Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Remove the hide from the animal using either a sharpened pen knife or boning knife. You will need a larger knife for the larger animals and a smaller one both for small animals and the areas around the larger creature's eyes, ears and nose. Medical supply stores will sometimes sell scalpels or you can use a fine point blade X-acto knife for the difficult to navigate areas on the animal's body.
De-flesh the dead animal by using a small disc sander. While there is a specific taxidermy tool for this part of the process, the use of a simple hand held disc sander will work if it is set to a low setting and the flesh is removed by using only the edges of the spinning sander. Use short gentle strokes and take care not to rip the hide or press too firmly on the hide. Taxidermists have used mixtures of arsenic solutions to "tan" the hide. This can be harmful to your health and dangerous to keep around. Soaking the hide in a non-iodized salt or alum solution with water is effective. Once the hide has been de-fleshed and treated, hanging it in a predator-free safe area and drying for several days will accomplish the same purpose as using arsenic.
Create a plaster mold of the skinned animal by dipping it into a mixture of plaster of Paris. Some prefer to use the quick dry plaster, others don't mind waiting for what they feel is a better mold. Depending on the size of the animal, any Plexiglas or plastic box will do to create this mold. Old refrigerator drawers provide a good sized area for smaller animals. Make sure to coat the sides and bottom of the box with non-stick spray or oil generously to aid in the removal of the plaster mold.
Remove the carcass when the plaster is dry and dispose of it. Don't attempt to eat or feed the meat to another animal after it has been soaked in plaster. With the hide removed, the condition of the carcass upon removal from the plaster is unimportant. While you can purchase fiberglass material from taxidermy websites to create a sculpture of the animal, you have the option of using clays, silicone or spray foams that harden with exposure to air. Apply a generous amount of nonstick spray to all parts of the mold, especially in the smaller areas.
Secure the hide to the sculpture with compound glue. Using a small sharpened spoon, dig out the areas in the eye section of the sculpture and insert an appropriately sized marble in each socket. Solid colored marbles will serve the same purpose as the more costly false eyes manufactured specifically for taxidermists.