# turkey tail fan mount question - need advice!



## Laceandspurs

Ok, so from what I have read, the tail didn't get fleshed as much as it should have before being spread and having borax put on it. Now I have 3 turkey fans that I want to finish mounting, but I'm concerned about it either falling apart, or bugs being on it. There is already a white flaking to it, but that could be borax remnants. This is my first attempt at taxidermy...so if you reply please be specific! 

1. is there anyway to rehydrate the base and reflesh it?
2. how would I know if there are bugs on the quills
3. I read someplace that the fans should be washed in soapy water (ideally before we even got to this point) but could I still wash them...even if the base was kept dry? they aren't particularly dirty, but the white flakes aren't very attractive and it feels a little bit oily
4. Recommendations as to what to do to PREVENT bugs? 

I have three fans, only one that I really want to keep...so in essence I have 2 fans prepared the same way that I can experiment on. Any help would be great!
??!!??


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## josh s.

Anytime I do a tury fan I take it ALL the way down to the quill. The total thickness looking at it from the end just like in your pic would be no more than a half an inch at the most. After I get this done I take a large flat peice of cardboard and pin the the tail to it. I put borax on top of the tail and below it where the quils meet. If there are bugs in it you will see them. Also in response to rehydrate them. If there is still meat there scrape it off and it might still be soft under the dried meat. I made that mistake on my first ever attempt and fixed it almost two months later. After two weeks of sitting or when its dry ugs should not be an issue. I have 5 or 6 just hanging in my shed and in the summer it gets hot in there. No problems at all. As far as washing goes that is up to you. I have and havent and the ones I have had blood in them. If it looks clean it is clean.


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## josh s.

By the way....in the forth pic you have some quils that are like an inch long.....try to get rid of those as they just add bulk to the base and makes it more of a pain trying to mount it. I typically leave two layers of feathers on the tail mounts. In your pic you have three. I have done three and that is fine just make sure you get all the meat off the quill.


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## AfterLife

*...*

dont look to bad

as above poster says
rehydrate and scrap more of the yellow fat out as much as possible

what i use is to take bondo and mix up and spread over the area making sure get it down between each quill and let dry

then flip and do it again to other side

then you drill thru and screw into board and hang


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## atozstrings

*fan*

Bondo works the best i soak mine in acetone first to kill any bugs


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## Laceandspurs

Thank you! I will try those suggestions. Isn't acetone just fingernail polish?


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## scrapewatcher

after you get the muscle out take some of that borax and keep rubbing it into the yellow fat and keep pulling it out till theres nothing left. the borax should keep the bugs out. but you should really wash the whole thing in some cold water and dawn dish liquid and pad it dry with some towels then use a blow dryer on low heat to dry it the rest of the way. then borax the tail cavity again. then pen it to dry.


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## sawtoothscream

i never knew all those teps had to be taken.

i just cut off the fan take most of the meat off pin it open than borax it. both of my fans never had bug problems, smelled, rotted or had any problems.


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## myarrow

From what I have read from the other post, they coverwd everthing I would tell you to do.........Bob


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## auburn

*taxidermy*

everyone here that dose and is going to attempt some taxidermy work needs to watch taxidermy for the sportsman television show on the outdoor channel if ya got satelite.The show tells ya how to do a mount on everything.Dan Rinehart is a world champion taxidermist and has his own school and t.v. show so he knows what he's talking about.


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