the feathers.

[Sean B]

Just be careful when handling it.

[Sean B]

Whoops....and congrats too!!..   :D  ...Nice bird!

[KSdan]

I have noticed a few of the specialty turkey taxidermists use bondo on the tail feather quills to set them in "stone."  I am going to try that this year though I have already mounted probably 20 or so.  

Also affirm the Borax, washing with dawn dish soap, blow drying, and brush it out with soft paint brush.

Congrats.  

Dan

[Bill Carlsen]

m midd: Could you give some indications of how you made your plaque? I would like to mount my tail and beard but don't want to buy a commercial one. thanks.