Need advice on skull cleaning

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Michael

Michael

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Mar 25, 2015
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Dripping Springs, Texas, USA
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I have a skull that I want to get cleaned up & painted.

I started by placing the skull in our composter. The bugs took care of almost all the meat.
Then I did sort of a "European" method. I used a high pressure burner and boiled the skull (with a scoop of Oxyclean) in a metal garbage twice for 30-45 minutes. I hosed it off in between and used misc tools/brushes to get every last bit of visible debris.
Then I soaked it in a 1/20 solution of bleach water for 30 minutes. 
I did not use the 40% hydrogen peroxide for whitening because I plan on painting it.
Its been drying for two days and it still smells pretty strong. I cannot find any muscle/debris/tissue anywhere, it looks perfectly clean.

So whats the deal? Does it just need to dry longer? Sit in the sun a bit? Another stronger bleach soak?

Any tips would be appreciated.
 
This is kinda nasty, well, really nasty actually, but try boiling it. You need a metal bucket and a camp stove/old grill/heat source that you won't mind stinking. Also, a pair of needle nose pliers comes in handy for getting into the sinus area and deep into the brain cavity. The post oil water will also be some of the worst smelling stuff, so dump it FAR away from your house(I speak from experience here).
 
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Well from my experience in the vulture culture boiling bones with anything is usually a bad idea because of particles of fat that get trapped into the bone and will continue to degrade it after drying (the smell your smelling). Since your past that point already I would continue to soak in plain water at around @ 95-125 degrees for a couple days to let the bacteria take care of whatever's left, then a hydrogen peroxide bath for sterility reasons.
 
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Thanks for all the advice. I simmered the skull in two different degreasers; 1st water and Simple Green, then water & dish soap. Now its just soaking in regular water to see if the natural bacteria helps. After that I'll hit it with some 40 volume peroxide.

Just 2 more questions:
  1. Can I go straight from the water bath to the peroxide? Or should I let it dry first? 
  2. I've seen videos of people repeatedly brushing the peroxide on. Can I soak it in peroxide? If so how long, or will it cause damage?
    [/LIST=1]
 
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"Xtrlooney"I do a lot of skulls and go straight from water into the peroxide. I generally use 20 liquid peroxide instead of the 40 paste. If it's a small skull you may only need the standard store bought peroxide. Small skulls tend to soften with the other ones. What kind of skull is it?
Click to expand...
Large wild boar skull.

This is the peroxide I bought



So can I soak it in the peroxide or just brush it on repeatedly?
 
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If the smell is the only issue, don't over think the solution...a couple of doses of Lysol spray or even air freshener will take care of the problem...can actually enhance the fragrance of the room you display it in. Believe me, I know about foreign aromas from the taxidermist...



...and this is just one room. Ahhh, the wild smell of the great outdoors :)


 
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Thanks Michael. I'm a fortunate man...my wife's own collection is in room # 3. No divorce eminent at this juncture...in fact, the only time I jeopardize the marriage thing is when I leave her home too often. Funny thing though, my trophies have the manly smell of the outdoors while her's smell strangely like feminine hygiene products. Fresh as the morning dew. :)

Here's a hog she shot...warthog that is, and a European mount skull I processed like you're doing. Kind of an oxymoron... something that looks so ugly and smells so good. :)

 
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Man those things are ugly! I think its hilarious that your wife sprays then with feminine products.

Interesting how the tusks are larger on the upper jaw. It's the opposite here with the feral pigs.

After a week in the peroxide bath my skull came out clean & unscented. I sent it off to http://www.hydro-dip.com/ to get a special paint job. Should be back in a few weeks.
 
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