Peroxide on Euro Mount Question

[completesportsman]

I did a Euro on last years buck and it turned out Great.

I used the 40 vol peroxide to bleach the skull. I used a rubbermaid container with a lid. When I was finished I put the lid on the container and left the peroxide in it and stored it in my basement. Now I need to do this years buck.

My question is will the peroxide still work on this years euro or will I need new peroxide?

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Success is failure that tried one more time

 

[WVHUNTER]

Hydrogen peroxide will decompose, it changes into oxygen and water. The rate at which it decomposes depends on many factors, temperature, PH, catalysts, etc. If it has decomposed you will have a tank full of water.

I don't know how to tell if it's still has any strength. It shouldn't hurt to try it, if it doesn't work you can just re-do it with new peroxide.

 

[WVHUNTER]

Completesportsman,

After reading your motto I thought of a couple of ways to check the strength of the hydrogen peroxide.

Put some on the tips of your fingers, put a few drops on your bluejeans or a few drops on your kids hair, if it turns all of these things white in a few seconds it's strong enough. The skin cells will replace after a couple of days, the kids hair will grow out but if you don't like white spots on your blue jeans you will have to buy a new pair.

I have fooled with this stuff a lot. They make a non-chlorine swimming pool sanitizer that one of the chemicals is 27% sodium hydroxide. I don't think I have ever put in the kids hair but I have had white fingertips lots of times.

 

[HKShooter]

Just curious how long do you guys leave the skulls in peroxide? I've been using 20 vol, but it seems I have to do it a couple times and there still seems to be blood in the skull bone. Just tonight I tried the paste to see if it works better. Any thoughts or routines that work would be appreciated.

HK

 

[completesportsman]

I just leave it in for 24 hrs and if it ain't white enough I put it back in for another 24 hrs. Twice is all I have ever had let one soak to be pretty and white.

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Success is failure that tried one more time

 

[HKShooter]

Thanks complete. Do you boil or use beetles? I think boiling them would take the blood out faster, but not sure.

HK

 

[completesportsman]

I boil, not really boil but simmer for a few hours. I pick out the eyeballs and cut/scrape off all the meat I can first.

I read some old posts on here that said not to actually boil because it could make some of the small bones fall off, not really a big deal just super glue them back on if they do come off. But I have taken the advice and not got the water too hot and have never had any bones fall off.

I also read to change the water a couple times. The hot water opens up the pores in the bone and it can cook the fat into it deeper. The fat is what can cause them to turn yellow later if you don't get rid of it all. So I try to keep clean water as much as possible. Then soak them in clear dish detergent and water to get rid of any fat left after boiling them out. Then the peroxide.

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When the aliens come they will eat the fatties first!

 

[OLBUZZTAIL]

completesportsman....A couple of scoops of OXYCLEAN in the water as you simmer the skull loosens flesh, whitens & degreases
like magic... no need for peroxide. changing the water several times as it simmers (not boils) is important. you can even soak a yellowed skull in a tub of hot water and OXYCLEAN overnight and it whitens great.



Hunting is Life...everything else is
Just details.

 

[completesportsman]

Thanks for the tip, I had heard that too, about using oxyclean or something similar in the water but I'm afraid of bleaching my antler bases in the bubbling water.

When I soak in peroxide I get the peroxide level just below the bases and place rags around the bases and let them tail down in the peroxide to soak/wick the peroxide up on the skull and around the bottom of the antler bases but not up on the brown part of them.

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Success is failure that tried one more time

 

[OLBUZZTAIL]

completesportsman ... I wrap the bases of the antlers with saran wrap about half way up the each horn then go over with electrical tape like the stripes on a candy cane to keep the water & foam from taken the color off the horns. pull the saran wrap tight and stretch as you wrap it it sticks to it's self. the electrical tape is just for insurance. it holds up well in the hot water.





Hunting is Life...everything else is
Just details.http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/User_files/4b4b3b0c7b7b0651.jpg

 

[completesportsman]

Finished the mount yesterday, it turned out nice I think.

WVHUNTER you were right, I had a tub full of water, & I tried the fingertip test lol! I had to get more peroxide!

 

[WVHUNTER]

You need to post a picture for us.

I need to correct something I said in my last post, I said the swimming pool chemical was sodium hydroxide and I meant to say hydrogen peroxide, don't use sodium hydroxide to whiten a skull.

In talking about hydrogen peroxide the concentration is expressed in a couple of different ways. When it refers to volume it's referring to how much oxygen it will produce. A 40 volume means 1 volume of hydrogen peroxide will produce 40 volumes of oxygen. Other times it's expressed as a per cent. The hydrogen peroxide that you buy in a pharmacy is usually 3% and would equal 10 volume. A 20 volume would be 6% and so on.

 

[completesportsman]

Okay, Here are some pics of the ones I have done.

This is my 2008 rifle season buck,

This is my 2009 bow season buck,

Here are both with a muzzleloader buck in the middle from several years ago. I have to keep them in the basement, I have six shoulder deer mounts, a full size turkey, and a full size bobcat in my living room but my wife HATES the skulls!

 

[WVHUNTER]

They look great, good job.

 

[OLBUZZTAIL]

completesportsman....DANG!!! you were just pulling our legs huh!?? you are really a professional Taxidermist right??? Those Euros are perfect!!! GREAT JOB!!!


Hunting is Life...everything else is
Just details.

 

[completesportsman]

Thanks guys,

Professional Taxi?..... no, not even close! When I do things I try to do them the best I can, I am downright anal about most things ;-)

If I were doing them for profit I would be hurting as much time as I have in each one! I honestly think they look as good as most I have seen done by taxidermist but I probably have 2x or more amount of time invested as would a real taxi!

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Use a foam paint brush to "paint" the peroxide on the skull. Cover completely the outside, under-side, nasal passage, ect . ., but with this method you don't use a lot of peroxide and a bottle will last you a long time. Let the skull sit out in the sun. Re-position a few times to get even coverage. Re-apply to off-color spots as necessary. On a good sunny day, you will have a white skull on your hands in time for dinner.

 

[bowhunterholic09]

hey quick question man... first of all they look great!! when i do them i have issues with the teeth still being brown and caked with stuff. when you soak them does that eat away at that stuff or do you manually have to scrape or brush them to get white like that?

 

[completesportsman]

I always scrape them to get them clean before I do the peroxide soak. You could try soaking first, it won't hurt anything, and then if they still look cruddy you could scrape it off after soaking.

 

[rmanwill]

Them look awesome!!!