Deer Skull Bleaching How To?

[Roger Norris]

Anybody have a method or tips?

[Tim Fishell]

Roger, I have never done it but I typed in "skull bleaching" in google and came up with a bunch of stuff.  I know a few guys that do it so if you dont get anywhere let me know and I will get you in contact with them.

[Chris Lantz]

My father used high concentration hydrogen peroxide you can buy from a hair dressing supply store for the Euro Mounts he did. It works quite well. I think he got the idea from an article in Traditional Bowhunter published a few years ago.

[John Scifres]

I think they look best when done naturally.  I bury my skulls for a few months in the compost pile and then leave them out in the sun and weather for a couple weeks or longer until I like the way they look.  The chemically bleached ones look like plastic to me.

[geno]

I have done alot of them. my only suggestion is to get as much of the hair off now especialy just under the antlers. I have used bleach but not more than a day. I have used it longer and it seems to make the bone brittle. some people boil them some put in ant piles.I have put them in big barrels of water with a lid. I have had some disapear and find them chewed up in the woods a year later.I am sure you will get lot of ideas.

[Talondale]

I did what John suggests, with some variations.  I left the head outside for a few days so flies could lay eggs.  I then buried the head in some earth in the backyard, leaving the antlers above ground.  I put bags on the antlers and covered the whole thing with a metal washtub.  I pulled the skull out this summer.  Some of the teeth were loose and there was still tatters of skin but it was fairly clean.   I hosed it off and used a brass scrub brush to clean difficult areas.   I had bought a bleach kit from VanDyke which came with peroxide and some white powder that's supposed to help whiten.  I tried 5 coatings but could never get it as white as I wanted.  I put the peroxide in a spray bottle, covered the antlers with black bags to prevent bleaching and put the skull outside in the sun, spraying it at least once a day.  It never did get as pure white as some pictures I've seen but it looked good enough.  Some gluing of the nose area and the loose teeth was needed.  (Hint, don't glue until you are finished bleaching.  Over-glue will prevent some areas from bleaching as much as the rest of skull)

[JEFF B]

ok ya can do it  like this get a drum fill it with water then bring to the boil then put the head in when it is done the meat will fall off . you then have a nice clean head. then get some janola and mix 6 cups with cold water in a bucket then put the head in and soak it over night. next day wash it in clean water and leave it to dry. simple as that roger  

[Jack Guard]

I have been living in England for the past 29 months and have made friends with some fanatical deer hunters and have to admit that they have taught me a great way to do skulls.  

They first skin the skulls but dont spend to much time because the second step is to boil their skulls for about half an hour.  the third step is to power wash the skull.  this is a bit messy but works like a charm and saves many hours of picking even a boiled skull.   a helpfull hint on powerwashing the skull is to wear a rain suit.    step four is to soak the skull in high volume hydrogen peroxide.  it has become difficult to find peroxide here because it was used by terrorists.   then set the skull in the sun for a few days.  finally glue any teeth back into place with super glue.  an optional step is to spray a clear coating of lacquer or polyurethane on the skull.  

if you slip up and whiten the antlers use some wood stain to bring them back to the color desired.  

If you decide to mount the skull on a wood plaque consider using a plastic tie wrap to connect it to a couple of holes drilled in the wood.  it works great.

I have done two of my skulls and observed 1 other and the outcome is fantastic.  

If you do goodle search you will find that the maseration and dermestid beetle are the most common professional method.  

one last thought, those that allow nature to clean the skull will have a very difficult time getting the skull really white.  they seem to take a stain that wil not go away.

[hickry]

I've done several, and had mistakes as well as some success.  The best way is to use Sal Soda (or substitute) to aid in removing all of the meat/hide/blood/hair, etc.  Sal Soda may not be made anymore, but their is a substitute you can get from the local grocery store (Dwight & Church brand "Super Washing Soda").  Use about 4 tablespoons per gallon of water and boil.  Submerge skull in boiling water for no more than 10 minutes and remove.  Let cool and remove as much meat, etc as you can.  Repeat once or twice to finish cleaning.  Once it is COMPLETELY clean of all the "blood and guts", submerse the skull-only in a bucket w/ hydrogen peroxide (standard 3% stuff works pretty well).  Only submerge the skull to "just below" the base of the antlers and use a saturated towel on top of the skull near the antlers... try not to get any on the antlers, as it will bleach them as well.  If you do accidentally, there are stains that you can use "touch up" the bleached spots after bleaching the skull.  Let the skull sit about 24 hours and remove.  Cover the antlers with something (tin foil works well) and set in the sun for a couple of days (rotate once or twice) each day.

[J-dog]

Send it to skulls unlimited! much easier and alot cheaper, with alot better results. do a google search and you will find them. I do taxidermy a bit and it is cheaper for me to ship to them.

If ya insist on doing it yourself go with the dermestid beetles and high concentration peroxide. Those beetles are tough and quick!!-using them doesn't brittle the bone up like too much boiling will do. boiling works dont get me wrong but it is just me, I do not prefer it. not once you have seen the beetles job compared to a boiling job. If ya boil be watchfull and as soon as you can take a knife and start removing meat then it is done.

Last tip NO CLOROX! it is an acid(corrosive) and will eat the bone up bad, you might dip in clorox(I dont recommend) but if you do, do it just for a second and rinse with water. Just seen some ruined that way!!! (ask me how I know!)

Lader

J

[J-dog]

Hey hickry, forgot of ole Sal soda! aint used that in years. I think you can still purchase it from WASCO supply?

J

[hickry]

Wasco did have it... that's where I got mine.  But it seems like they stopped carrying it.  That stuff is worth it's weight in gold!

[zilla]

I use the popwer washer method.  Werks great.  I boil, then take the skull/horns to the carwash and blast em off.. I hit the brain cavity and stand clear as it will blow chunks.. Next I let it dry a few days, glue any teeth back in and next {GASP!!!}  I use spray paint to finish.. A nice off white or whatever looks good..

[Shawn Leonard]

Beetles is the way to go, quick and clean, ya can than peroxide it. Shawn

[Aggie1993]

Hair Salon Supply (Sally's) sells hydrogen peroxide 40% and a powder bleaching agent that you mix together to form a paste and brush it onto the skull.  This will turn it nice and white.  This is the same stuff that Van Dyke's sells with its skull mounting kits.  

I cut off all of the hide, as much meat as possible, and lower jaw before boiling (2-2.5hrs) with sodium bicarbonate scraping tissue off in 15min intervals.  Nasty work but makes a very clean and nice mount.

Also, I spray a clear poly on the skull to seal it and give it a little shine.

[Roger Norris]

Where do you get the beatles?

[Jack Guard]

Do a google search on the beetles but here is one company that sells beetle kits.  

 http://www.skulltaxidermy.com/kits.html

Good Luck

[R.W.]

CLOROX is NOT acid. Do not mix bleach with ANY acid, you can generate poisonous gases.

CLOROX, or any other bleach is a stong caustic, and it WILL burn you just the same as acids will.

Don't mix the two (caustic and acid) you will not like the results.

[J-dog]

Scuse me being out of context, it is a caustic, and I dont think I ever said to mix anything? sorry, yeah you can be killed that way. Seen it in the FD.

Acid or caustic it WILL eat up a skull(like an acid) and I dont recommend it.

Lader

J

[J-dog]

gonna add as some have already said, I spray mine with a sealer just to give it a good finish sheen. antlers and all.

Gives a finishing touch

J