# Over-boiling??



## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Doing a small 8 point whitetail for the first time and it is tooth and nail (literally!). I boiled it with soap for about an hour. Afraid of the seams coming apart on the skull, I took it out of the heat and used a needlenose to get as much as I could off. Still got meat stuck to the skull. Came home after work today and went ahead and boiled it again for another hour and a lot more came off but still some trouble areas with meat sticking to the skull. the meat is really hard to get ahold of with the needlenose and just slips away. I've got most of the brain out. That crumbled like hamburger, but the meat sticks real bad in tight areas on the backside of the skull. I'm getting concerned about cooking it too much because part of the front nose bone came apart and I'll have to glue that back together. Then I notice the teeth are coming loose. I'm afraid I'll have to glue those eventually too. Since I'm a noob at this I'm sure I didnt do something right. I read that using peroxide or bleach to boil may stain the skull. I was told by a local butcher shop (who has euro mounts to back his work) that I should use regular dishwashing soap or the like. So, I did, but I dont see big results. Any ideas as to where to go from here?

Any help? Thanks!


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## Eagle Custom (Jul 19, 2009)

You do not want to boil a skull it will weaken the skull and make it soft . To remove meat from skull in this manner you want to simmer not boil alot of pros use sal soda but I have been told that powder laundry soap will work just the same. The dish soap in heated water is used durring the degreasing process. Try looking at Taxidermy.net under skulls and seletons . There is alot of info on this site.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

Powedered laundry soap will do nothing. Some people will add Sal Soda, a type of laundry booster, to the simmering water to turn the meat into a gel making, it easier to remove. Adding regular laundry soap is a waste of time. As mentioned many times, boiling can ruin a skull.


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## Eagle Custom (Jul 19, 2009)

M.Magis said:


> Powedered laundry soap will do nothing. Some people will add Sal Soda, a type of laundry booster, to the simmering water to turn the meat into a gel making, it easier to remove. Adding regular laundry soap is a waste of time. As mentioned many times, boiling can ruin a skull.


Thanks for the info on the laundry soap I was just letting them know what I had read on Taxidermy.net I think they were saying some of the laundry soaps have sal soda or somthing similar in them. I really dont know on the simmering as I am doing all mine with beetles that I just got.


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## cgarcia67 (Sep 30, 2009)

I boiled my mulie skull for 2 hrs and 15 mins exactly. I added dawn dish soap to the first boil and then took the skull to the local car wash and power washed all the meat away with no problems.


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## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

I went to the store and got some tide stain-release powder. It's a clothes washing booster. Closest thing I could find to sal soda in walmart. put the water at medium level for the last 2 hours and it's doing SOME good. Still, I've got a lot of tight areas that it's just sticking. I'm afraid to put it under a power wash as the naval cavity bones are very very fragile and I'll just ruin it. It's cleaner, but not near close to being completely done and ready for peroxide.

Would throwing in some peroxide in the water help? I've checked out taxidermy.net and I'm kind of out of ideas. what a pain.


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## Pizonarcher (Jun 13, 2002)

First you have to get all meat off the skull that you can including getting the brains out before boiling (simmering), dig them out with whatever you can get in there. 
Don't use the point of the knife to get the meat off or you will have cuts in the skull.
Remove the bottom jaw & cook it first as it will only take about 10-15 min. If you boil it with the skull to will be to long & will fall apart & teeth will fall out.
By cleaning all the meat off that you can this will lesson the boil time & keep the skull intact. 
Arm&hammer washing soda, same thing as sal soda. Don't know where you can get it , maybe walmart, I never tried getting it. I use sal soda & simmer for about 2.5 hours & meat comes right off.
I also use a degreaser sold by Research maninkins taxidermy supply. Looks like soap power, feels & smells like soap power, what kind ? wish I knew.
You can use oxi clean in the wash, it will turn skull really white but will also turn the antlers really white if they get wet. Just use a little bit.
Go to Vandylestaxidermy & you can get some info on how to do it & use there products.
Good luck & by the way "Gold Tip" arrows are the best.:teeth:


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## lungpuncher125 (Dec 5, 2009)

Eagle Custom said:


> Thanks for the info on the laundry soap I was just letting them know what I had read on Taxidermy.net I think they were saying some of the laundry soaps have sal soda or somthing similar in them. I really dont know on the simmering as I am doing all mine with beetles that I just got.





where can i get some beetles? and about how much?


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## kcarel (Jan 19, 2009)

Well, I got it done finally. the 5hr tutorial on taxidermist.net was most helpful. That Mike fella can come off arrogant but he knows his ****. That's my kind of guy. :thumbs_up

Here are some pics:
http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q143/kcarel/Deer Hunting/?action=view&current=11-01-09Deer002.jpg
http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q143/kcarel/Deer Hunting/?action=view&current=100_2681.jpg
http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q143/kcarel/Deer Hunting/?action=view&current=100_2680.jpg
http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q143/kcarel/Deer Hunting/?action=view&current=100_2679.jpg

Thanks for the suggestions. baking soda over a mid-heated water setting seemed to be the best solution for mine.

What do you guys think? Give me a grade and be honest! I know there are imperfections. To name one, the water was too hot at one point because the roots of the teeth are exposed in some areas. Oh well, it's not a trophy, that's for sure. 

Thanks again!
Kevin


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