Skull cleaning is a great way to preserve the bones of dead animals that you may find while on a walk in the forest, but how do you clean animal skulls? This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions that we recieve at http://www.boneshoppe.com/.
First and foremost, we do not condone the killing of animals only for their bones. This short tutorial is to help you preserve FOUND bones. We believe that if you kill an animal - you eat it. Also, this article is for information purposes only. We assume no liability if you attempt skull cleaning! Please be aware that there may be species of animals that are local to you that are legally protected species and you cannot use their bones, even when found dead and this includes road kill too. Now, on to the instructions.
There are many methods used to remove the flesh from an animals skull. Some people use dermisted (flesh eating) beetles as they can provide one of the cleanest end products without you having to get your hands too dirty. Other people may use boiling water, however this is very tricky as some skulls (mainly smaller animals) can turn to mush if boiled too long.
So, the focus of this article is going to be (in our opinion) one of the simplest methods and one of the most basic taxidermy skills for skull cleaning and is ideal for the novice bone cleaner. We are going to discuss cold water maceration.
What exactly is cold water maceration?
In the easiest description cold water maceration is placing a skull in a container of cool water, covering it with a tight lid and letting nature take its course. The natural bacteria in the water will begin to break down the flesh on the skull within a matter of days. In essence what you are doing is using water to rot the remaining flesh from the bone. After about 4-5 days, you can change the water in the container if you'd like. For a small animal skull, it should be completely clean within about 5-10 days. To help this process move along faster, remove as much flesh as possible from the skull, by hand, prior to putting it in the container of water.
A fair warning though - when you open the lid on the container, it will smell VERY bad and it should go without saying. Think about it - you've been rotting flesh in an enclosed area for many days. The smell of wet death is not very pleasant, but this will get the job done to clean the animal skull without the use of chemicals, beetles or guess work. Once you are ready to remove the skull from the now rotten flesh soup, remember to wear THICK nitrile or rubber gloves. If you use your bare hands, the smell of rot will seep into your pores and stay there for quite a long time.
After all of the flesh has been removed, you will want to thoroughly wash the skull with water to help remove the smell and any lingering flesh remanants.
** HELPFUL TIP ** >>> As the skull macerates in the water over the days you leave it in the container, teeth will most likely fall out and depending on the age of the animal when it died, small bone pieces may fall apart as the cartilage deteriorates. The easiest way we have found to contain all of these pieces is to put the deceased animal specimen into women's stockings (dollar store ones work great) and tie off the open end. By doing this you won't have to fish around in the bottom of the container, through all of the rotten flesh and muck, to find a couple of teeth or small bones. This also works great for entire small animal skeletons such as mice, rats, birds, etc...
OK. So now you have a defleshed skull, but it's not entirely clean, yet. For most small animal skulls, the process of maceration will also remove most of the natural oils found in the bone, however if it does not, or if you are macerating a skull slightly larger, you will want to degrease the bone to remove these oils.
There are many opinions available on what to use to degrease skulls. We will only share what we use and find to work best for our needs. This is not to say our method is the best one out there, but we find it works perfectly well for the end results that we are seeking.
Once the skull is thoroughly washed, we let it air dry for a few days and then, in a very well ventilated area, we will submerge it in a small container of regular acetone (available from any hardware store) for anywhere from one day to several days, depending on the size of the skull. Once we are satisfied that the skull has been completely degreased, we will remove it from the acetone and once again thoroughly wash it with plain water. We have never seen a skull or bone be harmed by the acetone.
Once the skull is washed, we set it aside again, to air dry for a few more days.
As soon as the animal skull is dry we now have a choice to make. We can leave it the natural bone color that it is and just seal it with a matte varnish sealer - OR - we can "bleach" it and turn it a nice whiter tone.
Most times we opt for the natural bone color, however perhaps you would like the whiter tone. For the novice skull cleaner, the easiest way to achieve a lighter bone color is to submerge the skull in hydrogen peroxide for as many days as it requires to achieve the color you are looking for. 3%, available over the counter will work OK for smaller specimens, however for larger skulls you will want to consult a taxidermy supply company for 12% - 14% peroxide and follow the manufacturer's directions.
After you are satisfied with the color, once again, remove the skull and thoroughly wash it. Then set it aside to air dry for a few more days. Once the skull is completely dry you will want to seal it with a varnish sealer - matte or gloss, the choice is up to you.
Should you need to re-attach any loose teeth or small bone fragments, we have found the best glue to use is Zap-A-Gap, but be warned - this is not just a regular super glue. This is like super glue on steroids. It bonds almost instantly on bones and on skin it will bond instantly and slightly burn.
So, there you have it. A beginner's guide to the basics of bone cleaning. It's not all that difficult to achieve nice reults with this method and is perfect for anyone looking to start animal skull cleaning as a hobby.
Good luck!
Jesse A. House
Owner
http://www.boneshoppe.com/
Showing posts with label Bone Shoppe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bone Shoppe. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Skeletons For Sale - How To Save Money When Purchasing a Human Skeleton Model
Human skeleton models have become as useful and collectible to the "average joe" as they have always been to students and teachers of osteology. With recognizing the lack of genuine human skeletons, plastic skeletons have become the go to model for both students as well as Haloween "haunters", but how do you choose which one is right for you, especially if you are on a tight budget? There are many cheap skeleton models available on the internet, however each one has their pros and cons.
Let's focus for a moment on what most people look for in a human skeleton model. Typically an articulated model is preferred, so in this post we will only look more into that category. Besides articulation, what do you want? As many details as possible is always highly sought after as well as movement of the main joints, such as wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, hips, knees and ankles. The main question that now comes in to play is - how much are you looking to spend for a human skeleton model and for what application are you using it?
Let's say, for instance, that you are an osteology student. You are going to want a plastic skeleton that resembles a real human skeleton as closely as possible but still stay within your budget. A perfect plastic skeleton model can run as high as $1,500. However, you can save a lot of money by focusing on your actual needs.
Ask yourself these simple questions:
"Do I need perfect detail?"
"Do I need perfect dentition?"
"What are my main objectives with this skeleton model?
"Do I only need to be able to recognize the main bones, or all of them?"
"Do I need a perfect skull?"
"Do I need a stand for the skeleton?"
Let's look at these questions and see if we can save some dollars on your student budget.
Do you need perfect detail? Most likely not. Every pore or realistic "bone like" feel, is probably not necessary for your needs.
Do you need perfect dentition? Doubtful, unless you are a dental student, which in that case you would be looking to purchase a human skull model and not an entire skeleton.
What are your objectives? Is this human skeleton model going to be used for several years for many different courses, or for just one class? If it's only for one class, you obviusly don't need a skeleton model that is "top of the line" for durability.
Do you need to recognize only the main bones or all of them? This will play a huge part in how expensive your human skeleton model will be. The more bones that are detailed in the model, the higher the price, so figure out exactly what bones you will need to recognize and you will have a pretty good starting point.
Do you need a perfect skull? The skull is one of the most important pieces for an osteology student. Typically you want to get the most detail for your money with the skull, however you may not need as detailed of a skeleton model. Here is a great tip to save you a lot of hard earned money - buy only the human skeleton model that you actually need then purchase a seperate human skull model with the details you need and swap out the skull that came with your skeleton for the more detailed one. This alone can save you a few hundred dollars. For instance, if you only need to recognize the main bones of the human skeleton, you could purchase a "4th quality bucky skeleton" and replace the plastic skull that comes with it for a more detailed skull, such as a "1st quality bucky skull", should you need to study the features of the mandible, cranium and calvarium in more detail.
Do you need a stand for the skeleton model? Believe it or not, some human skeleton model stands can cost up to a few hundred dollars each! You can save a lot of money if you don't need a stand, however if you feel that you do, there are many inexpensive models available that fit many different brands of plastic skeletons, so shop around for the best deal.
So, let's say you only need to focus on the main bones of the human skeleton, however you need a highly detailed skull. You don't need a stand, but you need the skeleton model to last for about 3 years of very rugged use. You can purchase a human skeleton model that fits this description for around $200 - $300 total. That is certainly a far cry from purchasing a perfect $1,500 model.
Now, what if you want a human skeleton model for a Halloween event and not for actual study? Well, you can save a ton of money and still get a detailed model.
There are plenty of very inexpensive plastic skeletons available that will do the job for a Halloween event, such as a "Bargain Basement Barney", which is a life-size skeleton model and typically retails for between $75 - $90. This type of plastic skeleton is made with hollow bones, so it is very lightweight and cuts down the cost of production to make. It is articulated and also offers movement of all of the major joints. The skull is fair, although certainly not the most realistic, however for a Halloween event, that is easily remedied.
Many "haunters" purchase inexpensive skeletons and then repaint them to suit their needs. Being so inexpensive, it's alright if the paint needs to be redone a few times until it is exactly what you want. Another very popular method used is called "Corpsing", by which using latex, tissue paper, cotton balls, paint and any other texturing material you like, that inexpensive plastic skeleton can very quickly take on a "rotting" corpse type of effect. By corpsing an inexpesive human skeleon model, you can achieve a look as though it were a very high priced movie prop - typically for under $100 and these props can last for many years if taken care of. There are many excellent tutorials available on the internet on how to turn an inexpensive plastic skeleton into a grand Halloween prop.
So, there you have it - some ways to save money when in the market for a human skeleton model. You don't need to spend a lot to get a lot, just keep that in mind.
Should you be looking for a plastic skeleton, please take a moment and look at the selection on our website: http://www.boneshoppe.com/. You can also get special deals and discounts when you join our Facebook Pages at: www.facebook.com/boneshoppefriends and www.facebook.com/boneshoppe.
Thanks a lot for reading!
Jesse House
Owner
http://www.boneshoppe.com/
Let's focus for a moment on what most people look for in a human skeleton model. Typically an articulated model is preferred, so in this post we will only look more into that category. Besides articulation, what do you want? As many details as possible is always highly sought after as well as movement of the main joints, such as wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, hips, knees and ankles. The main question that now comes in to play is - how much are you looking to spend for a human skeleton model and for what application are you using it?
Let's say, for instance, that you are an osteology student. You are going to want a plastic skeleton that resembles a real human skeleton as closely as possible but still stay within your budget. A perfect plastic skeleton model can run as high as $1,500. However, you can save a lot of money by focusing on your actual needs.
Ask yourself these simple questions:
"Do I need perfect detail?"
"Do I need perfect dentition?"
"What are my main objectives with this skeleton model?
"Do I only need to be able to recognize the main bones, or all of them?"
"Do I need a perfect skull?"
"Do I need a stand for the skeleton?"
Let's look at these questions and see if we can save some dollars on your student budget.
Do you need perfect detail? Most likely not. Every pore or realistic "bone like" feel, is probably not necessary for your needs.
Do you need perfect dentition? Doubtful, unless you are a dental student, which in that case you would be looking to purchase a human skull model and not an entire skeleton.
What are your objectives? Is this human skeleton model going to be used for several years for many different courses, or for just one class? If it's only for one class, you obviusly don't need a skeleton model that is "top of the line" for durability.
Do you need to recognize only the main bones or all of them? This will play a huge part in how expensive your human skeleton model will be. The more bones that are detailed in the model, the higher the price, so figure out exactly what bones you will need to recognize and you will have a pretty good starting point.
Do you need a perfect skull? The skull is one of the most important pieces for an osteology student. Typically you want to get the most detail for your money with the skull, however you may not need as detailed of a skeleton model. Here is a great tip to save you a lot of hard earned money - buy only the human skeleton model that you actually need then purchase a seperate human skull model with the details you need and swap out the skull that came with your skeleton for the more detailed one. This alone can save you a few hundred dollars. For instance, if you only need to recognize the main bones of the human skeleton, you could purchase a "4th quality bucky skeleton" and replace the plastic skull that comes with it for a more detailed skull, such as a "1st quality bucky skull", should you need to study the features of the mandible, cranium and calvarium in more detail.
Do you need a stand for the skeleton model? Believe it or not, some human skeleton model stands can cost up to a few hundred dollars each! You can save a lot of money if you don't need a stand, however if you feel that you do, there are many inexpensive models available that fit many different brands of plastic skeletons, so shop around for the best deal.
So, let's say you only need to focus on the main bones of the human skeleton, however you need a highly detailed skull. You don't need a stand, but you need the skeleton model to last for about 3 years of very rugged use. You can purchase a human skeleton model that fits this description for around $200 - $300 total. That is certainly a far cry from purchasing a perfect $1,500 model.
Now, what if you want a human skeleton model for a Halloween event and not for actual study? Well, you can save a ton of money and still get a detailed model.
There are plenty of very inexpensive plastic skeletons available that will do the job for a Halloween event, such as a "Bargain Basement Barney", which is a life-size skeleton model and typically retails for between $75 - $90. This type of plastic skeleton is made with hollow bones, so it is very lightweight and cuts down the cost of production to make. It is articulated and also offers movement of all of the major joints. The skull is fair, although certainly not the most realistic, however for a Halloween event, that is easily remedied.
Many "haunters" purchase inexpensive skeletons and then repaint them to suit their needs. Being so inexpensive, it's alright if the paint needs to be redone a few times until it is exactly what you want. Another very popular method used is called "Corpsing", by which using latex, tissue paper, cotton balls, paint and any other texturing material you like, that inexpensive plastic skeleton can very quickly take on a "rotting" corpse type of effect. By corpsing an inexpesive human skeleon model, you can achieve a look as though it were a very high priced movie prop - typically for under $100 and these props can last for many years if taken care of. There are many excellent tutorials available on the internet on how to turn an inexpensive plastic skeleton into a grand Halloween prop.
So, there you have it - some ways to save money when in the market for a human skeleton model. You don't need to spend a lot to get a lot, just keep that in mind.
Should you be looking for a plastic skeleton, please take a moment and look at the selection on our website: http://www.boneshoppe.com/. You can also get special deals and discounts when you join our Facebook Pages at: www.facebook.com/boneshoppefriends and www.facebook.com/boneshoppe.
Thanks a lot for reading!
Jesse House
Owner
http://www.boneshoppe.com/
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