My other hobby, skeletonization

[Scorpendra]

the finished products are cool, but i don't care much for the cleaning process. a bit too graphic for my taste.

 

[LeilaNami]

You gotta get dirty to achieve art no matter what the medium

 

[funnylori]

I once had to do a whole bird of some sort for a highschool biolgoy project. Lucky for me it was duck season. Dad brought me one home, I took out all the good meat and made sweet and sour duck. Dad gutted the thing and I boiled it, then he did the brains and eyeballs part... I cant handle brains and eyeballs at all... I picked off the rest of the meat, and let it dry on a cookie sheet in our shed for a few weeks and it worked out great. I gave it a bit of a velociraptor neck twist thing for effect (I watch too many movies ) Mine only one second place though, because my friends had found a dead raven and did that. Talk about awesome! It is too bad that I dont have it anymore, but my teacher begged me for it and I caved in... It had the toe nails and everything.

I had an elk head once that I was going to do up, but I had blown half the top of the skull off, and the brains and eyeballs thing got to me again.

 

[lucanidae]

New project

New project...from my smallest skeleton (mouse) to my largest skeleton:

 

[Spike]

What other beetles or bugs would you guys recommend for this type of stuff?

 

[Taceas]

My dad gave me the carcass of a Sharp Shinned Hawk that bonked itself on a window at his house. If I can't find a taxidermist to mount it for me (I'm guessing illegally) I'll try the skeletonization thing.

I've even thought about freeze drying it perhaps. Posing it how I want, and letting it dry instead of stuffing or skeletonizing it.

I've already got an opossum decaying under some boards in the woods behind the house. So far so good. I see bones and hair, just a bit left. I'll probably take it up this spring.

 

[lucanidae]

In case some of you didn't think I was weird enough already.....here's what I've been doing to entertain myself while building the dear skeleton:

 

[kitty_b]

my fiance agreed to let me start this hobby when we get a bigger place.

SQUEEE!

 

[Texas Blonde]

In case some of you didn't think I was weird enough already.....here's what I've been doing to entertain myself while building the dear skeleton:

Damn, you are hotter than I thought!!

 

[Crotalus]

For you in Canada - "Dirty Jobs" on Discovery channel visit Skulls Unlimited for some skull cleaning. The show rerun at midnite
Quite entertaining episode!

 

[P.jasonius]

While I'm sure I could find this information elsewhere, I couldn't find it on this thread so I might as well ask.
How does one go about removing the brains, or do the dermestids take care of that?

 

[Crotalus]

A thin steelwire inserted into the brain and chop it up in small pieces which are washed out with water

 

[lucanidae]

Or like this:

 

[OldHag]

Those teaspoons with really long handles, they use for eating shakes and malts and stuff work well with bigger skulls. Otherwise the stick method works great, and get a hose with a power spray to spray into it. Cleans it slicker N snot.

 

[P.jasonius]

Why is this making me laugh?!?
That photo of the sticks being jammed into the back of the skull; that's not supposed to be hilarious, right?
God, I'm sick...

 

[kahoy]

Why is this making me laugh?!?
That photo of the sticks being jammed into the back of the skull; that's not supposed to be hilarious, right?
God, I'm sick...

at first glance it looks like youve harvested a skull shaped raddish... LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!

 

[Texas Blonde]

Those teaspoons with really long handles, they use for eating shakes and malts and stuff work well with bigger skulls. Otherwise the stick method works great, and get a hose with a power spray to spray into it. Cleans it slicker N snot.

My mom has several really long ones that came with her new silver ware set, and thats what I have been using. Just no one tell her please.

 

[OldHag]

Sky!! I know!! My daughter saw me using one to clean out a buffalo skull and she wont eat off of ANY of them now!!!! I get such morbid glee out of it!!

 

[lucanidae]

Well, it's been a while since I updated! I've got some new skulls and I tried preserving and stuffing a squirrel! Here goes:

First off, I shot this squirrel and ate it (it was tasty) but the thing was so big I decided I would try my hand at some taxidermy. The result is decent enough.

Warning, the next image may disturb some! WARNING!






I found this on the side of the road today and went for it, should make a cool skull:

Recently I've also done:

Some different species of birds found alongside the roads. If you can guess them I'll be impressed!!!!

And the above skull, any guesses?

 

[kitty_b]

And the above skull, any guesses?

the first thing that comes to mind is "groundhog." :?
i'm not quite sure about the variety of large rodent wildlife you have up north.