How to clean skull plate?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Hunts_with_stick
10-Nov-21
When you just keep a skull plate and after it has dried, how do you clean the remaining leftovers to get to the bare bone. I have been scraping off with a knife but to get it as clean as I like that takes quite some time. Anyone have any way to do it quicker?
From: APauls
10-Nov-21
Why not boil it for a bit?
From: Paul@thefort
10-Nov-21
yea, start the boil and then simmer for awhile until the "leftovers" have soften then scrape off.. You do not want to soften the bone with too much heat.
From: South Farm
10-Nov-21
Used to boil them, but frankly it's a disgusting process, weakens the skull, and the teeth can fall out, so you have to hunt for them in a bucket of yuck. Now we just bury the skull for a year and the ants and bugs will do all the work for you...comes out clean and dry, with all the teeth intact...then you can simply leave it as is or spray can it with your favorite color.
From: Hunts_with_stick
10-Nov-21
Thanks, just the skull plate though. Not the whole skull. Like what a taxidermist uses when they mount a deer.
From: smarba
10-Nov-21
A pressure washer will take that right off. Or who cares so long as it's dry and not smelly? Just cover it with some leather.
From: Grey Ghost
10-Nov-21
Slow boil just the skull plate in water with Dawn dishwashing soap for 30-40 minutes. Then power wash the remaining flesh and tissue off.
Alternatively, you can scrape it as clean as possible without boiling, then liberally pour powdered borax on it and let it sit for a week or so. That’s my quick and easy method when the rack is just going to be hung in the garage.
Matt
From: deerhunter72
10-Nov-21
Never fussed much with the skull plate for just an antler mount. I always just scraped off as much flesh as I could and let it go at that.
From: Catscratch
10-Nov-21
Scrape it, salt it, and walk away. If I want it for the house I might glue some leather to it.
From: bentstick54
10-Nov-21
Remove as skin as you can , slow boil for 30 to 45 minutes, gently power wash if needed.
From: Hunts_with_stick
10-Nov-21
perfect! Thanks all
From: Paul@thefort
10-Nov-21
same process I use on all of the Euro mounts I do. Have fun. paul
From: cnelk
10-Nov-21
Do not boil skulls. The high heat sets the blood and grease into the bone.
Use lots of Dawn and keep the water heated just enough to rot any remaining flesh off.
Remember. If you want it bad enough, you’ll get it bad enough
From: Arctic Hunter
10-Nov-21
Throw a scoop of oxy clean in the water when you boil it. It will pressure was right off.
From: cnelk
10-Nov-21
After all the flesh comes off the bone, you can soak in acetone to draw out any remaining grease. Then, go down to the local hair salon and get some 40 Volume peroxide and coat the skull to Whiten. Then rinse. Apply a second time if necessary.
By this time it should be very white and not shitty bone color.
From: Paul@thefort
10-Nov-21
as cnelk stated, 40 volume peroxide. That is what I use on the above Pronghorn Euro above. It is more like a thin paste than liquid.
From: Mathewsphone
11-Nov-21
Steam it with Dawn
From: smarba
11-Nov-21
Add a tablespoon or so of Quick White (doesn't take much) to the 40 Volume Crème and it works even better.
From: deerhunter72
11-Nov-21
I’ve gotten the snarky “deer hunter, right?” more than once at Sally Beauty.
From: Hunts_with_stick
11-Nov-21
Wow, really. I’d be happy for the sale!
From: KC9
20-Nov-21
Cnelk and Paul. How long do you let the 40 peroxide sit on skull before you rinse Thanks
From: Jack Whitmrie jr
20-Nov-21
A dremel tool with a brush attachment works good also.
From: Hunts_with_stick
20-Nov-21
I like the dreamer idea
From: JohnMC
20-Nov-21
Kc9 get the gel/cream (it is one of the two) 40% if you can find it. I usually leave it over night and looks good the next day.
From: Huntiam
21-Nov-21
Just scrape it off let it dry for 3 days and paint it white
From: rattling_junkie
21-Nov-21
I've done a few skulls, and I think prefer the natural shitty bone color. I bleached my buck from this year, not crazy white. My wife actually prefers it a bit rustic, so happy wife happy life.
From: tobywon
21-Nov-21
I do what cnelk and Paul do. Skin skull plate first and remove as much meat as you can. I use a small pot and fill to cover skull plate enough. Just heat water to just about boiling with some dawn dish soap. I then scrape with an old dull steak knife. I’ll put back and repeat until it’s clean. I’ll also change water once or twice if needed. I don’t use peroxide because if I do mount on plaque, I’ll cover with leather.
From: Pyrannah
21-Nov-21
From: MathewsMan
21-Nov-21
If you use hot water be sure it’s blue dawn soap, otherwise borax is going to be the best thing to put on it.
Probably the best cheapest way to get the best cleaning is to put skulls into a washer garment bag so that you can all the teeth and put it in a shrimp pot and sea lice clean up as good as beetles.
My preference is beetles and sending it to a friend who does them.
