Author Topic: Help with a hog skull Im working on...  (Read 1376 times)

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Offline cocomen69

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Help with a hog skull Im working on...
« on: August 02, 2009, 08:00:32 AM »
Im working on a Large hog skull. After using the maceration process, and letting it sit in 90 degree water (Im in Florida) for a week and a half, with 1 water change, all of the meat, etc have come right off.  I rinsed the skull well, and used a wire brush lightly, as it really wasnt needed, to get all the small remaining bits of meat off.  I then cleaned off the container, refilled it with fresh water, and proceeded to dump 1/2 a container of Dawn dishwashing liquid into the fresh water.  I soaked the skull for an additional 2 days in this degreasing solution.   After 2 days, I took the skull out and put it in the sun to dry. After 3 days of drying, I notice the top skull to be very white and nearly ready for bleaching with peroxide, but the LOWER jaw has large grease stains, in several places, and actually has left a large 5" diameter grease spot on the concrete where it was sitting. 

Will this grease on the lower jaw eventually be dissolved by the sun?  Can I do something to help it go away so I can continue to the bleaching stage?  Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
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Offline cocomen69

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Re: Help with a hog skull Im working on...
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2009, 02:50:54 AM »
After about a full week in the sun, the lower jaw is still very greasy, any help would be appreciated!
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Offline Michelle_Nelson

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Re: Help with a hog skull Im working on...
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2009, 03:08:01 PM »
You didn'tallow the Skull to degrease long enough!

Hog and Bear Skulls are some of the greasiest skulls.  You only need about 1/3 cup dawn per 3-4 gallons water.  Put the skull in that for 3 weeks changing the water every 2 days.  During the degreasing go ahead and run pipe cleaners down into the tendon and nerve holes in the lower jaw.  I am willing to bet theiris still some plaque from maceration.  You need to get that out. 

After 3 weeks in dawn/water put it in clean water for 24 hours.  Let the skull dry out for a week and than put it in some acetone for a month or more.  That will degrease the hog skull.

Right nowifyou let that skull sit out you will see more and more grease come through the bone.

Once out of the acetone let that skull sit and dry for a couple weeks befor sealing it to make sure the skull is degreased all the way.