Mounting Antlers at home?

[Norty]

Does anyone know of a source to find information on how to clean and prepare your own antlers mounts(plaque sytle)?

 

[Rembrandt]

I prefer the European mounts, antlers attached to a bleached out skull. Clean hyde, eyes, and ears off the skull....boil in a large pot of water and (1 cup) bleach for 4-5 hours. Take to car wash and blast remaining residue off. Make your own plaque or purchase one at any outdoor sporting goods store.

For racks without the skull, use a sawzall and cut behind the rack down to the ears and in front of the rack down through the eye sockets. Clean hyde and tissue material off with a knife. Boil remainder of material or burn off with a propane torch and wire brush.

 

[all4s]

Rembrandt, just curious, I have not had much luck with boiling. It tends to crumble some of the bones around the nose. I stoped using bleach also. If the horns were partially sticking out of the kettle while boiling there would be an obvious bleach ring. Do you have these problems? I started to only simmer (not boil) my skulls, this took care of the crumbling problem. I also started using about 12oz of liquid disc washing soap insted of bleach and that took care of bleaching the character out of my horns. I also go to the car wash to finish the job. You need to be careful around the antler base or you can take the brown color right off. For those who are going to do their first European Mount make sure, when you are at the car wash do not point the spray tip up the nose this could blow apart some fragile bones. Insted put the spray tip in the hole behind the head this will blow the remaing brains out the nose. If you don't do this you will begin to smell them later and your wife won't like that! Sorry to get off the subject but European Mount is the only way to go.
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