https://www.taxidermytube.com RSS feeds for Taxidermy Tube 60 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/9/mounting-a-coldwater-fish-with-a-manufactured-mannikin#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=9 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=9&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/9/mounting-a-coldwater-fish-with-a-manufactured-mannikin ANY TAXIDERMIST WHO MOUNTS TROUT FROM THE GREAT LAKES WILL have 101 horror stories about the difficulties associated with mounting these fish. Trout out of the Great Lakes tend to be very greasy and oily. For a taxidermist, this means more time cutting away oily material, rebuilding shrunken areas, and more attention to detail during the scraping process. The good thing is that these fish generate more money because they tend to be large. Also, it is normal for taxidermists to charge from $1.00 to $3.00 more per inch for trout, salmon, and char. In other words, they require more labor, but a taxidermist is paid for his/her additional work. Lake trout are the greasiest of all the fish that I have mounted. Therefore, I thought this species would provide an excellent demonstration of how to easily manage Great Lakes trout, as well as trout in general. So let’s get started! Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:58:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:9 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/10/patterning-and-carving-original-fish-bodies#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=10 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=10&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/10/patterning-and-carving-original-fish-bodies I AM PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN the opportunity to write a series of fish and related taxidermy articles for BREAKTHROUGH. As an instructor at the Rinehart School of Taxidermy, I have had the chance to develop and refine techniques and procedures that are equally accurate and efficient. The sequence in which techniques are performed is just as important as the actual techniques. With this in mind, I strive to develop techniques and procedures that create the minimal amount of wasted energy and effort and create the highest quality. This ideology comes from my background as a professional taxidermist, depending on taxidermy for my income. The primary inefficiencies in taxidermy stem from a lack of evaluating the procedures that have a true impact on the quality of the finished mount. If you do not understand the steps that are of primary importance, you will extend equal effort to all steps, thus wasting time and depriving the important steps of additional attention. When I first started skinning fish, I didn’t have a clue as to which steps were of primary importance. The result was that you could “eat lunch” on the fish I skinned. True, they were the cleanest fish I have ever skinned. Unfortunately, an 18-inch smallmouth bass took more than four hours to skin and scrape! Well, I knew that wasn’t going to provide the shop-rate that would satisfy me. I reevaluated each step and its corresponding impact on finished quality. Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:58:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:10 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/7/reproduction-fish-blanks-scale-texturing-and-prep-work#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=7 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=7&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/7/reproduction-fish-blanks-scale-texturing-and-prep-work  IF YOU CAN PAINT A GOOD NATURAL FISH, YOU CAN paint a good reproduction fish. The only difference in painting the two is the prep-work required on a reproduction prior to coloring. A skin-dried fish ready for painting has a natural tone that combines varying intensities of gray, brown, and black (undertone coloration). Even though all the color of a fish disappears during the drying, this natural undertone coloration remains and provides a textured background over which transparent colors are applied. This undertone is known as the vermiculation-patterning and provides the patterning that makes a painted fish look natural. Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:57:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:7 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/8/bondo-fish-seams#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=8 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/8/bondo-fish-seams I RECENTLY VISITED THE TAXIDERMY STUDIO of my good friend, Paul Burczycki. Paul is the owner of St. Clair Flats Taxidermy Studio in Algonac, Michigan. Although Paul was not there that day, While I was visiting with Matt, I noticed the way the back seams on their wall-mount fish had been finished. It caught my eye because the finished seams looked very clean and professional. I immediately asked Matt how he achieved such a look. Matt said that it is was a very simple process and he would be glad to show me if I had a couple minutes. A couple minutes? Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:57:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/6/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-4--finishing-the-mount#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=6 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/6/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-4--finishing-the-mount WELCOME BACK!  We are almost at the completion of our professional deer mount. Throughout the past three issues of Taxidermy Today, we have focused on the professional mounting techniques I use when skinning, fleshing, auto tanning, manikin prep and mounting a deer shoulder mount. From the very beginning of Part #1 of this article series, I made it clear that the purpose of this article series was to concentrate on the specific techniques involved in creating a high quality professional mount for your customer. Providing you with techniques that can be repeated a thousand times to satisfy the American sportsman has been my goal from the beginning. Techniques that you can build a business upon and satisfy your customers is the heart and soul of the taxidermy industry. It’s not the competitions and the “thousand hour” deerhead that makes the taxidermy industry GREAT. Instead, it’s the consistent quality of a “repeatable” professional whitetail mount that keeps the financial gears of this industry turning. It’s the professional taxidermists (fulltime or part-time) across America in their taxidermy studios, basements or garages that have built our industry and created a strong livelihood that we enjoy today. This article series is dedicated to you. YOU are the reason America has the strongest taxidermy industry in the world! Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:56:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/4/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-3-mounting#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=4 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/4/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-3-mounting Thanks for coming back for Part 3. In this article we will be looking at all the things involved in mounting a Professional Shoulder Mount. So, let’s not waste any time and get right to it! First, lay the cape out on a bench and stretch it from side to side. This will put width back into the cape getting it back to the original proportions before fleshing. I tug pretty good to regain the neck measurement. Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:55:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/5/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-2-manikin-prep-antler-set-eye-set-nostrillip-slot#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=5 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/5/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-2-manikin-prep-antler-set-eye-set-nostrillip-slot Welcome back — I hope you enjoyed the first part of this article series. Throughout Part 2 of “Mounting a Whitetail” we will be covering everything involved in getting the manikin ready for mounting the hide. We’ll start with preparing the surface of the manikin to accept hide past and move on to antler setting, lip slot – nostril – tear duct cutting, septum insertion and finally eye setting. The accuracy and quality we perform throughout these procedures will have a direct impact on the ultimate quality of our mount. So let’s jump right in and get to it! Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:55:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/2/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-1-skinning-fleshing-auto-tanning#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=2 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/2/mounting-a-whitetail-deer-part-1-skinning-fleshing-auto-tanning I am happy to introduce this new article series on white-tailed deer which will focus on SOLID professional techniques. I’m not going to waste your time and lead you in an unproductive direction with irrelevant competition techniques. Instead, I am going to provide you with techniques that are the foundation for a high quality professional mount that will satisfy your customers. The backbone, bread-and-butter of the taxidermy industry is the American Sportsman and the taxidermists that service them. Providing a quality product at a fair price is what keeps the “wheels” of the taxidermy industry turning. For years much emphasis has been placed on the importance of taxidermy competition. I would agree that competitions serve their purpose in helping us all progress. However, it should not be misunderstood that the most important mount is the mount that satisfies your customer – not a judge. Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:54:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/3/painting-a-muskellunge#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=3 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=3&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/3/painting-a-muskellunge Click here to download the Article Painting a Muskellunge By Dan Rinehart Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:54:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:3 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/1/preventing-scale-loss-with-glue#Comments 0 https://www.taxidermytube.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=57&ModuleID=521&ArticleID=1 https://www.taxidermytube.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1&PortalID=0&TabID=57 https://www.taxidermytube.com/articles/id/1/preventing-scale-loss-with-glue ANYONE WHO HAS SKINNED A LOOSE scaled fish understands the problems of losing scales during the skinning process. Scale loss leads to a mount with an inconsistent and rough finish. Once scales have separated from the skin, there is little that can be done to fix the damage. Some people try to glue the scales back in place, however, I have not seen this process successfully performed. The end result is that there is no way you can achieve an attractive, professional mount if you lose scales during the skinning, scraping, and mounting processes.NYONE WHO HAS SKINNED A LOOSEscaled fish understands the problems of losing scales during the skinning process. Scale loss leads to a mount with an inconsistent and rough finish. Once scales have separated from the skin, there is little that can be done to fix the damage. Some people try to glue the scales back in place, however, I have not seen this process successfully performed. The end result is that there is no way you can achieve an attractive, professional mount if you lose scales during the skinning, scraping, and mounting processes. So, the answer to this problem is don’t lose scales! The success you have in keeping the scales attached depends on how you prepare and secure the scales prior to skinning. I have tried numerous techniques to prepare the scales prior to mounting, and found one technique to be superior in regard to efficiency and overall results. My friend Steve Henthorn introduced me to this technique, which I tested and will recommend throughout this article. This technique actually glues the scales together and holds them to the skin before skinning, so I will be referring to this process as the “glue technique.” Let’s get started on a crappie, one of the worst fish for losing scales. Step 1. On all fish, the protective slime coating must be removed from the fish. Bacteria is plentiful in this coating, and will result in odor and the attraction of bugs if not removed completely. I use a garden hose attached to a sink nozzle, and high-pressure-spray the slime from the fish. Many people like to use slime remover products, however, I find that simple high pressure water does the job just fine. Step 2. Open the gills and thoroughly remove the slime from between each gill and the mouth area. Be thorough—slime remaining in this area creates odor. Step 3. Once the slime has been removed, completely dry the surface of the skin and gills with a dry cloth. It is extremely importance that the surface of the fish is completely dry before applying any glue to the fish. Since the glue we are using is water-soluble Elmer’s glue, it only makes sense that if glue is applied to a wet surface, it will be diluted and decrease the bonding capabilities. Again, dry the entire surface of the fish, starting with the gill and mouth areas. Step 4. To dry the fish, place the fish on towels and begin blotting with a towel. Do not wipe the fish skin! Wiping will result in loss of scales and defeat the purpose of the entire glue process. Simply dab the skin surface dry with a dry towel. Step 5. Once the skin has been blotted dry with a towel, use a hair dryer over the entire fish to finish the drying process. Be sure that the blow dryer is set on cold! If the blow dryer does not have a cold or cool setting, do not attempt to dry the fish on a warm or hot setting. You will destroy the fish if you apply heat to the skin! Step 6. The fish needs to be hung head up so that the glue can be applied evenly to all side of the fish. To hang the fish without making any holes or causing any damage, just bend a wire in an S-shape and insert one end up through the gills and mouth.   Step 7. Hang the fish using the other end of the “S” as the hanging hook. Step 8. I like to begin by applying the glue in the throatlatch and head areas, then continuing down to the tail fin. I also coat the fins with this first coat as it protects the fins once they dry. (All the glue will be removed later.) Step 9. Once the throatlatch has been glued, move on to the cheek and head juncture. The head juncture is extremely important to cover due to the fact that this is one area that is most likely to create scale loss. Step 10. Continue coating the fish with glue until the entire side and fins of the fish are covered. Step 11. I like to speed the drying of the glue by placing the fish in front of a fan. Remember the guts of the fish have not been removed and are in a constant state of decomposition. Therefore, you want to apply and dry the glue as quickly as possible so you can get the fish skinned and mounted as soon as possible. The first coat of glue usually takes 30 minutes to dry if the fish is placed in front of a fan. Step 12. This photos show the fish after 30 minutes of drying time. You will know the glue is dry when it becomes clear and transparent. There are usually some small areas around the tail that do not dry completely clear. This just means that a little too much glue has settled in this area and will not completely dry. This area will be dry to the touch, but will not become completely clear. If it is dry to the touch, it’s okay to move on. Step 13. Once the first coat of glue is dry, apply a second coat and let it dry under the fan. Step 14. I do not apply a second coat of glue to the fins. The first coat is sufficient in protecting the fins. A second coat will only make removing the glue from the fins more difficult. Step 15. After approximately 30 more minutes of fan-drying have passed, you can prepare to start skinning the fish. Step 16. To begin, place the fish on a dry towel and begin the back incision by severing the gill girdle bone. Note: The towel must be dry! A damp towel will rehydrate the glue and create a sticky mess! Step 17. As you make the back incision and skin the fish, you will find that fluids from the fish want to run onto the body. Use a dry towel to soak up these fluids and keep them off the glued skin. Step 18. Here you can see that I have released the lower flap of skin from the meat without the loss of a single scale! Believe me, without the glue securing the scales together, we would have a handful of scales by this point. Step 19. As you skin, keep your hands dry and avoid touching the glued scales with wet hands. Step 20. Now the fish is skinned and ready for final scraping. Step 21. Even though the glue technique has worked and no scales have been lost, there are a couple areas where I notice the scales loosening a little, mainly at the tail juncture and head juncture. To stiffen these areas and protect the scales, I apply one more layer of glue specifically to these areas. Step 22. Then I hang the fish one last time and let the glue in the tail and head junctures dry. This takes approximately 15 minutes under a fan. Once the glue in these areas dries, I can safely complete the scraping process. Step 23. Once scraping has been completed, the skin needs to be preserved prior to mounting. Usually, I soak fish in a solution of water, borax and baking soda, but it’s obvious that if I submerge this fish in water, all the glue will liquefy and the scales will be unprotected during the mounting process. Therefore, I preserve this fish by omitting any water and rubbing borax and baking soda directly into the inside surface of the skin, head juncture and throat areas. Step 24. I then gently shake out any extra preservative powders and the skin is ready to mount over a mannikin. Step 25. Once the skin has been mounted and secured to the mannikin, run cold water over the glued surface of the fish until the glue rehydrates and turns white. Step 26. Now that the glue has turned white, I can peel the glue away from the scales. Not all the glue separates as easily as shown in this photo. Some areas of glue will require more rehydrating and peeling. Note: It is essential that all the glue is removed from fins, body, head, everywhere! Step 27. All the glue has been removed from the crappie. The eye sockets are now filled and the Flex Eyes set. Step 28. It is necessary to rehydrate the fins more. Wrap the fins in wet towels and let sit for 30 minutes. After removing the towels, the fins have regained flexibility and are ready to be spread and carded. Step 29. Position and card the fins as you normally would. Again, it is very important that all the glue has been removed from the fins! If any glue remains, the fin carding will adhere to the fins. This crappie is now complete and all the scales remain attached on the show side. I have mounted hundreds of crappies without using this method, and I have to admit that I usually lose a few scales here and there. This glue method has impressed me, and I find it to be a very effective technique for retaining all the scales on loose-scaled fish. Because this technique increases the time it takes to complete a fish mount, I recommend you charge $10.00 to $15.00 more for loose-scaled fish, such as crappie. If you explain the reason for this additional charge to your customers, I bet they will understand. Give this technique a try, and I believe you will be as impressed as I am. Mon, 07 Jul 2014 18:19:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1