# Processing a skull - How do you do it?



## El Gato Loco

Just curious how you process your skulls if you do. I've heard of several methods but have never done it myself. Would be good info to have.

Thanks in advance.


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## wilded

Here is a link to the way I do them. Wild Ed's Texas Outdoors: European Skull Mounts the Texas Way


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## mjllag

Chris,
I remove as much skin/muscle/tissue as possible from the skull. Then I boil the skull. After the boiling the remaining tissue is much easier to remove. I use long picks to get into the nasal cavities and other hard to reach places. You can whiten the skull with a paste made of baking soda, or peroxide - don't use bleach. (spray paint also works)


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## On a call

Hi Chris,

Here you go...this is proven. First you want to just skin it out, Second do not boil, simmer, simmer, simmer for about as long as it takes to cook the meat...you know, like a crook pot cooks a roast and the meat falls off the bones. ( If you boil the tendons stick ) Remove what meat you can...now here is the important part. In a wash tub or somthing large enough to wash it in...make make a mix of dish soap little stronger than you would do your dishes in...this is to remove the oils and fat. You are going to need a air tank and a air gun blast the skull down under the water...get ready to get wet...start off light and low preasure but enough to remove the brain, and other remaining stuff, take a pick to remove any other sticking material. Ok...now rise it off and dry...if you like a duller yellowish look you are done...but if you want a white bright look go a hair sallon store and buy jug of hair bleach and get some baking soda while out. Take the two and make a paste like paint and brush it on, thick....here is another important part....after that wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a spot to heat is up...like a in front of a heater. It takes HEAT, not time, not sun, it is not magic. Heat ! pure and simple Heat! Just let it warm up for about a half hour or hour and then rinse and dry ....you will have a white sweet looking skull !!


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## predator_hunter

That sounds really easy.That is good to know. I've seen skull mounts but never thought about doin one of my own.I just might now.


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## coyotekidd

Good info Gents


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## yotefixer

I have had a few done with the dermosite beetles (i belive thats what they are called)
and have had some done = bleached by a taxidermist
and i have done a few myself by purchaseing a skull bleach/chemical from a taxidermy supply
personaly i think the beetles win!!!


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## wilded

The beetles are the front running method for sure. You just have to have the time, space and facilities to maintain a beetle colony.


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## tkortright

flesh eating beatles


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## Bigdrowdy1

Being a poor boy from Okla I have used red ants to strip the skulls and go to a beauty saloon and get some of thier high powered peroxcide and whiten the skull. do as much as you can when cleaning to fleshout as much as possible. WARNING---- other critters may have other ideas for your skulls. THIS would include neighbors


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## LilBill

beetles do the best job but not economical or feasible for most people.go on to wasco's website and purchase a kit.real easy to do and worth the effort in my opinion.to chime in on On A Call's post ,Dawn dish soap is the best.


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## Toxic

Stop the bus! OK guys, there are basically 3 things you need to do to a skull to get it looking good. Remove the meat, degrease, and whiten are the three things that must be done. First off is getting the meat off the bone, maceration, dermestid beetles and simmer are the basic ways, I use both dermestid beetles and maceration. Simmering is not the best method due to the fact you can set grease in the bone and also damage the bone. the beetles will eat all meat off the bone. maceration is using bacteria to rot the meat off of the bone. But either way you get the meat off the next step is to degrease the bone. The only way to get a pristine white to the bone and keep it that way for years and years is to degrease it. I use heated tubs (120 deg) of degreaser and water for soak to remove grease. Deer take 4 to 8 weeks, yote, fox and bobcat about the same. Hogs are another story due to high level of grease, they can take 2 to 3 months. You can tell when they are done degreasing because the fat will stop coming out of the bone. After you get you skull degreased its time to whiten it. The last thing you want to do is combine baking soda and peroxide, the proper mix is to use basic white (Beauty supply store) or climbers chalk. I don't use the paste method due to incomplete whitening of skulls with this method. I use immersion method. I soak the complete skull in the peroxide. Antlered skulls have the antlers protected with silicone to keep them from being bleached out. The peroxide supplies are 3% brown bottle, 12% (40 volume) from beauty supply, 27% Bacquacil oxidizer from pool supply , be careful with the strong peroxides, one splash in your face and your blinded for life. 4 days soak in 3%, 3 day soak in 12%, 2 days soak in 27%. I have 3 large colonies of dermestid beetles to do the majority of my bone cleaning. I have large tubs set up to heat 5 gal. buckets that hold the skulls, the tubs have the heated water from heating elements. no temp higher than 120 deg. is used in the cleaning. I never boil/simmer any skulls.


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## On a call

Toxic said:


> Stop the bus! OK guys, there are basically 3 things you need to do to a skull to get it looking good. Remove the meat, degrease, and whiten are the three things that must be done. First off is getting the meat off the bone, maceration, dermestid beetles and simmer are the basic ways, I use both dermestid beetles and maceration. Simmering is not the best method due to the fact you can set grease in the bone and also damage the bone. the beetles will eat all meat off the bone. maceration is using bacteria to rot the meat off of the bone. But either way you get the meat off the next step is to degrease the bone. The only way to get a pristine white to the bone and keep it that way for years and years is to degrease it. I use heated tubs (120 deg) of degreaser and water for soak to remove grease. Deer take 4 to 8 weeks, yote, fox and bobcat about the same. Hogs are another story due to high level of grease, they can take 2 to 3 months. You can tell when they are done degreasing because the fat will stop coming out of the bone. After you get you skull degreased its time to whiten it. The last thing you want to do is combine baking soda and peroxide, the proper mix is to use basic white (Beauty supply store) or climbers chalk. I don't use the paste method due to incomplete whitening of skulls with this method. I use immersion method. I soak the complete skull in the peroxide. Antlered skulls have the antlers protected with silicone to keep them from being bleached out. The peroxide supplies are 3% brown bottle, 12% (40 volume) from beauty supply, 27% Bacquacil oxidizer from pool supply , be careful with the strong peroxides, one splash in your face and your blinded for life. 4 days soak in 3%, 3 day soak in 12%, 2 days soak in 27%. I have 3 large colonies of dermestid beetles to do the majority of my bone cleaning. I have large tubs set up to heat 5 gal. buckets that hold the skulls, the tubs have the heated water from heating elements. no temp higher than 120 deg. is used in the cleaning. I never boil/simmer any skulls.
> 
> View attachment 243


Hey thanks Toxic !

Yep I have to agree your method is a far better method than my learning by trial and error method for the last 8 years...at least I believe it to be might be more like 20







...I have had some problems with some areas being darker than others...just thought it was me not the fact it was the paste. Soaking seems like a better way to get into all areas keeping it more uniform and complete !! Now here are a few questions for you....what about the teeth I have some really nice beaver skulls to do up...I did some of them with my method and the teeth look natural brown and yellowish which .... in some ways is just fine for me...but I have seen some that the teeth are white as snow and shine like fine china. Looking nice also...a cleaner look. How do you attach your jaw bones back in place ??? Antlered skulls have the antlers protected with silicone to keep them from being bleached out. What type and how do you apply it, and then...remove ? Where do you get your beatles from ? And last question....What do you use for degreaser in your heated tubs ?...certainly seems like a long time to soak...but again...better to learn from others than by making mistakes...

Thank you !!

Brian

Thanks for the info.
Brian


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## Toxic

PM sent Brian


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## mntmatt

just some more info on how to clean a skull: I know of six different ways to clean a skull and each one has their advantages and disadvantages: they are Boiling, Scavenger Beetles and/or Dermestid Beetles, Ant hills, Water rotting, Soil Rotting, and Air Rotting. I have heard of using a bleach solution but, haven't verified it or tried it.....yet.


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## RoughNeck

Great info on the skulls, I was wondering on some of them can you make it to where there mouth is open and stay that way ?


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## wilded

Just epoxy open.


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