Subbed. I'm really enjoying your taxidermy videos! Probably some of the best on youtube I wish they were around a few years ago when I was starting out but still great to watch. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for these videos! My wife shot her first bird every this last season and we wanted to get it mounted well i was curious on what all goes into mounting a bird and after researching i found the mounting process extremely interesting! Your videos are by far the bests ones ive seen! Like you said in the video most others skip a lot of useful information. Going to be working on my first bird very soon!
Thank you for taking the time to do these.... They really help! Couple of questions - having a hard time with curly feathers around the seam...which is making it difficult to sew, any recommendations? Also, how dry is the skin when you start sowing? as I am having problems with the string pulling through the skin....... last question, what are you using for thread? have you ever tried dental floss? thank you again!!!!
Make sure your incision is on that breast bone line so the border of each side is even and feathers can come back together. Also try to dry those border feathers with the higher speed air from a nozzle. I don't get the skin very dry, limit air blowing on skin areas. If an area does dry, and some areas do, that's why I do the damp paper towel after so they can rehydrate before I put together. I use just sewing thread. Dental floss works ok, really light fishing string if in a bind. If it's ripping probably too dry, or body is too big and the tight fit will cause more ripping especially along the rump area. Always better too have a looser fit that requires pinning a few areas to tuck loose areas than too tight that'll cause more rips and less mobility in the wings to set properly. Hope that helps.
Medium to large ducks, flying I use 14 Gauge wings, 16ga legs. Standing two legs down, 12 gauge legs. Standing one leg, 10ga support, 16ga leg that's up. So my wire goes 8ga, 10ga, 12ga, 14 ga,. 16 ga , 18ga. So for small ducks like real, just go down one size so flying 16ga wings, standing two legs 14ga and so on.
Bodies I use ferebee but also now ones from matuska since McKenzie has been a nightmare to deal with and always out of stock so all but stopped using them. I do a good deal of alteration so any smooth oval shaped body works great. Many new guys get sucked in to those selling all this muscle detail or rib detail and can't say it's a scam because you are getting a body but the idea that it will help with realism or anything really is just magic beans.
I've watched all of your videos and have learned so much! Bought CDs in the past that just really were not sufficient. I have a question about the wire you use. Where do you suggest buying it? Seems kinda expensive on taxidermy websites plus it has to be shipped. Thanks for any information!
I buy from Mckenzie but if you can find a home improvement store that sells spools, here's what you can do. Take about 12 to 15 feet of wire and put one end in a vice and the other in a drill. Pull it as tight as you can and start twisting. As you do that it'll start becoming straight just like the stuff they sell. If you look at the wire bought from taxidermy supplies, look at it in the light and you'll see the twist marks. That's what they are doing so you can do the same. Haven't priced it out but I'd imagine it's cheaper. Don't over twist or it'll make it brittle but you'll be able to tell pretty easy because you can go slow and soon as its straight, stop and cut into sections.
Ducks & Silver thanks! I'll give that a shot! Just made an order to McKenzie too! I bought some wood excelsior to make bodies but I might have to try foam instead. I have been playing with casting my own bills like your videos showed and have had some mixed success due to not following your instructions perfectly likely Haha Not saving money yet, but it is really fun. If I eventually get my birds mounted I'll have to send you some pictures!
Yea I take the tape off and as it gets to the end of the wing, I pull the wire out with it. When I tape, I start by bending the tape over the wire so it holds a bit better before I add the hair clips, etc. So when I remove and just go in reverse, from body out to the end of the wing.
These videos are great man! One question, do you ever wrap cotton around the wing and leg bones to replace the muscle that was there or do you not find it necessary? Thanks heaps!
I rarely do, to me it more often makes those areas to puffy and restricts the skin movement. On a competition piece I would run caulk in the wings and press smooth to give the feel of a wing full of muscle if a judge wanted to feel. There are some birds I do put a little stuffing in because they have big chunky legs and need something. Like sandhill cranes, turkeys, some grouse depending on pose.
Great video! I cant understand how you close the last stitch, you made 2 threads out of one? You started out with one thread or a double thread? thanks
Think I'm going to reshoot some of these earlier videos with the better camera so be on the lookout.
This is the best sewing video on birds I’ve seen thanks
I appreciate the fact that you don't skip steps like you were describing other people do.Glad I found your channel. Thanks for the advice.
Subbed. I'm really enjoying your taxidermy videos! Probably some of the best on youtube I wish they were around a few years ago when I was starting out but still great to watch. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for these videos! My wife shot her first bird every this last season and we wanted to get it mounted well i was curious on what all goes into mounting a bird and after researching i found the mounting process extremely interesting! Your videos are by far the bests ones ive seen! Like you said in the video most others skip a lot of useful information. Going to be working on my first bird very soon!
Thanks, glad you like them!
Thanks for the reply! Hopefully they are helpful all said and done.
No problem! I'm looking forward to seeing what's next.
Thank you for taking the time to do these.... They really help! Couple of questions - having a hard time with curly feathers around the seam...which is making it difficult to sew, any recommendations?
Also, how dry is the skin when you start sowing? as I am having problems with the string pulling through the skin....... last question, what are you using for thread? have you ever tried dental floss? thank you again!!!!
Make sure your incision is on that breast bone line so the border of each side is even and feathers can come back together. Also try to dry those border feathers with the higher speed air from a nozzle.
I don't get the skin very dry, limit air blowing on skin areas. If an area does dry, and some areas do, that's why I do the damp paper towel after so they can rehydrate before I put together.
I use just sewing thread. Dental floss works ok, really light fishing string if in a bind.
If it's ripping probably too dry, or body is too big and the tight fit will cause more ripping especially along the rump area. Always better too have a looser fit that requires pinning a few areas to tuck loose areas than too tight that'll cause more rips and less mobility in the wings to set properly. Hope that helps.
@@AARBIRDS Thank you so much for the advice... it is appreciated!
What gauge wire do you generally use for ducks? And what bodies do you go with
Medium to large ducks, flying I use 14 Gauge wings, 16ga legs.
Standing two legs down, 12 gauge legs.
Standing one leg, 10ga support, 16ga leg that's up.
So my wire goes 8ga, 10ga, 12ga, 14 ga,. 16 ga , 18ga.
So for small ducks like real, just go down one size so flying 16ga wings, standing two legs 14ga and so on.
@@AARBIRDS thank you!! I’m a beginning bird taxidermist from wisconsin
Bodies I use ferebee but also now ones from matuska since McKenzie has been a nightmare to deal with and always out of stock so all but stopped using them.
I do a good deal of alteration so any smooth oval shaped body works great. Many new guys get sucked in to those selling all this muscle detail or rib detail and can't say it's a scam because you are getting a body but the idea that it will help with realism or anything really is just magic beans.
I've watched all of your videos and have learned so much! Bought CDs in the past that just really were not sufficient. I have a question about the wire you use. Where do you suggest buying it? Seems kinda expensive on taxidermy websites plus it has to be shipped. Thanks for any information!
I buy from Mckenzie but if you can find a home improvement store that sells spools, here's what you can do.
Take about 12 to 15 feet of wire and put one end in a vice and the other in a drill. Pull it as tight as you can and start twisting. As you do that it'll start becoming straight just like the stuff they sell.
If you look at the wire bought from taxidermy supplies, look at it in the light and you'll see the twist marks. That's what they are doing so you can do the same. Haven't priced it out but I'd imagine it's cheaper.
Don't over twist or it'll make it brittle but you'll be able to tell pretty easy because you can go slow and soon as its straight, stop and cut into sections.
Ducks & Silver thanks! I'll give that a shot! Just made an order to McKenzie too! I bought some wood excelsior to make bodies but I might have to try foam instead.
I have been playing with casting my own bills like your videos showed and have had some mixed success due to not following your instructions perfectly likely Haha Not saving money yet, but it is really fun. If I eventually get my birds mounted I'll have to send you some pictures!
After the bird is dry do you remove the wire under the wing or do you leave it?
Yea I take the tape off and as it gets to the end of the wing, I pull the wire out with it. When I tape, I start by bending the tape over the wire so it holds a bit better before I add the hair clips, etc. So when I remove and just go in reverse, from body out to the end of the wing.
These videos are great man!
One question, do you ever wrap cotton around the wing and leg bones to replace the muscle that was there or do you not find it necessary? Thanks heaps!
I rarely do, to me it more often makes those areas to puffy and restricts the skin movement. On a competition piece I would run caulk in the wings and press smooth to give the feel of a wing full of muscle if a judge wanted to feel.
There are some birds I do put a little stuffing in because they have big chunky legs and need something. Like sandhill cranes, turkeys, some grouse depending on pose.
@@AARBIRDS, ah, yep. Thanks man.
Great video! I cant understand how you close the last stitch, you made 2 threads out of one? You started out with one thread or a double thread? thanks
It's a double thread so when it's cut you can tie them together.
@@AARBIRDS Cool. Thanks