Hog skull mount
Contributors to this thread:Hogs
From: Cheque
08-Feb-10
Just agreed to do a hog skull for a guy. I just do euro mounts kind of as a hobby. I bought some dermestid beetles a couple months ago and have a colony working now. Anyway, I've never done a hog before, only whitetails and small game. Is there anything I should know before I start? Are they harder to do? Do they need to be degreased more than a deer?
thanks, jakedrew
From: BO-N-ARO
08-Feb-10
Yip, you will find that the skull contains more oil than a whitetail, but less than a bear. Good luck and just let er soak a bit longer.
From: coke13
09-Feb-10
How are the beatles working out.
From: BOBSTER
09-Feb-10
Cheque, The hogs contain a good amount of grease in both their jaws and upper part of the skull. After the beetles clean it up, boil with some very good degreasing liquid deterent. Don't boil real hot or it will damage the skull after a while. What I like to do it pull the cutters and tops out of the skull so that they do not get brittle during the boiling process. Also when you are bleaching the skull without the teeth in, having the stain color on the teeth I feel make it look a lot better, but will be a dead give away if you pull the teeth to make them look longer than what they were. Bob
From: SDHNTR
09-Feb-10
I have a buddy who had the skull cleaned and degreased, then pulled the teeth, then had the skull dipped in pewter, then put the teeth back in. It looks awesome with the contrasting white teeth.
From: Blaise
09-Feb-10
SDHNTR, that skull you're referring to sounds really cool - would it be possible to post a picture of it...?
From: SDHNTR
09-Feb-10
Here you go. Also a bronzed one there too.
From: Blaise
09-Feb-10
Thank you, that pewter one is awesome.
From: Cheque
09-Feb-10
Now thats a pretty wicked looking skull!
coke13 - The beetles are working out ok. They're not reproducing as fast as I had hoped but the colony is slowly growing.
Thanks for the info guys! So basically degrease more than you would a whitetail and pay attention to the teeth. I'll post a pic once I'm done with it. Thanks again jakedrew
From: BOBSTER
09-Feb-10
Cheque, here is one that I had taken a pic of before I put the bleached the skull. It will give you an idea what I am talking about on the teeth. Sorry the pic is poor quality. Bob
From: BOBSTER
09-Feb-10
Here it is while I had the teeth still pulled. Bob
From: elkcalln8
10-Feb-10
nice skulls! who can you sent it to for the pewter dip?
From: Cheque
10-Feb-10
Yea I see what you mean Bobster, thanks! I'll ask the guy if he wants hes teeth whitened or if I should leave them stained. Thanks for the pics. You guys are great!
jakedrew
From: White Falcon
11-Feb-10
One Javelina I had done!
From: Bighornarcher
11-Feb-10
Bighornarcher's Link
Not sure where SDHNTR's buddy had his done, but I do metal coating on skulls. Nickel, bronze, copper, as well as mixing for different alloys. See link for more pics. Here's a pic of a bronze warthog with natural tusks.
From: Bighornarcher
11-Feb-10
Bighornarcher's Link
Nickel warthog
From: Bighornarcher
11-Feb-10
Bighornarcher's Link
Copper gator.
From: Bighornarcher
11-Feb-10
Bighornarcher's Link
Bronze whitetail polished.
From: elkcalln8
12-Feb-10
beautiful work. love that copper with its greens in it.
From: Cheque
12-Feb-10
More questions about the teeth. How and when do you pull them? After the bugs have cleaned the skull? What if you want to boil one? can you pull the teeth before boiling?
BTW, the guy called and said two of his buddies had pigs they wanted done too so it looks like I'm loaded for a while. Sounds like fun to me!
From: BOBSTER
13-Feb-10
You should be able to pull the teeth after the bugs cleaned them. I have never used the bugs, so not sure what point you take the skull away from them. The teeth will become loose, and they should pull out. You can also pull them after you boiled them. I have found on some younger hogs that the cutters will be loose, but when you start pulling the cutters out, they will come a little and then stop at the base of the jaw. You can still get them out, but will have to tug and work at it. After you pull the cutter, you need to clean the inside of them. The cutters will hold some tissue inside them. Normally do this just by running water into them or poking around in them with a wire and dragging out anything that might be left in them. Bob
From: Gunny
13-Feb-10
Bighornarcher, that buck is awesome! Very cool. I think I need one done like that.
From: Cheque
13-Feb-10
Thanks BOBSTER, I'll work with it when the time comes.
From: nontypical3
13-Feb-10
Another cool look for a boar is having it film dipped in camo.
From: nontypical3
13-Feb-10
Here is another cool one
From: nontypical3
13-Feb-10
oops, sorry here it is big
From: fullstrutter
20-Jan-12
Looking to get a monster FL boar skull dipped in a snow camo pattern like the one on this thread. Who can do it? I suspect I'll have to ship it out which is fine if so. I'm in SW FL.
Thanks guys! Please respond to me via email as I'm rarely on the forums.
Scott
From: Rayzor
20-Jan-12
Love the copper gator!
I have lots of skull mounts. That's what I do withem if the aren't destined for the wall. Loks a lot better than a skull cap. We have what we call a bug box. Basically a box made of rat wire that lets the bettles and flies in but not the antler chewers. Dermestid beetles occur naturally where we are but take longer than if you have a good colony. We've found you have to move the box every other year as I guess the beetles end up dying off or something??
