You want the stain to help highlight the antlers, so use a light to medium stain for dark antlers, and a darker stain on light-colored antlers. A more creative mount can be made by slicing the front piece of a log out with the bark included, screwing the skull on, and then reattaching the front of the log to make for a round “post” style of mount. After you mark the spot on the wood plaque, drill it with the 3/8s inch drill bit only halfway through. Hold antlers in place and allow the Bondo to harden. This article has been viewed 76,978 times. Always wear the proper protective gear when working with saws and other power tools. Slide the resting arm into the back main, natural opening in the skull (the spinal cord cavity) Straighten or angle your new European wall mount to your liking . Cut a hole at the top of the plywood so you can hang it on the wall. 45. Drill two 3/16" holes at the pre-marked points. The hole should be big enough for the bolt to fit through. You can display your mount on the wall or a table. We have just drilled holes through the skull cap, attached to a shaped block of wood and cover with brown vinyl or even burlap. Finally, line up the wood plaque with the pilot hole and secure it with the drill. 1. Tons of choices if the white skull just doesn't get you going. Simmering isn’t the only choice for making a European mount. If you do this, you'll need to protect the bone with a plastic bag or some chicken wire, and firmly attach it somewhere to prevent other creatures from picking at or running off with it. You certainly don't need to make your own plaque for mounting. References. You can acquire a colony kit from a taxidermy supplier, or borrow some from a taxidermist's colony. Create the plate for mounting A piece of wood will be required to attach the horns to the plaque. Do this outdoors, or in your garage, as it will definitely smell. Feb 19, 2013 - European deer mounts offer hunters an inexpensive alternative to cape mounts. Set the horns on a piece of 3/8-inch plywood and trace onto the wood around the skull plate the same length and width as the skull plate. Do you want to learn how I did it? The process may take several hours, or all day. If you secure the antlers to the plaque first, and can't wrap around the back, use decorative brass tacks and nails to hold the covering in place. If boiling a deer skull takes so long and you can afford these amount of free time, you apply another method. We also offer a wide variety of wood types including: cedar, black walnut, oak, mesquite, cypress and more. Dowels are a great way to fasten wood to give it more stability than just using screws. Elk Skull Mount Options. There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. drill a 1/4 hole into the base, insert the long end of the tube until it's flush with the bottom. Once you try your first Skull Hooker, you will not be disappointed, as it’ll be able to be used, literally forever. Archived. Make sure the antlers do not get into the water, or if any of them do, wrap in tinfoil to prevent from getting wet. Leaving it outdoors. Do the mounted antlers need to be treated in order to maintain their look? This usually depends on two things – the skull-cleaning method you are using and how the head has been stored since the expiration of the animal. Put it in the cooler or freezer. You'll need a large pot and a propane heater. Follow the direction of the grain when applying wood stain to make the grain visible. Pick out the piece of antler and cut it to length. I take a long piece of threaded rod and after drilling a hole in the base of the skull, just below the opening to the brain cavity I insert it and thread a nut on the inside, then one on the outside and tighten them against each other. A small spike whitetail buck or bobcat skull makes for a great mount. You could simply hang the skull on a piece of wire attached to a screw in the wall, get a skull wall hanger, or you could buy a European elk mount … These are top of the line pedestals available to the wildlife taxidermist. I work construction and actually collect "special" pieces of scrap when I spot them in trash bins at sites. Additionally, CutTheWood.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. This faux deer skull is a realistic replica of the real thing, but nodeer were harmed in the making of this piece. Im that guy that snaps bolts and breaks pliers. Choose a wooden plaque on which to mount your prepared European deer skull. Another way to make the mount. Treat the head like it is a piece of meat that you plan to eat. Cut through the skull at the base of the antlers, making sure to keep part of the skull plate as you go around it. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. Once you have a piece of wood that will fit in the back of the skull, pre-drill holes into the skull and use two screws to attach it. His favorite part of the lodge was the deer skull which was hanging right above the fireplace. Allow the skull to sit in the sun for several weeks for the growth of bacteria and insects. If you're joining pieces with a profile on the opposite face, such as molding, locate the screw holes over the thickest profile points—at the peak of a ridge or curve, for example. Cut out the … At first, I thought this would be a pretty tricky task, keeping in mind that I am not very advanced when it comes to woodworking gigs. Skin the skull and remove as much flesh as possible. If outside, yes, as they'll likely get bleached. See here for our skull cleaning prices. Take your time to skin, boil, clean, and lighten the skull precisely. Last Updated: March 29, 2019 Screws through the backside plaque into the block of wood and tuck the vinyl or burlap behind as you tighten down. Attach the pedestal support to the front panel using the 1 1/2" wood screws. I cannot share the file I used with the 3d skull. Close. Now, you can tighten it fully with the drill, and you’re done! I have a 3 year old piece of spruce I have wanted to make a skull out of since I found it. Distracting from the mount. Join us in the comment section below and show us your support to help us reach out to more DIY enthusiasts. COMPLETELY READ INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE BEGINNING. Keep an eye on the water, and if it gets too murky with meat tissue, change out most of it. (Longer boiling will cause the skull to become brittle.) The most precise part of the mounting process is to drill the pilot hole. As soon as he walked through the door, he started screaming and jumping around with joy. This skull mounting kit from Cabela's is under $20. wikiHow's. Place the deer skill on a blanket to avoid harming the delicate lower parts of the skull while mounting it. Elk Skull Mount Options Now that you’ve got your skull back, it’s time to actually make your elk European mount look great up on the wall. European Elk Skull Mount - … Posted by 1 year ago. Remember: rushing is not an option! I needed to do this for a skull decoration I made, you can find a tutorial of it on my blog too.. On this project I’m only using foam, acrylic paints and varnish.It’s so simple! Position the screw at 45 degrees angle. How to Remove Duct Tape Residue from Wood, eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'cutthewood_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_9',181,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'cutthewood_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_10',181,'0','1']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'cutthewood_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_11',181,'0','2']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'cutthewood_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_12',181,'0','3'])); .large-billboard-2-multi-181{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:3px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:0px !important;min-height:250px;min-width:300px;text-align:center !important;}Search. Always apply polyurethane wood stain in a well-ventilated room. Whatever the reason which made you want to learn how to mount a deer skull on wood, we hope this tutorial was helpful. It is not advised to mount antlers on wood planks thinner than 1 inch by 6 inches. Try holding the section to see how it feels in your hand. If you're not sure of the color or finish you want, you can easily order samples too. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. The area where the antlers mount is a flattened cut-away section. After the board is dry it is time to mount the antlers. Bear skull wine bottle holder on a piece of Canary wood. AJ I mount them just like you would mount on a plaque. Step 1: Rasp or cut the cleaned antler plate to fit the notch on the reproduction skull. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. First, clean the skull plate yourself to remove as much meat as possible. I made sure to keep the skull at the same distance/ size. This will work as long as you’re able to manage to keep the wood pieces close together. Before you cut it, lay the blade over the piece and see how the tang will fit. You could simply hang the skull on a piece of wire attached to a screw in the wall, get a skull wall hanger, or you could buy a European elk mount kit at the store. To make the joint, glue and screw one side of the strap to a workpiece. It is important to shape the skull bone to sit in this pocket of the manikin so that the antlers will mount to the form with a naturally projecting angle. Plus, any skull mount is a really cool totem, even if it’s not from an animal with giant antlers. This will give the bone a clean, white look. With 31" teeth, I bleached the skull with "Basic White" powder from a beautician supply house, mixed to a paste with hydrogen peroxide, then used a molly screw anchor - - - bolt head painted flat black - - - to mount it directly to a white wall. I knew my son would be very disappointed so I had to find out how to mount a deer skull on wood. Ted's Woodworking Plans contains complete instructions from start to finish, leaving absolutely no guesswork. Classic Skull Mounts – "Every trophy, no matter the size, has the right to be displayed to its fullest potential." Many outdoor and taxidermy shops have them ready made for purchase. Placing a deer skull in the house has a deeper meaning than what most of us dare to believe. I typically either use a piece of wood or tine and carve/turn it to the correct diameter so that it fits into the cavity on rear of skull and glue it in. Add a cup of baking soda and a cup of bleach to the water. Center and attach the reproduction skull to a 2ft x 2ft sheet of plywood. First off, you need to mark the plaque at the exact spot where the drilled hole in the skull will make a perfect match when you finally mount the skull to the wood. What’s more, the deer is the protector of all other creatures. You may also make your own mount from any section of wood that measures at least 5 inches by 8 inches to accommodate the deer head. He carves the antlers off a deer head, then boils them to remove the meat, finally he mounts them on a piece of wood. Center the skull on the front of the panel and mark the two points where the two 3" screws will enter the thickest part of the bottom of the skull. Place the skull facing the blanket. Finally, line up the wood plaque with the pilot hole and secure it with the drill. A handsaw or hacksaw should be enough to cut through the bone. It can be sold to NPCs and as with other creature products, it has among the highest gold-to-oz ratio of all items. Browse our selection of Real Wood Grain Dash Trim Kits, Synthetic Wood Grain Dash Trim Kits, Carbon Fiber Dash Trim Kits, Chrome Dash Trim Kits, Aluminum Trim Dash Kits and Modern Colors Dash Trim Kits. Note: The position of the marker shows the exact spot where you want to drill in the skull. Clean the skull of all flesh. Used the vinegar solution to rust corrugated metal a bit. Janis Putelis, a.k.a the Latvian Eagle, made this wild turkey skull mount. However, after some proper research, I did find a way to mount a new deer skull on wood very easily. The idea is to drill through the thickest part which is located right below the opening where the spinal cord went into the brain. Next, adhere the paper to the wood surface, and cover the artwork/wood piece with a clean sheet of paper as a protective barrier. I can’t forget the sparkling excitement on the face of my 4 years old son when we bought a tiny forest lodge back in 2010. I use 3 short (1/2″) screws in the front and 3 or 4 (1 1/2″) screws closer to the antlers. Remove the skull and set it aside. _____ The terrarium should be large enough to hold the bone and antlers, and covered. If you don't want to pay a professional taxidermist, or purchase a ready-to-use mounting kit, there are ways to do the mounting yourself. Learn more... Hunters often enjoy displaying the antlers of an animal they've killed to remember the hunt and to respect the spirit of that animal. Cleaning your skull can be a tedious, and sometimes gross, task. Dowels are small, cylindrical pieces of wood that fit into holes at a joint of two larger pieces of wood. Oh also, you need a deer head. We hope that we’ve given you some ideas on how to bleach a deer skull and what to do with it afterwards. Bear skull wine bottle holder on a piece of Canary wood. I am so envious of people that can work with wood. Now slide the bolt through the hole in the skull and fasten it with the help of gorilla glue before passing it through the mounting plate. 12 comments. Once scrubbed, bring enough water to a boil to submerge the skull. share. That means hanging a deer in your house can serve as a totem to protect the family members, too. Have also used napisan. Brush this over the skull. Notes. We have a plaque for every budget, from metal skull hangers and face plates to pedestals and carved walnut plaques. For this little skull I found a 3D model of a skull which I could rotate to see different angles. Place the skull in a terrarium with dermestid beetles to let them eat the flesh. Next, glue or nail the plank onto the surfaces of the wood pieces. save. Make sure you check every few days to see when the meat is falling off. Designed and hand crafted by Van Dyke's team of master craftsmen. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Mount-Antlers-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Mount-Antlers-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Mount-Antlers-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1372967-v4-728px-Mount-Antlers-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"