reattaching antelope horns

I've read on here somewhere to use Bondo to reattach antelope horn sheaths to the skull. Can't find the thread now. Is there a particular type of Bondo to use, or a technique? Also, my horn sheaths smell (inside and out). What's a good way to get rid of that smell?

Bondo works great if you prep both surfaces well. Make sure all cartridge is removed from inside the sheaths. Clean with dawn soap and hot water, let air dry. Use a bit of lysol if smell is still there. Next clean horns and inside of sheaths with lacquer thinner. Let dry, drill a few holes threw horn bone not the sheath. This will allow the bondo to grab onto the bone. I like to use the bondo number 2 it has bits of fiberglass strands in it. But Reg bondo with chopped fiber will work also. Just put a small coat on bone then some on the inside of the sheaths then slide them over the bone at the same time. You need to do both at the same time to make sure you get them back to the original position that they were. Hight and width wise.

The smell is coming from bacteria that is growing inside the horn core. Remove the horn sheaths. The skull portion should be degreased in a solution of dawn soap and water at 120 degrees for about two weeks. Changing the water several times. Before putting the skull in this degrease solution, cut off the last 3/4" of the horn core and drill 4-5 holes in the horn core. Drill down through the top where you cut off the top of the horn bone. This will remove most of the grease and after two weeks in the degrease solution, you will not have any more odor. Treat the horn sheaths with lacquer thinner as mentioned earlier. A small amount of Bondo inside the sheath will hold them on forever.


Rocky Mountain Wildlife Studios
rmwildlifestudios.com

There's one other thing I would like to add. If your mounting this on a form with a cape you can measure how much bondo to use by pouring water down the shaft upside down. Insert scull into shaft let water run out the core. Pull scull cap out of horn shaft. Dump water left in horn shaft into a small wax cup. Mark the wax cup where the water level is. This is how much Bondo you would need to attach horn shaft to scull.