Bleaching Skulls?

[azcouesandelk]

What does everybody do as far as bleaching skulls?

 

I am wanting to get my dads buck done and am having some trouble getting it really white. I have been told to use a simple white compound and mixing it with some water to a glue consistency and cover the skull. I have done that and the skull still has a brown tint. Anybody have any other ideas?

[Schmitty]

Go to the beauty supply store and ask for "40 volume" peroxide. You can brush that on pretty heavily and set it out on a nice sunny day. You might have to repeat once or twice, but that will get you plenty white as long as the skull has been thoroughly degreased.

 

Good luck!

 

Schmitty

[Red Rabbit]

You can also get a whitening agent at the beauty supply place to go with the HD peroxide. Some wrap the skull after applying so it does not dry so quickly. Wear gloves and safety glasses.

Do a search on taxidermy.net

[huntermncb]

your brown tint is oil soak the skull with white fuel and then get the 40 volume proxide.

[azcouesandelk]

Thanks guys I appreciate the quick responses! I am going to pick up some 40% solution and finish it up tomorrow hopefully. I will post pics when I am done.

[huntermncb]

If you just proxide it will turn white but the oils will work there way out and the skull will turn yellowish brown again.

[tjhunt2]

I have had good results with boiling the skull with a little dawn, dish soup, to get the oil out and then let it dry. I use heavy duty garbage bags and place the head in. You have got to tape the bag around the skull so it doesn't expand when you add the proxide to keep the proxide down to a small amount. Tape the antlers with masking tape to keep the liquid from getting on the antlers or it will bleech them out. I have helped several friends do theirs and I think they were very happy with the results. Good luck and be sure you show us how they turn out. Your Dad shot a very nice buck and I'm sure he will appreciate however it turns out.

 

Leave the skull for 24hrs in the solution and then remove and put in the sun a couple days.

 

TJ

[azcouesandelk]

I boiled the skull with some dishsoap tonight and it still had some brown tint to it, but I believe the skull is just stained a little. I am going to try mixing some 40% solution with some basic white and applying like a paste and see how that does.

[youngbuck]

I do all my stuff w/ 40 liquid developer. I know other guys that soak it in regular peroxide, If all else fails flat/satin spraypaint works really well

[Redman]

I use the regular peroxide and leave the skull in it for a few days until it gets really white. My last javillina I left in for about 4 days and its the whitest skull I have. I think I spent $7 dollars peroxide. I like the idea of using a trash bag to keep the volume down.

 

I have also used brown shoe polish to color the antlers brown if the bottom gets bleached.

 

Redman

[CouesWhitetail]

the 3% peroxide you can get at any drug store or dollar store is the easiest and very effective. Much safer than using bleach. Soaking the skull overnight in the peroxide is usually plent to make it very white, but as has been said you can leave it longer. It will also whiten up a little more as it dries in the sun.

 

Amanda

 

[huntswnm]

Do not EVER use bleach! Bleach will actually break down the bone and it will crumble over time. Be very careful with the 40% peroxide, make sure you are using gloves and eye protection because it will do some damage to your skin. The key with peroxide is heat.....why most people find that leaving it in the sun makes it whiter. Another option is to make up your peroxide paste then wrap the skull in Saran Wrap and place in front of a propane heater, and rotating as to heat all sides. Hotter the better as long as you don't melt the plastic wrap. Give that a while then wash it off. I am doing an elk skull for a friend right now and saturated paper towels with 3% peroxide then wrapped them on the skull with saran wrap. He spent a couple of hours in front of the heater last night. Towels were still real wet (and hot) so I just left it to dry out....will probably pull them off tomorrow and see how it came out. I am by no means an expert on this but have spent MANY hours researching different ways to do skull mounts.

 

jeff

[azcouesandelk]

What I ended up doing was mixing 40% solution with simple white and spreading it over the skull like paint. I let it sit for 2 hours or so, washed it off and then did one more coat and let it sit another 2 hours. The skull came out perfect!

[TexasHunter]

Amonia is the best thing to soak skulls in peroxide can deteriorate the bone. Put it in a bag with some amonia cleaner from the store and it will be bright white. Anyone who saw the axis head at my house can vouch for how wight it is.

[Kilimanjaro]

Amonia is the best thing to soak skulls in peroxide can deteriorate the bone. Put it in a bag with some amonia cleaner from the store and it will be bright white. Anyone who saw the axis head at my house can vouch for how wight it is.

 

I've never heard of this in my 15+ years as a taxidermist..

 

Isn't pure amonia extremely corrosive?

 

I'll stick with 40% peroxide. Works like a champ.