got a tail...

[Phishy]

okay so i like shoot dis turkey and like clean it all and stuff and like, i cut the tail off and the beard, and i still have the original empty shotgun shell and am looking to make a shadow box or something to remember it all. so how do i care for the tail? i did a home project on my first bird, a jake, some cheapy do-it-your-self kame-apart or wally-super-cheap-mart-world, fan tail mount'in kit. but i'm worried about preservation. i don't want those little sawdusty type of bugs to ruin what i accomplished. in the cheapio kit was a sprinkling of some sort of magic dust with instructions, "clean all da meat , blah blah blah, sprinkle this magic stuff on it , arrange the tail so it looks all sorts of good and stuff and den dry it in dat position, you only get one chance or it will be !@#$% -up, blah blah blah!"

so like what's that magic dusty stuff? will borax work for my needs, i'll chance screwing it up, the making it look like a four year old did it part, that'll only give it character of sorts, but i really don't want the saw-dusty-buggy-thingies. this is something i've never tackled and aaaaaaaaaaaaaa, like, am going give it a try, you know, eh? ;D

[THE GOB-FATHER]

Mule Team Borax will work best! It's all I ever use.

[Huntress]

In the shop I pull the tail feathers and insert them into a jig I made for holding a fan...each feather has it's own hole to be inserted into and there is no flesh for bugs to get in.

You can do a home mount that will help keep the bugs out too.

1) Remove all the flesh from the quills leaving just enough connective tissue to hold the fan together. Between the large feathers and the smaller ones you'll find the oil gland...cut it out with a knife or razor blade.

2) If the tail is dirty, matted or bloody wash the whole thing in the bathtub or stationary tub in cool water and a little bit of Dawn dish soap. Run your fingers UP the feather shafts to clean and then rinse, rinse, rinse in cool water. Lay flat on a table and dry with a hair dryer...cool setting.

3) Coat the shaft ends with 20 Mule Team Borax like Gob Father said.

4) If there are any broken feathers pull them out... the 'good' feathers will close the gap and you won't notice any missing. Lay the tail out on a large piece of cardboard, big enough to support the tail when it's fanned out. Fan the tail out and hold in place with straight pins. Set aside to dry for a week or so.

5) Remove pins and brush any extra borax off the quills. You can now 'encase' the quill end to make it bug proof. Use Bondo auto body putty or hot melt glue....cover the entire base of the tail, both sides and work it between the quills. Try to keep as thin a layer as you can so it will fit between the two pieces of wood, if you are using a plaque with a slot for the tail. If you are going to cover with leather or felt you can use a thicker layer of bondo or glue.

Between the washing and encasing the flesh end of the tail you shouldn't get any bugs. ;D

[Rich]

Man, I wish I'd read this before I made my mount. Guess I'll see how long it holds up. I did some of the things you recommend but not all of them.

Rich

[Phishy]

Like way cool!! Thanx for the info, I'll give a try and see waht happens,I've got a great idea for a shadow box, it includes the tag, shotgun shell all the stuff to like make it all weapy. Now i just need to find the time

[THE GOB-FATHER]

Great advice Huntress! Also, when prepping the fan (I like to be a perfectionist when it comes to fan mounts and having them look "even") use a toothbrush (specifically for this) and a needle to bring the stands of feather together. Sometimes they'll split from each other and not look so eye appealing... sometimes it's a lost cause but for the most part you can use a needle and a toothbrush to get them "back in place". Blowdryers work good to in trying to restore the feathers... of course it takes some practice but when you get it down your fan mount will look like a million bucks!

[Huntress]

phishy said:

Now i just need to find the time

OR, for the small sum of $85 you can send it to me and I'll do it! ;D

[Phishy]

love it, and i know you'd do an awesome job,but hmm something about me trying it for myself, i live in a crappy little apartment, no yard to take care of, i think i'll find some time, although if things go as i am planning........how do i send a frozen tail in da mail?

[Huntress]

I was just kidding about you sending it to me. I know your a 'do it yourself' kind of guy...gives an extra good feeling to have taken the bird and then do the tail display yourself too.

Please post a pic when it's done. If you run into any problems let me know and I'll walk ya through it.

[Phishy]

gives an extra good feeling to have taken the bird and then do the tail display yourself too.

umm yaaah, dat's what i'm hopin any way ;D

[redneckcrazy1]

hey huntress how about plans for that jig