Frank Newmyer call me the other day. We go back all the way to 1981. Asked him what he soaked his birds in after wheeling. He said Dawn then Downy with a rinse. No gas he said. Sooo, everyone uses what works best for him but the "laugh in the face of danger", "walk on the wild side" guys aren't afraid to experiment. I've tried Downy and it seems to slow my drying process down. But. I'm a rogue taxidermist with methods derive from about a dozen taxidermy Gods that have felt sorry for me and showed me a few tricks under sworn secrecy. I use a warm water wash with Dawn after spraying off residual fat from wheeling, but WalMart's "Fake Dawn" is just as good and a lot cheaper BTW. Any potential areas subject to slipping is treated with de-natured alcohol before washing. Any blood clots is hit directly with Era that is the best clot buster and blood removal solution I've seen. Work it into the clot and soon your spray nozzle will make it go away. Any mineral stains are removed with Winks and then after blotting dry it goes into the gas. I gas outdoors of course in a well vented gazebo with a ceiling fan using nitrile gloves or something similar to handle the skin with. Blot with a towel after squeezing out as much gas as possible. I then place the skin over a floor fan for a few minutes then into the tumbler with a 50/50 mix of hardwood sawdust and corn cob grit. I use a dog groomer blower that takes care of any residual sawdust and dries the skin quickly without producing any harmful heat, again outside. Like I said, one man's passion is another man's poison. Most all of us that piddle with birds develop our own technique and it is derived from many trials and errors.
One thing about this site is that all the wise asses don't last and the comedians find another venue also. I appreciate the moderators keeping this clean and helpful. Lots of good information here, not necessarily mine but a lot of good tips, tricks and ideas.
One thing about this site is that all the wise asses don't last and the comedians find another venue also. I appreciate the moderators keeping this clean and helpful. Lots of good information here, not necessarily mine but a lot of good tips, tricks and ideas.
