# my euro mount stinks



## cole3bob (Mar 10, 2008)

a friend of a friend offered to do this for me for my first buck. paid nothing but cant bring it in the house. it looks good maybe still a little flesh left behind but it stinks. what can i do to fix this thank you


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## Brian Jones (May 13, 2010)

If he used maceration it could still have a residual stink or it either has meat or grease in it still.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

cole3bob said:


> a friend of a friend offered to do this for me for my first buck. paid nothing but cant bring it in the house. it looks good *maybe still a little flesh left behind *but it stinks. what can i do to fix this thank you


If there's flesh left, then it's going to stink.


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## cole3bob (Mar 10, 2008)

is there anything i can do to stop the stink


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## YZ125MM700 (Dec 30, 2009)

Brian Jones said:


> If he used maceration it could still have a residual stink or it either has meat or grease in it still.


How do you avoid or fix this?


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## Brian Jones (May 13, 2010)

If it is just from maceration, the smell will disappear it just takes time. Sealing it will a clear matte finish, will help also.


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## turkethinter84 (Jul 1, 2010)

boil head in bleach, re-stain bleached out horns with minwax gel stain. scrape all remaining meat off head. The bleach boil should help sterilize


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## TimberlandTaxi (Aug 29, 2009)

turkethinter84 said:


> ...The bleach boil should help sterilize


...and cause the bones to deteriorate. :thumbs_do The best way to avoid odor is to clean it properly in the first place. Soaking in a bactericide (other than bleach) could help, but just allow it to completely dry and the odor will probably go away in time.


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## cole3bob (Mar 10, 2008)

thank you for all the great help. if i get some peroxide 40 will that help?


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## gcjhawk (Dec 10, 2008)

40 vol peroxide will whiten. I would recomend getting some borax and a stiff bristle or wire brush to remove any remaining flesh if its not to hard. If its greasy, I use super solv degreaser from Van *****. Dawn dishwashing liquid will work if necessary. Then get some 3% peroxide solution at walmart the brown bottle stuff it may take you a few bottles, poor it inside the brain cavity and through the nostrils and even soak it if you have a container to soak it in without having to be 20 gallons of peroxide and keep ladeling the peroxide for a day or so in the nostrils and the brain cavity, try to keep it off the horns if possible. Do not boil it in bleach it will break down the bones and it will discolor your horns. after you have done all of this rinse with water dry and then apply the 40 vol with a paint brush.


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## Brian Jones (May 13, 2010)

gcjhawk said:


> 40 vol peroxide will whiten. I would recomend getting some borax and a stiff bristle or wire brush to remove any remaining flesh if its not to hard. If its greasy, I use super solv degreaser from Van *****. Dawn dishwashing liquid will work if necessary. Then get some 3% peroxide solution at walmart the brown bottle stuff it may take you a few bottles, poor it inside the brain cavity and through the nostrils and even soak it if you have a container to soak it in without having to be 20 gallons of peroxide and keep ladeling the peroxide for a day or so in the nostrils and the brain cavity, try to keep it off the horns if possible. Do not boil it in bleach it will break down the bones and it will discolor your horns. after you have done all of this rinse with water dry and then apply the 40 vol with a paint brush.


What is the reasoning behind whitening with two different peroxides?


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## gcjhawk (Dec 10, 2008)

Brian Jones said:


> What is the reasoning behind whitening with two different peroxides?


The 3% doesn't really whiten the skull that much but kills bacteria and is cheap its going to bubble like it does if you but it on a cut when it comes in contact with the old flesh or bacteria. Probably don't want to spend $50 bucks on enough 40 vol peroxide to soak a skull . Most taxidermist will use a thicker 40 vol type peroxide to whiten skulls. I am not a taxidermists but I have been trying to learn over the last few years thats my take on it.


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## gcjhawk (Dec 10, 2008)

I see your a taxidermist so I will leave the expertise to you I was just throwing in my two cents of something that worked for me.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

3% works just as well as the strong stuff, it's just a little slower. It's also safer, cheaper, and easier to get.


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## YZ125MM700 (Dec 30, 2009)

So if one was to get enough 3% to submerge the skull in, how long should it be left in there?


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## Brian Jones (May 13, 2010)

gcjhawk said:


> I see your a taxidermist so I will leave the expertise to you I was just throwing in my two cents of something that worked for me.


 No need to get excited, I was just curious. You don't need to use both. Save some money, if you are using the 3% just soak it overnight and let the heat from the sun dry it out and finish the whitening process.


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## gcjhawk (Dec 10, 2008)

Brian Jones said:


> No need to get excited, I was just curious. You don't need to use both. Save some money, if you are using the 3% just soak it overnight and let the heat from the sun dry it out and finish the whitening process.


I Will try that, to bad I already bought the 40 vol. , lol. I did this with a skull that I had found and smelled pretty bad so I did the 3% soak and rinsed it and put the 40 vol on put it in the sun for a couple days.


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## YZ125MM700 (Dec 30, 2009)

any alternative to placing it in the sun? It's getting cold here now. could i put a sunflower heater on it for a while, or maybe next to a baseboard heater?


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## TimberlandTaxi (Aug 29, 2009)

YZ125MM700, heat will do the same thing as the sun.

Not sure the 3% is cheaper, I haven't done the math but 40 volume is 12%, so in theory you would have to buy 4x as much 3%. It might be cheaper to buy 40 volume and dilute it. Personally, I'll stick with 40 volume full strength and basic white developer.


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## Brian Jones (May 13, 2010)

I use an electric heater, instead of the sun. I thought I specified to use an electric heater, if one was available. That must have been another thread. Cole, I will stick to the basic white and developer also.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

TimberlandTaxi said:


> Not sure the 3% is cheaper, I haven't done the math but 40 volume is 12%, so in theory you would have to buy 4x as much 3%. It might be cheaper to buy 40 volume and dilute it. Personally, I'll stick with 40 volume full strength and basic white developer.


For the professional, you're are correct. But, for someone only wanting to do one or two, it's cheaper to just get the 3% at Walmart.


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## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Even if the meat is all gone, grease will leach from the skull if not air boiled out. You'll know if the skull is leaching grease if it turns yellow. You can bleach it all day but at the end of the day it wont be white if not entirely degreased. No grease = white skull = no stink. By "air boiled", get a utility sink full of hot soapy water, soak it, then immediately blow out the crevices and hard to reach places with compressed air. With the skull 99.999% exposed I certainly would not put it in boiling water, much worse a detergent or bleach. that process should have been done when you had most of the skull covered in meat. boiling water will just separate the skull and like someone said, deteriorate it. oh yeah, did your buddy get all the brain matter out? Did he cut the bottom part of the skull to get ALL the brain matter out?

I cant remember how many hours I spent air boiling it. it was ridiculous. I bleached with full concentrate 40 vol ($25-30 at Sally's Beauty supply) in front of an electric heater. Looked white as new. It's been a full year now and it has a slight yellow tint to it. No stink though and it's still on my living room wall! As for the argument about wally world 3% vs. 40 vol, dont waste your time at walmart. walmart is a generic store at best. this bleaching process is a specialty item. Go to a salon and do it right. all that effort, gag reflex, air blowing, boiling and oh yea did I say gag reflex? would make me want to spend the extra $15 on the bleach. Bleach is your cosmetic final look. Invest in it.


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## MIbowhunter49 (Aug 5, 2010)

kcarel said:


> Go to a salon and do it right. all that effort, gag reflex, air blowing, boiling and oh yea did I say gag reflex? would make me want to spend the extra $15 on the bleach. Bleach is your cosmetic final look. Invest in it.


Good advice. The price difference isn't substantial enough to dick around with anything less than the best.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

One more time, there is *no difference between the two results*. Only the time, cost, and safety.


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## MIbowhunter49 (Aug 5, 2010)

And that's why most websites will suggest you to use 40 vol, along with everyone in this thread, except you.


Get the 40 volume. It works faster, which is a good thing when you're trying to keep your paste from drying out. Saran wrap will keep it moist for a good amount of time, but that stuff isn't bleaching when its just dried powder sitting on the skull.


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## Sask Riverrunt (Aug 18, 2006)

Where are you at, does it still stink. Did you check to see if all the brains are removed. Brain matter is the smelliest part of it all and it not fully removed, it could stink for a long time.


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## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

MIbowhunter49 said:


> And that's why most websites will suggest you to use 40 vol, along with everyone in this thread, except you.
> 
> 
> Get the 40 volume. It works faster, which is a good thing when you're trying to keep your paste from drying out. Saran wrap will keep it moist for a good amount of time, but that stuff isn't bleaching when its just dried powder sitting on the skull.


Yeah I dont understand the argument of time, cost and safety.

As for time, whats the cost of someone's time not to mention quality or the energy cost of the heater being used longer?
As for cost, is his time not worth the extra $15? lol
As for safety, this is not a bio hazardous waste product. Just dont open it while inside a 2'x2' closet.

If it is wacky hair day at school, go to walmart.
If you're wanting to do a professional euro mount, go to a salon.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

I forgot, you guys are the experts. Carry on.


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## MIbowhunter49 (Aug 5, 2010)

Owned.


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## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q143/kcarel/untitled.jpg

That's the one I did a year ago. it was white as chalk when I did it. now it's got a very very light yellow haze to it. no question that slight tint of yellow is grease that leached out over time. Not near enough to smell or make it look bad, but not a "professional job" by any means. If the wife let's it hang on the wall for a year and counting, then it really doesnt smell. I'd like to see what the OPs looks like and if he sees a hole in the bottom of the skull and if he's positive the brain matter is out.


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