I've never used Oxiclean so I don't have experimental evidence to support this, but Oxiclean and Borax are very similar detergent additives. Borax is mostly sodium borate and Oxiclean is mostly sodium percarbonate. When mixed with water, both these release hydrogen peroxide into the water. Hydrogen peroxide (which comes in different "volumes" or concentrations) can be used alone very effectively to whiten and pull grease out of skulls as well, but can be difficult/relatively expensive to get your hands on enough to soak it in. So to keep things cheaper and easier in my opinion, borax is the way to go. I have never tested the differences in each option so again this is just my opinion. Also as a side note, both Borax and Oxiclean have other additives that clean a little differently and can lift grease, but the hydrogen peroxide is essentially the whitening agent. Soap lifts grease, is very gentle on bone, and is relatively cheap so it doesn't hurt to use.
Ok so this is super confusing me! Is it possible to use JUST 40 vol peroxide creme to whiten, or do you need to mix it with something (baking soda) to "activate" it to start whitening? I left my deer skull outside coated in 40 vol creme and it hasn't really whitened all that significantly after 3 hours so this has me stumped
You should be able to just use the volume 40 creme. I like just like to mix it with the powder to make it pasty so it sticks to the skull better and doesn't run off. You can also cover it with cling wrap. Once the paste or creme drys it isn't doing anything so you want it wet as long as possible. So that can keep it wet and keep it from running off. Hope that helps.
I would recommend covering in plastic wrap or a plastic bag with the 40% peroxide. Keep it from drying it’ll be whiter annual use less product for reapplication.
The creme will work on its own, but I like using the powder to thicken it up so it doesn't run. You can also wrap it will cling wrap to keep the creme in place and keep it from drying out as fast. The longer it stays wet, the longer it will whiten.
If you properly degrease the skull before whitening, the skull should remain very white overtime. However if you do not get all the oils amd grease out of the skull, it will yellow overtime and collect dust and dirt more readily that will also darken it.
Obviously it would be best to get them fresh, degrease the skull, then whiten it. A dead head sitting around for a year will lose almost all the grease, but will stain and deteriorate as it is exposed to UV light and rain. I'm sure this has started to happen already to the one you found, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. I have whitened very stained dead heads before with this method and gotten them almost as good as fresh ones. If you can get a dead head white, normally they will stay the same color over time unlike a fresh one that might yellow if you didn't properly degreases it. Definitely give it a try!
hi mate , i just done my first skull mount after 38 years of shooting them , it was a big old Red stag that I had know since birth in 07 , I didn't thing much of the supper white mounts you people do because its not a natural look . Don't you think some natural colour would be be better ? And have you through about keeping it a bit stinted ?
I like getting them really white in the beginning because if you don't put any type of clear coat on them (which I personally think makes it look more plasticky), they will eventually start to darken a bit. So ultimately overtime they look more natural. Also, it is very important to get as much oil/grease out of the none as possible. If you don't, you will eventually see it leech it's way out and the skull will have oily blotchy spots. I know I have almost all the oil/grease out if the skull when they turn out very white initially. The whitening powder is not essential, but I have found it makes the skull a more uniform color all over and personally think it looks better. I like the way it looks when done this way, but I can completely understand how others might want it more natural or coated with something. So to each their own and whatever looks best to you or preserves your hunt the best is what you should go with.
I have a deer skull given to me from my grandpa. It’s old! Would I still use the same process you used in your boiling video? There’s definitely no flesh remaining...
It kind of depends. Because theres no flesh on it, then you probably won't have to worry about pressure washing to remove flesh. But it can help to boil it once with borax and dish soap for an hour or 2 to draw some of the grease and dirt out. Then move on to the whitening process.
Bleach will eventually eat away the bone and make it powdery. If ypu put bleach in the water while boiling that really speeds up the process of eating away at the bone. At room temperature it takes longer but eventually still will deteriorate the bone. You can do it, but I wouldn't advise soaking it for any length of time. I like to spray a little on to reactive the whitening powder and kill any left over bacteria that will cause the skull to smell, but it is only able to work for the short time before it dries.
Well to tell you the truth I actually didn't get around to mounting this deer yet. It has just been sitting on top my dresser. It doesn't look bad at all like that but nothing special about it.
@NobleSavageOutdoors thanks for thr reply I really appreciate it , I just got the cream nottion eles wasn't sure when I got it so going to give that a try by its shelf
I have done that. It does work quite well and less messing around. Just wrap it up and leave it sit for a few days. Also, when the paste dries after a few days, you can unwrap it and if you think it needs it, that's when you can still reset the paste with bleach.
I don't use any chemicals. A good long 6 hr boil, garden hose, bleach it. If you want it really bright white base coat it with white spray paint, clear coat it to add a glossy finish. Cheap & easy!
You can also cut the antlers off and put them on a fake plastic skull cheaper and easier than your process. There are always ways to make it cheaper and easier but I personally don't like the fake, plastic-like look of painting the skull. It doesn't have the same natural look or feel as whitened bone. Like I said personal preference and this is the best way I've found to get the natural pure white bone look I want.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you have so much white goop, glue, and chemicals on your skull guess what it looks like? Plastic! Ding, ding, ding, ding, there's a winner every time. That's what I've been trying to tell you. That's why a lot people don't use all that junk or even base coat it! They like a natural look. If you held a plastic skull next you yours I'm not sure anyone could tell them apart because it looks like? One more time, plastic!
@Bill Veder It actually does not look like plastic at all. There are pores in the bone that you can see and feel. It just looks like very white clean bone instead of greasey/oily yellowed bone if you simply boil and scrape as you are suggesting. I've done it both ways, and this method is my preferred method. To each their own.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors Absolutely! It's your skull do whatever you want with it. From my personal experience after a long boil I've never had any issues with grease, oil, or yellowing. The only time a had a yellow or discoloration is when I used to bury the skull in the soil. I enjoy watching most of your videos believe it or not maybe I'm just more old school when it comes to chemicals and I don't know why but for some reason I despise power washers. LOL
Bill Veder so you only use water when washing dishes and taking showers? I’m sure your house smells worse that that skull rotting in your soil. Ding ding ding, we have a stinker!
Once it gets stained it can be very difficult to get back white. You also might have to worry about the condition of the skull itself. It all depends on what condition the head/skull is in right now. Does it have skin/meat/hair still on it or is most of the flesh gone? Has the bone started to break down and become chalky yet?
Yeh it's in great condition there's no flesh or anything like that I I left it to soak in bleach water last nite and it has gone a bit whiter but the horns have gone a bit mushy so I need to let it dry out before I can say if it's gone chalky. Thanks
@@jstinkistink1591 If the horn caps are still on the skull you should be able to remove them, might be easiest if the horn caps are still wet. That will just make it easier to work with the just the skull. Since there is no flesh on the skull, I would guess the bone is likely to be a bit chalky because over time acid rain and UV light from the sun will break down the bone. Because of this I would have suggested you stayed away from bleach because that will continue to break down the bone. Hopefully you diluted it heavily. Here's what I would do. When the skull drys if you scrap it with your fingernail in a bunch of different places, and any white chalk like dust comes off the bone it's starting to break down and I wound be very careful and not worry about whitening it much more. You may also want to seal the skull with something like an acrylic clear coat (acrylic will remain clear over time, don't you polyurethane it will yellow over time). If you scrap and everything seems hard with no chalky dust coming off, you can whiten with the process in this video. PS don't whiten the horn caps. Like I said you should be able to pop them off and put the back on later. Also don't seal the horns bone under the caps or you may not be able to fit the caps back on.
Excellent appreciate your advice it is chalky now it's drying out I'm quite happy with how white it has would a spray tin of clear coat be ok to use as a laqure or would you recommend glue? If so what type and the horns yes they did slip off struggled a little with one side but all is good the more it's drying the nicer it's starting to look. I just hope it doesn't break dwn now like you said I used about half a cup of bleach to a full bucket of water I regret not slipping the horns of now there still nice and strong but I wish they were darker rather then the lighter colour it's turned out 👍
@@jstinkistink1591 Not sure what you mean by glue. I would recommend you get a spray can of clear acrylic (I like satin or matte instead of gloss finish, but that personal preference so you can choose whichever you like most). Acrylic will not yellow like I mentioned. You can get a spray can of it at any hardware store. At this point, the damage has been done and it should not continue to break down unless you were to treat it more.
Right but so does almost everything else used here if given enough time. Bleach also cleans and whitens very well, and at room temperatures takes an incredibly long time to do significant damage to the bone. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the unnoticeable breakdown you are talking about.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors I guess, I use the peroxide quick white then wrap the skulls so it stays wet, clean off and let dry in sun for a few days then mop glo
I wrap the skills now also, but still like using a spray of bleach when the foam finally dries. For me, the skulls come a little whiter in the tough places and never develop a smell. Obviously, there are a ton of ways to skin this cat, and it all depends what end result you are happy with. I like hearing other people's methods, but always want to hear why they do what they do. That's why I asked. Thanks for your input.
You were not informative on how much bleach borax water mix, plus you broke the nose piece off that deer, I’ve done 50 euro mounts never broke a nose bridge. You left it in to long. Tape the base too!
This is my way of doing it. I am very happy with how they come out. If you want to take some tips from me go ahead, I will answer your questions below. If not that's fine too. 1) Some of the reason I don't give mixture ratios is because it's not that important. What's more important is keeping an eye on the skull and deciding when you can pull it out to clean flesh off or when you need to change the water. Also I don't use any bleach in the water when boiling. The point of boiling is not to whiten, it is to first loosen the flesh, and second pull the grease out of the bone. 2) I leave it in so long to leech the oil out of the bone. In the past, if I don't do this, the oil comes to the surface and eventually gets yellow. I would rather use a dab of super glue to hold the nose bridge in place than have a yellow skull 2 years later (which is easier to see when hanging on the wall?). Again, if you don't use bleach in the water, you can leave it in much longer with out damaging the bone. You will loosen the cartilage which can loosen bone pieces like the nose bridge, but the bone doesn't get powdery nearly as quickly. This allows you more time to suck that oil out of the bone. 3) For the 3rd time, if you don't use bleach in the water, you don't have to worry about taping the antler bases because they don't discolor. If you want to tape them go ahead, but this video is proof that it is not required because these bases did not discolor at all. If you have a different method that works for you perfect. If you want take a few tips from me great. If you completely disagree with my method, make your own video and post it. I'd love to check out your way and possibly pick up some new techniques to add to my method. Hopefully this helps you understand why I do it this way.
If you boil the skull with oxyclean do you still need to degrease with soap?
I've never used Oxiclean so I don't have experimental evidence to support this, but Oxiclean and Borax are very similar detergent additives. Borax is mostly sodium borate and Oxiclean is mostly sodium percarbonate. When mixed with water, both these release hydrogen peroxide into the water. Hydrogen peroxide (which comes in different "volumes" or concentrations) can be used alone very effectively to whiten and pull grease out of skulls as well, but can be difficult/relatively expensive to get your hands on enough to soak it in. So to keep things cheaper and easier in my opinion, borax is the way to go. I have never tested the differences in each option so again this is just my opinion. Also as a side note, both Borax and Oxiclean have other additives that clean a little differently and can lift grease, but the hydrogen peroxide is essentially the whitening agent. Soap lifts grease, is very gentle on bone, and is relatively cheap so it doesn't hurt to use.
Oxyclean works awesome to boil it. Most are happy with how white it comes out of the boil. Gets all the grease and oil out.
I love using the oxie clean because of how much more white my skulls come out! Def worth using and yes I think it does a great job at degreasing!
@Markus Patients and the squirrels and chipmunks will chew the antlers
This is actually one of the best videos and tutorials I've watched thank you
Thank you for the support.
Very helpful method, I did once using boiling method that almost turn my boar skull into powder. Thanks bro.
No problem.
Ok so this is super confusing me! Is it possible to use JUST 40 vol peroxide creme to whiten, or do you need to mix it with something (baking soda) to "activate" it to start whitening? I left my deer skull outside coated in 40 vol creme and it hasn't really whitened all that significantly after 3 hours so this has me stumped
You should be able to just use the volume 40 creme. I like just like to mix it with the powder to make it pasty so it sticks to the skull better and doesn't run off. You can also cover it with cling wrap. Once the paste or creme drys it isn't doing anything so you want it wet as long as possible. So that can keep it wet and keep it from running off. Hope that helps.
I would recommend covering in plastic wrap or a plastic bag with the 40% peroxide. Keep it from drying it’ll be whiter annual use less product for reapplication.
Yep I agree, I've talked about it in the comments before.
Do you need the Quick White Powder. Or will the creame work on its own.
The creme will work on its own, but I like using the powder to thicken it up so it doesn't run. You can also wrap it will cling wrap to keep the creme in place and keep it from drying out as fast. The longer it stays wet, the longer it will whiten.
So that bleach in a spray bootle is just a normal supermarket bleach? Like for worktop cleaning spray for example?
Yep any regular bleach should work.
Will the whitened skull stay that way or discolor over years?
If you properly degrease the skull before whitening, the skull should remain very white overtime. However if you do not get all the oils amd grease out of the skull, it will yellow overtime and collect dust and dirt more readily that will also darken it.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors thanks!
I found a dead head the head is completely intact but it’s probably like a year old it has pretty good dirt stains do you think that this would work?
Obviously it would be best to get them fresh, degrease the skull, then whiten it. A dead head sitting around for a year will lose almost all the grease, but will stain and deteriorate as it is exposed to UV light and rain. I'm sure this has started to happen already to the one you found, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. I have whitened very stained dead heads before with this method and gotten them almost as good as fresh ones. If you can get a dead head white, normally they will stay the same color over time unlike a fresh one that might yellow if you didn't properly degreases it. Definitely give it a try!
hi mate , i just done my first skull mount after 38 years of shooting them , it was a big old Red stag that I had know since birth in 07 , I didn't thing much of the supper white mounts you people do because its not a natural look . Don't you think some natural colour would be be better ? And have you through about keeping it a bit stinted ?
I like getting them really white in the beginning because if you don't put any type of clear coat on them (which I personally think makes it look more plasticky), they will eventually start to darken a bit. So ultimately overtime they look more natural. Also, it is very important to get as much oil/grease out of the none as possible. If you don't, you will eventually see it leech it's way out and the skull will have oily blotchy spots. I know I have almost all the oil/grease out if the skull when they turn out very white initially. The whitening powder is not essential, but I have found it makes the skull a more uniform color all over and personally think it looks better. I like the way it looks when done this way, but I can completely understand how others might want it more natural or coated with something. So to each their own and whatever looks best to you or preserves your hunt the best is what you should go with.
I have a deer skull given to me from my grandpa. It’s old! Would I still use the same process you used in your boiling video? There’s definitely no flesh remaining...
It kind of depends. Because theres no flesh on it, then you probably won't have to worry about pressure washing to remove flesh. But it can help to boil it once with borax and dish soap for an hour or 2 to draw some of the grease and dirt out. Then move on to the whitening process.
If I just soak the skull in bleach and water mix wouldn’t that do the same ?
Bleach will eventually eat away the bone and make it powdery. If ypu put bleach in the water while boiling that really speeds up the process of eating away at the bone. At room temperature it takes longer but eventually still will deteriorate the bone. You can do it, but I wouldn't advise soaking it for any length of time. I like to spray a little on to reactive the whitening powder and kill any left over bacteria that will cause the skull to smell, but it is only able to work for the short time before it dries.
Wheres the video or pictures of this deer mounted????
Well to tell you the truth I actually didn't get around to mounting this deer yet. It has just been sitting on top my dresser. It doesn't look bad at all like that but nothing special about it.
Do you need to use the white powder?
The creme is very runny without using the powder, but the powder is probably not a 100% necessity.
@NobleSavageOutdoors thanks for thr reply I really appreciate it , I just got the cream nottion eles wasn't sure when I got it so going to give that a try by its shelf
No problem. Good luck, hope it works out for you!
Do you add any water to your bleach?
Nope just straight bleach.
How much dish soap and borax should I add to the water to boil heada?
Watch part 1 boiling a deer skull video.
It might do better if you wrap the bleached skull with saran wrap so it stays wet
I have done that. It does work quite well and less messing around. Just wrap it up and leave it sit for a few days. Also, when the paste dries after a few days, you can unwrap it and if you think it needs it, that's when you can still reset the paste with bleach.
Great Video! Is that straight bleach, or did you cut it?
Fred Buck That is straight bleach. I've never had any problem with straight bleach damaging the skull doing it this way.
I don't use any chemicals. A good long 6 hr boil, garden hose, bleach it. If you want it really bright white base coat it with white spray paint, clear coat it to add a glossy finish. Cheap & easy!
You can also cut the antlers off and put them on a fake plastic skull cheaper and easier than your process. There are always ways to make it cheaper and easier but I personally don't like the fake, plastic-like look of painting the skull. It doesn't have the same natural look or feel as whitened bone. Like I said personal preference and this is the best way I've found to get the natural pure white bone look I want.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you have so much white goop, glue, and chemicals on your skull guess what it looks like? Plastic! Ding, ding, ding, ding, there's a winner every time. That's what I've been trying to tell you. That's why a lot people don't use all that junk or even base coat it! They like a natural look. If you held a plastic skull next you yours I'm not sure anyone could tell them apart because it looks like? One more time, plastic!
@Bill Veder It actually does not look like plastic at all. There are pores in the bone that you can see and feel. It just looks like very white clean bone instead of greasey/oily yellowed bone if you simply boil and scrape as you are suggesting. I've done it both ways, and this method is my preferred method. To each their own.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors Absolutely! It's your skull do whatever you want with it. From my personal experience after a long boil I've never had any issues with grease, oil, or yellowing. The only time a had a yellow or discoloration is when I used to bury the skull in the soil. I enjoy watching most of your videos believe it or not maybe I'm just more old school when it comes to chemicals and I don't know why but for some reason I despise power washers. LOL
Bill Veder so you only use water when washing dishes and taking showers? I’m sure your house smells worse that that skull rotting in your soil. Ding ding ding, we have a stinker!
Hi I have a rams head ide like to clean which I found but it's green weathered stained I've try ed everything to clean it anyone got any tips?
Once it gets stained it can be very difficult to get back white. You also might have to worry about the condition of the skull itself. It all depends on what condition the head/skull is in right now. Does it have skin/meat/hair still on it or is most of the flesh gone? Has the bone started to break down and become chalky yet?
Yeh it's in great condition there's no flesh or anything like that I I left it to soak in bleach water last nite and it has gone a bit whiter but the horns have gone a bit mushy so I need to let it dry out before I can say if it's gone chalky. Thanks
@@jstinkistink1591 If the horn caps are still on the skull you should be able to remove them, might be easiest if the horn caps are still wet. That will just make it easier to work with the just the skull. Since there is no flesh on the skull, I would guess the bone is likely to be a bit chalky because over time acid rain and UV light from the sun will break down the bone. Because of this I would have suggested you stayed away from bleach because that will continue to break down the bone. Hopefully you diluted it heavily. Here's what I would do. When the skull drys if you scrap it with your fingernail in a bunch of different places, and any white chalk like dust comes off the bone it's starting to break down and I wound be very careful and not worry about whitening it much more. You may also want to seal the skull with something like an acrylic clear coat (acrylic will remain clear over time, don't you polyurethane it will yellow over time). If you scrap and everything seems hard with no chalky dust coming off, you can whiten with the process in this video. PS don't whiten the horn caps. Like I said you should be able to pop them off and put the back on later. Also don't seal the horns bone under the caps or you may not be able to fit the caps back on.
Excellent appreciate your advice it is chalky now it's drying out I'm quite happy with how white it has would a spray tin of clear coat be ok to use as a laqure or would you recommend glue? If so what type and the horns yes they did slip off struggled a little with one side but all is good the more it's drying the nicer it's starting to look. I just hope it doesn't break dwn now like you said I used about half a cup of bleach to a full bucket of water I regret not slipping the horns of now there still nice and strong but I wish they were darker rather then the lighter colour it's turned out 👍
@@jstinkistink1591 Not sure what you mean by glue. I would recommend you get a spray can of clear acrylic (I like satin or matte instead of gloss finish, but that personal preference so you can choose whichever you like most). Acrylic will not yellow like I mentioned. You can get a spray can of it at any hardware store. At this point, the damage has been done and it should not continue to break down unless you were to treat it more.
Great video brother! Gonna do this tonight!
+Random Robert Renditions thanks hope everything goes well.
very very good - liked
Put a heater on it. That's how they dye hair. Heat makes it work fast!
That's not a bad idea. I have moved it in front of the wood stove before, but that's normally only when I want to get it done fast.
One boil to remove flesh one boil to whiten then done ur skulls look okay but your process is to harsh on the skulls
Hell no, you never put bleach on bone, you were doing so well till then.
Why not?
@@NobleSavageOutdoors even though you said you haven’t had issues, bleach breaks down bone and you can’t deny that.
Right but so does almost everything else used here if given enough time. Bleach also cleans and whitens very well, and at room temperatures takes an incredibly long time to do significant damage to the bone. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the unnoticeable breakdown you are talking about.
@@NobleSavageOutdoors I guess, I use the peroxide quick white then wrap the skulls so it stays wet, clean off and let dry in sun for a few days then mop glo
I wrap the skills now also, but still like using a spray of bleach when the foam finally dries. For me, the skulls come a little whiter in the tough places and never develop a smell. Obviously, there are a ton of ways to skin this cat, and it all depends what end result you are happy with. I like hearing other people's methods, but always want to hear why they do what they do. That's why I asked. Thanks for your input.
You were not informative on how much bleach borax water mix, plus you broke the nose piece off that deer, I’ve done 50 euro mounts never broke a nose bridge. You left it in to long. Tape the base too!
This is my way of doing it. I am very happy with how they come out. If you want to take some tips from me go ahead, I will answer your questions below. If not that's fine too.
1) Some of the reason I don't give mixture ratios is because it's not that important. What's more important is keeping an eye on the skull and deciding when you can pull it out to clean flesh off or when you need to change the water. Also I don't use any bleach in the water when boiling. The point of boiling is not to whiten, it is to first loosen the flesh, and second pull the grease out of the bone.
2) I leave it in so long to leech the oil out of the bone. In the past, if I don't do this, the oil comes to the surface and eventually gets yellow. I would rather use a dab of super glue to hold the nose bridge in place than have a yellow skull 2 years later (which is easier to see when hanging on the wall?). Again, if you don't use bleach in the water, you can leave it in much longer with out damaging the bone. You will loosen the cartilage which can loosen bone pieces like the nose bridge, but the bone doesn't get powdery nearly as quickly. This allows you more time to suck that oil out of the bone.
3) For the 3rd time, if you don't use bleach in the water, you don't have to worry about taping the antler bases because they don't discolor. If you want to tape them go ahead, but this video is proof that it is not required because these bases did not discolor at all.
If you have a different method that works for you perfect. If you want take a few tips from me great. If you completely disagree with my method, make your own video and post it. I'd love to check out your way and possibly pick up some new techniques to add to my method. Hopefully this helps you understand why I do it this way.