How to process horns. Crafts from the horns

In addition to the meat and hides of a mined animal, its horns are of some value. Many hunters decorate their hunting rooms with them, but there are quite a few who collect them and even participate in large exhibitions of hunting trophies. But even before proceeding with the special treatment of the trophy, the hunter must take care of him at the hunting place.

Most often, without having certain knowledge, the hunter incorrectly separates the horns from the skull or does not protect them during transportation. And often the beautiful horns deteriorate because of these flaws, as there are generally accepted international requirements for any hunting trophies. In this article, we will review in general terms the primary techniques for handling trophies and, in particular, the horns of males of roe deer.

Practiced two methods of primary harvesting trophy from the horns of the "goat." The horns of the harvested roe are separated along with the upper parts of the skull from the end of the nasal bones through the middle of the sockets to the occipital crest. Then the bones of the skull must be boiled and bleached. In the second method, the horns of the male roe deer are not cut off from the skull, but are treated together with it. When the skull is preserved, it is dipped in a bowl with cold water and put the pan on the fire (in no case should the skull be dipped in boiling water). A plate or stick is attached to the horns, which is placed on the edges of the dishes in such a way that the horns are not immersed in water. The lower part of the horns is wrapped with a rag to avoid boiling water and steam. During cooking, tendons and meat slices are permanently removed from the skull with a scraper or tweezers. Foam and dirt are removed from the boiling water. The duration of the boiling of the skull 1,5-2 hours. But it is better to focus on the easy lag of meat from the bones. If it is observed, then cooking should be stopped. Next, the skull is immersed in clean cold water to cool. After this, the final cleaning of the trophy begins, which is best left to a specialist. If there is no one nearby, then you can try to make a trophy yourself. Of course, the quality of such a trophy cannot be high, even if you own the excellent horns of the “goat”. Immediately it should be noted that, according to international rules, only those horns that are mined directly in the hunting process, on time and in a permitted manner are considered a trophy. Dropped horns or horns of dead animals, whatever quality they may have, are not trophies.

After boiling and cooling, the remaining tendons are scraped off with a scalpel or a sharp knife. The cranial box is cleared of brains and films and dried in the shade. If there are greasy spots on the bones, they are removed with a 10% solution of ammonia, in which the skull is immersed for a day. It is possible to wipe fat places several times with cotton wool dipped in ether, gasoline. The fastest way to whiten the skull is to boil for 5-15 minutes. in 25% solution of ammonia. The horns in this case should not touch the water. After boiling, 30% hydrogen peroxide solution is applied to the hot bones with a brush several times and the skull is dried.

After bleaching, only light cosmetics of horns and skulls is allowed. Covering horns with varnish and other dyes is not allowed. The tips of the horns can be completely polished with fine sandpaper. To add shine, dry horns are coated with paraffin dissolved in gasoline with a brush. After drying the solution, the horns are brushed to the desired gloss. If there are rough spots on the skull, they are removed with a fine emery paper and rubbed with chalk powder dissolved in denatured alcohol. Talc is applied to a clean rubbed bone and covered with a thin layer of a colorless varnish liquid solution or wiped the bones with cotton wool moistened with polish.

Thus treated horns with parts of the skull or together with the skull strengthen on the supports of arbitrary shape. Most often, coasters are shaped like a shield. Stands are made of hardwood. Stand-boards, obtained from the slanting cut of the Karelian birch trunk, are highly valued. The thickness of coasters ranges from 2-4 cm. Wood is usually polished.

No less durable and aesthetic stand of birch burl. It is difficult to process, but polished has a beautiful patterned structure.

After the stand is made, the frontal bone is aligned so that it fits snugly to the plane of the stand.

The trophy is attached to the stand with screws from the back. Usually, a metal plate is attached to the trophy, on which the name of the animal is engraved, the year and place of extraction, the surname, name and patronymic of the owner of the trophy. Trophies are regarded as works of art and require constant attention. They should be protected from dust, damp and mold.

Vos 15-01-2013 06:17

Good day. I ask for advice from knowledgeable people. In the fall the Losik was obtained, I took the horns with a part of the skull and skins. Scraped as far as I managed it meat and fat between skin and bone. Filled up this business several times. He cleaned the old salt and poured new between the skull and the skin. In the end, all well salted and dried. Between the skin and the skull, there is some space that is good for me. I plan to drill holes in the bones and put nuts and washers for the mounting screws into this space. But here is the moment - the edge of the skin is ugly bent and I would like to soak it in order to bend as I need. How to make the skin soft again and then how to preserve it again?

And another question: what is it worth treating already prepared horns mounted on a medallion? Those. can pour or spray skin or skull with something?

Naur 15-01-2013 07:19

The skin originally needed to be removed and made.
The only option is to soak the skin and take off until it is completely stupid, because over time kozheedy will eat. How to find a different skin, after making, glue as needed.
Another option is to put a plastic lobovina.

Ruslan33 15-01-2013 10:30

The skins are still not enough. But as an option after shooting the native skins, reduce the frontal bone from the occipital and nasal sides. using a furniture stapler. Well, if you want to make a medallion.

taxsidermist 15-01-2013 16:48

I would also advise you to use plastic head and medallion.

Ruslan33 15-01-2013 18:09

You can still advise and use artificial fur is inexpensive and no one will devour. In the photo of the horns of the spotted deer, the skull was cut down to the maximum, almost only the horns were left, the rest of the volume was brought up by the method described by me and outside was pasted with artificial fur. .

Vos 15-01-2013 21:45

Che 100% kozheedy eat? Are they everywhere everywhere and not to scare them away?

VitMan66 15-01-2013 21:45

The question is not the topic, can I paint the horns or not?

Vos 16-01-2013 02:47

For example, if I stupidly pour salt between the skin and the skull and hang horns in such a way - that anyway the skinners will start?

oos 16-01-2013 08:03

quote: The question is not the topic, can I paint the horns or not?

If necessary, then it is possible. A small nuance — if the horns are captured and you plan to measure and set them, then it is better not to tint the horns, if only for use in living conditions, then paint at least gold))

taxsidermist 16-01-2013 10:46

oos 16-01-2013 12:10

quote: And you can toned just steep solution of potassium permanganate.

Or water stain just a steep solution of potassium permanganate is difficult to use because of the lack of simplicity or even the impossibility of acquiring it in pharmacies.

Ruslan33 16-01-2013 14:18

And for gloss still waxed (not varnished).

VitMan66 16-01-2013 16:29

Damn it, the horns are cool and I already smeared them with potassium permanganate. Such horns cannot be measured anymore?

Ruslan33 16-01-2013 17:17

I can’t say 100% about the Russian rules by trophybook.ru, it can be viewed by the method (sci) like this:

Vos 16-01-2013 18:37

Not 100 percent, of course, but 99 for sure that some kind of reptile will encroach on the raw skin. Kozheedy in general are very fond of salt, salt is just a preservative, not an insecticide. And hair will pleasantly taste the mole ...

Vlad V 16-01-2013 18:54

Comrades, there is such a thing. Not a hunter even once, got a good moose horn on occasion with a mount. But! He damn white. Those. for some reason, the old owner cleaned it to whiteness with a brush ((Potassium permanganate will restore color exactly? How else can you return the natural color and look?
Give advice, please.

oos 16-01-2013 19:05

Ruslan33 16-01-2013 19:25

quote:

and after toning, shake lightly with a scraper-all bumps will lighten.

VitMan66 16-01-2013 20:37

ivan44 16-01-2013 20:50

quote: What else can return the natural color and appearance?

I tried the oily thin. paints. You fill the desired color, if necessary, slightly dilute and apply on the horns. Then take a cloth, moisten it with a solvent and wipe the horns in the right places. It turns out quite naturally.

Vlad V 16-01-2013 20:54

Thanks for the advice, I will try.

Vos 17-01-2013 12:40

I repeat, and then interrupted my topic:

quote: Originally posted by oos:
Not 100 percent, of course, but 99 for sure that some kind of reptile will encroach on the raw skin. Kozheedy in general are very fond of salt, salt is just a preservative, not an insecticide. And hair will pleasantly taste the mole ...

Why then fall asleep there to scare off reptiles? Can borax (brown) pour?

oos 17-01-2013 07:42

quote: Why then fall asleep there to scare off reptiles? Can borax (brown) pour?

The skin should have been initially shed, ideally the bone should be drained, salt and borax sprinkles do not give any guarantee of preservation.

Do not forget that I explained earlier - the skin (or scalp) is now actually connected to the skull in 2 places - around both horns. The rest is completely separated from the skull and hangs as if. The surface of the skull under the skin is cleaned. The surface of the skin is also scraped as far as possible.

Ruslan33 18-01-2013 09:10

Remove the skin and make it not too late.

Vos 18-01-2013 18:43

Here's a damn, what stubborn taxidermists. And how to make? Can be in a nutshell the simplest option? Or sit down at the search?

oos 18-01-2013 20:54

quote:   What _ it is possible to do in given conditions (ie, without completely removing the skin).

After all, you yourself chopped off your frontal bone at the very minimum, mothballed the skin in such an “elegant” way — when you did your thoughts, because there were some — how to finish the whole thing. Or — on a whim? the trophy will be “torn down” and then carried to the “stubborn” taxidermist: “Do it. You are an artist. You can tint it and glue it on”. Measure seven times — once cut off.

Demawg 18-01-2013 23:51

there is such a drug Likva Tan, in this case, it will be most welcome ... allocates the skin without removing it, and for the horns a special dye from my assortment will go ....

Vos 19-01-2013 22:19

quote: Originally posted by oos:

Is it possible to wear pants over your head? Theoretically YES!
Soak the skin, separate it from the miserable stub of the frontal bone COMPLETELY and manufacture, if of course the skin is still suitable for this, this is the simplest plan of action (do not ask the current how to SEPTEME).
After all, you yourself chopped off your frontal bone at the very minimum, mothballed the skin in such an “elegant” way — when you did your thoughts, because there were some — how to finish the whole thing. Or — on a whim? the trophy will be “torn down” and then carried to the “stubborn” taxidermist: “Do it. You are an artist. You can tint it and glue it on”. Measure seven times — once cut off.

Do not get so hot. Do you ever hunt? I mean a real hunt, without guides, guards, etc. And when you do not know whether there will be a trophy and whether you will be the shooter who took it. So I did not know. Therefore, for me it was a complete surprise and excuse me, we don’t have any taxidermists in our group. Someone said "cut out with a piece of the skull, salted and hang on the wall!" That cut out. And how to do it - who knows? That's it. And note - I did not bring it to you, so do not take the feelings for your customers here.

oos 19-01-2013 22:46

quote: Do not get so hot. Do you ever hunt? I mean a real hunt, without guides, guards, etc.

Dear, You do not get burned. NEVER in my hunting practice I used neither guides nor rangers services. Opposite several years in a row I just took part in organizing hunting for foreigners. In general, to know HOW TO PROPERLY process your legally gained trophy, at least theoretically, EVERY hunter should know. Nobody taught me this. I wanted to learn and learn, I began to practice, to "shovel" literature, which with today's Internet access is enough.
About feelings to OUR clients. Tell THANKS to your advisors "contributing" frankly (personally my opinion) TO DISTURB YOUR trophy. And you could do a cool thing. Judging by the diameter of the outlets, the horns are worthy.
You have been given enough advice, because there is no sense in a polemic.

Vos 19-01-2013 23:25

Everything, I understood you. We will listen to other people who, as it turned out, also have practical advice.

Dersu uzala 20-01-2013 19:57

Do not take a man's head.
Domestic aerosols from cockroaches help perfectly with insect attacks (only in the annotation you need to see that they are long-lasting), for example, Raptor. Processing 1 time per year and NO insect close to the stuffed fly. In any case, for 28 years now I have not approached an owl (the oldest of all).

Ruslan33 20-01-2013 21:45

quote: help domestic aerosols from cockroaches

-cool!

quote: Do not take a man's head.

-He asked for advice. You want to say that insects will not get with this treatment? If you only pshikat once a day. He didn’t clean it around the horns, but how much is still there for the bugs vkurse and left? Yes, and leave in the form in which the skull with horns and tatters of the skin now looks is not aesthetically pleasing and the salted skin on top of everything else when the temperature and humidity regime changes will “play” and “cry” with “salty” tears. As a result, whatever the medallion is afterwards, it will be covered with salt crystals or forever damp around the skins.

Dersu uzala 22-01-2013 08:58

Ruslan, I watched your work and respect you very much as a master, but when you still wrote in diapers, I already knew how to do stuffed. Yes, these were old-fashioned methods of cheating, but Sokolov and others like him were not yet there. There were no chemicals, artificial eyes, dummies ... there was nothing but aluminum wire, cotton wool and a huge desire.
So I have been saving my collection ever since in this way. By the way, after 5 years of annual treatments, you can no longer process them - FOS eats into feathers and fur and moths with kozheedami are no longer interested in stuffed animals.

Although I will join the majority and also advise the artificial head and artificial fur

Ruslan33 22-01-2013 14:10

Dersu Uzala, mannequins, artificial eyes and the more chemicals were used by masters not only when I wrote in a diaper, but even long before my birth and yours. Look at the history of taxidermy in Russia at leisure. I didn’t say that You can not use them, please for preventive purposes. Your work is something invisible.

Dersu uzala 22-01-2013 20:06

quote: Your work is invisible.

I am humble

If everything was so rosy in the USSR, then why all local history museums are filled with pokemon. Including Darwinovsky in Moscow (not the whole range of course, but there are).

By the way, in the same Darwin Museum in the dashing 90s I often smelled dichlorvos.

Ruslan33 22-01-2013 20:21

I myself am a museum keeper. And once a month (sanitary day) I dichlofos each effigy in the exposition, + we spread naphthalene tablets, but again for the sake of prophylaxis. As for Pokémon, it’s not everywhere as bad as you think museums with good managers and craftsmen acquired good stuffed animals made on papier-mâché mannequins. In our museum there is a far from poor collection of large animals made in the late 70s. And pokemon are also found because the stuffed animal is very old or the animal is rare and the main function of any museum is to collect and flow already demonstrate publike.I let's finish this flood, for he has spets.tema.Tut man asked him to do-that "food" for thought he was given already in 3 versions.

The horns on the head of the bull look very scary, and for good reason, because with their help, these animals fight and show their strength. Today we will talk about the structure and purpose of the horns of the bull, as well as the method of processing them in order to make a vessel.

What are the horns of a bull: anatomical structure

The horns of the bulls cover the horny processes of the frontal bone as cover. These solid formations consist of a root, a body, and an apex. The location of the root - on the transition to the skin of the forehead. The top is a sharp free end, and the body is a section from the root to the top.

In the walls of the horns there are two layers: the base of the skin and the epidermis. The producing layer of the epidermis produces a tubular stratum corneum. The length of the horns can reach a length of 70 cm with a circumference at the base of 30 cm. Their shape is close to conical, usually they are bent by a spiral or arc.

Did you know? Calves of both sexes are born without horns, they appear in older babies at the age of two months.

The surface of the horns of these animals is smooth, there are weak annual rings on it. The color of these solid formations on the bulls head is varied: from white to black. There are representatives with the spotted color of the horny processes, on which you can observe a beautiful blurry pattern.
A - epidermis of the scalp; B - her dermis; B - the frontal bones of the skull; G - bone outgrowths of the frontal bones (horn rod); D - the connecting part of the soft layer between the horny cover and its core  Of particular value are the horns of adult bulls and oxen with greater weight and size.

What are the horns of the bull

  Animal horns have several functions:

• communication (the establishment of hierarchical relations);
• protection.

These solid formations of bulls are actively used in battles with each other. With their help, they defend the territory, food or herd.

Do horns grow

Bulls often have fights with each other, as a result of which their horns are damaged. This can happen through the negligence of the animal. If the problem of damage is only in the corneous case, then everything grows easily.

However, if the damage is more complex and occurred at the base, then it is very dangerous. Blood enters the frontal sinus of the animal and flows through the nose. In this case, the vet may advise horn amputation to preserve the health of the animal.

Which bulls have the biggest horns

Owners of the biggest horns are the watusi breed bulls. They have these solid formations on the head reach lengths from 1.5 to 2.4 m, and the weight of each is about 45 kg. The span of the horns from one tip to the other can be 2.4 m.

The horns of these animals act as radiators: the blood that circulates in them is cooled by air currents and spreads throughout the body, thereby cooling it. This is a very valuable quality, because in Africa, where Vatussi was brought out, the air temperature can reach +50 ° C.

Did you know?According to the tradition of the mountaineers, when a local youth reaches the age of 16, he is poured wine into the horn of an animal. When performing this ritual in the eyes of others, he becomes an adult man.

How to handle a bull's horn for a vessel at home

In the Caucasus, the horn of a bull is used as a container for drinking. Looking at the beauty of this product, many thought about how to make such a vessel at home. Below we describe all the intricacies accompanying this process.

Choosing the right horn for a future product

To make a vessel, to take any of the horns will not be enough, for this it is necessary that it belonged to a bovine animal. Of course, you can take it from antelope or impala, but not every person is so exotic. In our area it is ideal to use for this purpose animals such as yak, bison, buffalo or a regular bull.

At the beginning of the cup making process, a thorough inspection of the horn should be carried out: you need to find a specimen with a minimum number of cracks. It is better to use a solid formation on the head of a recently killed bull as a material. This is due to the fact that during prolonged storage the material can be adversely affected by the environment.

When the temperature drops around the horns, a stratification can be observed, and if it is unevenly moistened and dried, they simply warp. In these cases, the use of such material is not recommended.

Removal of the bone shaft

The next important step that requires careful processing is the removal of the bone shaft. If it is not visible visually, you will need to make a cut with a band saw. After that, the rod can be seen, but getting it out of the horn cover is not so easy.
   To do this, you need to soak the horn, but this process is quite lengthy and can take 2-3 weeks. You can do it easier and make digestion. This will be accompanied by an unpleasant smell, so you must turn on the hood and open all the windows.

Important!For the digestion of horns, use the dishes, which then will not be a pity to throw away. After this process, it will no longer be suitable for cooking.

It will be necessary to boil for 2–3 hours, after which the hot horn should be taken out of the container and knocked on the wooden surface until the rod falls out. You can also use a long screwdriver to remove the rod, with which you need to clean the inside of the cornea case.

Grinding inside and outside

Before you begin grinding, let the horn cool down so as not to damage the material for the future vessel.

  Internal and external grinding is carried out using such tools:

• sandpaper;
• paste GOI;
• pumice paste;
• felt;
• grinding machine.

The goal at this stage is to polish the surface to shine. The outer part will not cause much difficulty. When using a grinding machine, you must be extremely careful not to overdo it.
   In the absence of the machine, the process will be longer, in this case it is necessary to use sandpaper of different grit, starting with a large one and ending with a small one. First, inside the horn you need to go through the scraper, and then make your own grinding tool.

Important!Poor processing of the inside of the horn can lead to an unpleasant taste when pouring a drink into the jar.

To do this, take a piece of hard wire and secure it with sandpaper. After that, a piece of wire is fixed in the drill and, thus, the inner part of the horn cover is processed. For the final shine GOI felt and paste are used.

The production of horn and bone products is very poorly developed in Russia, and yet this production is quite possible as a handicraft industry. This is all the more strange because cattle breeding occupies a very prominent place in our country, and material for bone and horn products can be obtained everywhere at a reasonable price.

We have only a few factories in the main industrial centers, but these factories are far from satisfying all the needs in the combed products of the population, since, nevertheless, good combs, taking into account the cheapness of the material, are sold relatively expensive. Only with the development of handicrafts can we expect a reduction in the price of this commodity, which is necessary in every home and family.

The horny and bone products include combs - head, ladies' and cardinals of various sizes and shapes; cigarette cases, cigarette cases, matchboxes, fruit knives and books; horns for putting on shoes and other household items.

Materials

For the manufacture of bone and horny products there is a wide variety of material, both available at the place of production, ie, delivered by domestic animals, and partly imported as, for example, ivory, walrus, tortoise and gutta-percha bone.

Horn

The horns that adorn the heads of bulls, buffaloes and other animals are obtained through the annual deposition of one horn substance on another. Horny layers are usually located in the form of cones. Horn, as an animal product, consists mainly of albumin, a small amount of gelatin and barely noticeable traces of phosphate of lime. The amount of gelatin in the horn is such that the horn can be completely softened when heated, and in this form it is convenient to cut it with a knife, flatten it and generally give it any shape.

The horn is a substance characterized by remarkable elasticity and considerable viscosity, well processed by cutting tools. With proper staining to the horn, you can tell the type of turtle, as well as cause a sharp play of its natural shades.

English bulls deliver a horn of white color, Hungarian - of mixed and darker color. In general, not only the color, but also the quality of the horn changes with the change of cattle breeds. The horn of old animals is processed more easily than its hollow part. This is especially important when dressing tips for mouth pieces and mouthpieces.

Buffalo horn is valued more than ordinary bovine for its viscosity and ease of processing. From it you can make handles for umbrellas, mouthpieces and other things.

The hooves of horses, domestic animals, cattle and elks are used in the form of thin plywood for gluing watch cases, snuffboxes and other small items that look similar to tortoiseshell.

The horn of a bison and a rhino differs sometimes in especially beautiful appearance.

Four varieties of horns

The horn of Russian breeds of cattle is divided into four varieties.

The first variety includes the big horns of the Ukrainian and Cherkasy bulls. They go to the production of ladies' combs for the braid and are preferred for the manufacture of dull combs, because several such combs come out of the horn.

The second class includes smaller horns, from which small female combs and dull combs can also be made.

Horns from small breed cattle belong to the third type of combed material; from such horns they make small dull and thick scallops.

Finally, the smallest horns for pocket ridges and peasant combs are ranked as the fourth variety.

The best sorts of horns are white horns, which, being transparent, can be forged under a turtle. Dark spots are considered to be medium grades and which can also be faked under a turtle. The latter variety includes horns with large black spots. Such a horn is completely painted black.

Of the last two varieties of horns come across very beautiful specimens with black and white spots on a transparent field. The light horn is not always transparent, on some of them there are pure white dull spots. This horn is very beautiful, but under the tortoise faked badly.

Horn processing

Starting the treatment of the horn, it is first necessary to free it from the bone that is inside it. To do this, the horn is soaked in a tub with water for 2-3 weeks, while the meat and the films with which the horns are attached to the bones, will rot.

When the horns otmyakut enough, they are taken out of the water and, taking the horn by the sharp end, hit the tree or stone, so that the bone can be separated. You should not strike very hard, otherwise you can ruin the horn, which will result in unwanted cracks. If, however, the bone does not detach freely, then you can again lower the horn into the water for a while.

After freeing the horn from the bones, it is necessary to cut its sharp part, which, due to its considerable density, is not suitable for combed production. The horns are filed not by external examination, but by measuring the inside of it: to do this, take a small twig with a thickness of a goose feather and put inside the horn to the point where the stick rests. Then they make a mark on a stick and a horn is cut off from this mark.

Then follows the transverse cutting of the horn into rings. The width of the rings depends on the purpose of the horns on the products, that is, the width of these products is from 3/4 to 1.5 or more inches when it comes to making simple ridges. For the head ladies combs measures can not be determined, because their size depends on fashion and style.

It is possible and not to cut the horns into separate rings, but cut along so that one large plate is formed from which to cut the required products.

Cutting the horns into rings can be done with a jigsaw or with a special device saw. The saw machine consists of a bent iron strip about 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/4 width wide.

An ordinary saw blade is inserted into this machine so that the strip falls to the saw blade with a narrow side. The canvas has a length of 1-1 arshins 2 inches; fine cutting of teeth, very little diluted. When cutting the horn, the worker places the saw with the curved end of its machine tool into the workbench hole, while he himself puts his chest on the other end. The saw teeth will then be turned upwards. They take the horn with both hands and drive them along the teeth of the saw back and forth, trying not to press the saw hard, otherwise the horn may crack.

This way of installing the saw, however, has its practical disadvantages. Saw at the slightest carelessness of the worker can slip out and the very pressing of the chest has a harmful effect on the health of the worker. Therefore, it is more convenient to strengthen the saw motionless to the machine, as is seen in the figure.

Such an installation can be convenient for sawing not only horns but also bones. The only difference is that the saw blade for the horn should be wider and thicker than for the bone.

When the horn is sawn into rings, they must be cut through, but only from one concave side. If, when the horn is separated from the bone, a crack has formed on the ring, then the cutting is performed along this crack.

After the rings are cut, they are straightened. For this ring is placed for 1-2 weeks in cold water so that they soften well, and then they are boiled. This operation is performed as follows: the ring is placed in a cauldron with water and boiled over high heat until the horn is soft enough, and then the horn is removed from the boiler and straightened.

The older the horn, the longer its boiling should be. To speed up the process, it is advised to put some fat or fat in the water.

They take out the horn with a fork with a long wooden handle two rings at a time and, putting them on the fork's teeth with a concavity inside, heat these rings above the fire, mainly the outer side of the rings. When with such heating the horn softened enough, which is determined by the skill, then proceed to straighten the horn, which is done with the help of ticks. To do this, the second worker, holding ticks in both hands, takes the heated ring with the tongs of his left hand, inserting one lip of the tongs into the middle of the ring, and with his right hand also inserts one jaw of the tongs in his right arm into the slot made in the ring, these ticks squeeze this edge and unbend the horn, pulling the ticks to the right, while squeezing the first ticks with their left hand, pulling them to the left. Then, moving the tongs towards the middle of the ring, gradually straighten the ring, repeating such movements until the whole strip becomes flat or straightens.

It goes without saying that with such a straightening, the resulting plank will not be smooth, but represents a wavy appearance. For the final alignment, first of all, with a knife, all the roughness from the surface of the horn is cut off, and then the plates are heated and pressed again before the plates have cooled. Pressing is made between iron sheets, heated so that they do not burn the horns. Most pressing is done in presses of various devices. It is possible to use for this purpose both lever and screw presses. Pressing must be quite strong and quick, otherwise the plates will not be smooth.

Straightened plates are removed from the press, allow them to cool sufficiently, and then proceed to pruning by patterns.

When trimming plates for ridges, especially female head and frequent scallops, it is necessary to cut along the direction of the horn fibers, so that the teeth of the ridge fall along the horn, and not across, otherwise the teeth will break.

The same rule is observed when cutting out simple combs, which make them short and wide.

For toilet and small pocket scallops with a narrow board, horn plates can not be cut neither in length nor in width, for the comb will be fragile. For such ridges, the horn is not cut into rings, and having cut off a dense end from it and cutting only from the concave side, align and press the plate from the whole horn, from which the ridges are cut with an oblique direction of the fibers. Obtained while trimming used on small pocket frequent scallops.

In order to carve out the comb, it is necessary to put a piece on the horn plate and outline it with an awl; unnecessary parts cut with a jigsaw.

Marking should be done in such a way that as little as possible scraps and garbage are obtained and the material is not wasted without benefit.

For the final finishing of the horny plates, they are cut off with a small, very sharp hatchet with a thin blade, and then they are scraped out with a scrubber like the one used in the barrel case. The most scraping is done on the bench shown in the picture.

M. Zaslavsky, head of the group of experimental taxidermy of the Zoological Museum of the USSR Academy of Sciences

"Hunting and hunting economy" № 1 1980

Trophies can be prepared from an animal harvested during a hunt, suitable both for exhibiting at hunting exhibitions and for being located in the interior. I would like to offer a number of hunting items that are most easily cooked at home.

The skulls of ungulates (deer, elk, roe deer) and predators (wolf, bear, lynx) are valuable hunting trophies that decorate a hunter’s corner and are put up for evaluation at hunting exhibitions. To make a trophy, the skull must first of all be whole, with no visible defects. The skins are removed from the skull, the muscles are cut off, the eyeballs and tongue are removed, the lower jaw is separated, the brain is removed through the occipital foramen, and its remnants and brain film are washed out with a strong stream of water. To remove blood, the skull is soaked for 10-12 days in running water or allowed to be soaked in standing water, changing it frequently.

The most affordable method of cleaning the skull from the prizes of the muscles and bone fat is maceration with rotting. Unfortunately, when rotting tissue, which lasts at least two to three weeks, there is a strong peculiar smell. To weaken it, add agar-agar solution to the water.

Maceration should be carried out in cold boiled water, using wooden, glass or plastic dishes. You cannot macerate in iron pottery: the bones in it will turn black. Every five to seven days the solution is changed. After moving away from muscle bones and fat, the skull is removed and washed in running water. Then the skull, well washed with hot water and soap, is dried.

Another equally effective method of processing is the digestion of bones in soft water. She poured the skull and the dishes with him put on fire. If the skull has horns, they are attached to the flyers, which, located on the edge of the dishes, do not allow them to immerse themselves in hot water. Foam is removed from boiling water; excretion continues until the muscle remains are separated from the bones; at the same time, bone bonds and sutures weaken, teeth fall out, therefore it is better to digest such skulls sewn into gauze or linen bags.

After digestion, the skull is washed for a long time in water and then dried. When a fat on the bones appears, it is immersed for 30 hours in a 10% solution of ammonia.

In the horned (wild sheep, ibex) horn covers are separated: wrapped in a rag horn, poured boiling water over it. Having softened, the cover easily leaves the rod. After the skull has been welded, the covers are reattached onto the rods and fastened with screws or strengthened with glue.

It is possible to process the skull and bones of the skeleton with warm water, maintaining a constant temperature of + 30 C, + 40 C. Maceration in this way lasts no more than 10-15 days. If it is not active enough, add a piece of fresh meat, which accelerates the putrefactive process. The skull, which has carried out such processing, is carefully washed with warm water and soap. If sticky substances are made on the bones of the skull, it should be immersed in a hot (+60 C) five percent soda solution for 10 days. The skull can not be degreased in a hot solution of alkali: it destroys the surface of the bone, spoils its appearance. Well washed skull dried.

It should be remembered that when maceration in warm water, fangs and incisors crack, which is caused by a sharp change in temperature. In this case, the skull of predators and large rodents is better to handle rotting.

If the skull is still there; remained bold, it must be lowered into gasoline for 10-15 days, where it finally degreases.

Bleaching is desirable for all skulls after maceration; it is produced by 4-5% solution of hydrogen peroxide in enamel, wooden or glassware without crumbs. For the fastest reaction, 2.5 g of ammonia is added per liter. To keep the skull evenly white, it is occasionally turned over. The natural color of the bones of the skull is light yellow, so when bleaching it is not necessary to achieve too much whiteness.

The bleached dry skull is rubbed with a mixture of chalk and lime, paraffin and polished with a clean cloth. Fallen during the treatment of bones, glue the teeth into place. In this form, the skull is prepared for mounting on the stand.

Trophies strengthened on stands or medallions. Stands can be made of different types and shapes, but they should always be modest. A stand made of birch log, burl is very expressive. Its size should be proportional to the trophy. Stable stands are placed on the legs of sturdy poles (Fig. 1). This should create a harmony between the type of bark on the stand, the structure and the color of the horns. Stands should be made only from dry aged wood, untouched by pests. They can be both simple and carved, with motifs of vegetation on the sides (Fig. 2). Stands are painted with water-based paints in light or dark brown tones, grinding their surface until the appearance of haze. The coasters are “aged”: they are burned, pumped up, which makes it possible to more clearly mark the bright skull or frontal bones with horns on its surface.

Medallions for large skulls with horns or for heads of elk, deer, wild sheep should be made of durable materials - beech, birch, oak. Their shape may be different (Fig. 3). According to their size, coasters should correspond to the type and size of trophies, in harmony with the interior for which they are intended.

For the horns of a wild sheep or ibex, which reach far behind the back of the skull with their curves, the stand is made differently: a piece of log is attached to it, which, in turn, is reinforced with a skull or frontal bone with horns (Fig. 4). It is possible to mount such horns on ordinary supports, but then they have to be fixed to the wall on special welded metal stops (Fig. 5).

Large skulls without lower jaws are attached to the stand as follows: the front of the skull is reinforced with copper tape (10-15 mm wide), with an arc surrounding the upper jaw, and pass it on the sides of the skull into the slot on the stand; from the back side it is fixed with screws. To strengthen the occipital part, use a threaded metal bracket bent at a right angle. To do this, a hole is drilled in the stand through which the end of the bracket is passed: with the other end it is inserted into the occipital hole. Tightening the nut under the stand, the skull is tightened to it and firmly fastened.

To strengthen the horns with a frontal bone on the stand, two holes are drilled in the frontal part. Light horns strengthen screws, heavy and massive - bolts, securing them with nuts from the back of the stand.

Depending on the duration of their stay in the snow, the sun’s rays cast off the antlers of the reindeer whiten, lose their color and collapse. If the horns were found soon after their discharge, they may still have a natural coloration. Such trophies can be used for various handicrafts - the manufacture of chandeliers, lamps, candlesticks, pens for hunting knives.

To give the thrown horn a natural look, it is first of all well washed from dirt with hot water and soap, then the cornea is painted with water dissolved in water (paint, bismarck, potassium permanganate or other water-based paints). To give freshness to the horn, it is rubbed with paraffin and polished with sukonka.

Lamps single or pair of elk horns, deer can be made depending on the number of symmetrical or similar in appearance and size of the horns. On the upper surface of the horns, an electrical wire is fed to each process, which is strengthened on the bone with nails or epoxy resin (Fig. 6). At the ends of the horny processes install small-sized lamp sockets. The horn is attached to the stand as follows: at its base a hole is drilled in the center with a diameter of 5 mm and a depth of 30-40 mm. A through-hole is drilled through the center of the wooden stand (at the place of installation of the horn) and through it, combining the horn and the stand, screw in a strong and long screw that holds and fixes the horn well (Fig. 7). If the horn is heavy, then in its base a notch is cut in 2-3 mm and up to 40-50 mm deep; An iron strip is inserted into it, the base of the horn is combined with it, and the iron and the horn are drilled at the same time. The rivets are hammered into the holes or the horn is fastened with bolts, cutting the heads into the bone (Fig. 8). The curved opposite end of the strip is passed through the slot into the stand and fixed on the other side with screws. The electric wire is passed through a hole in the stand.

In the manufacture of decorative chandeliers from the horns of a deer on its processes have light bulbs or candlesticks. The horn is suspended on cables from the ceiling (Fig. 9). On the sides of the shovel or deer horns, holes are drilled into which the end parts of the wires are fastened. Wiring down from the ceiling to the center of the horn. The location of the wire, its fixation is the same as in the manufacture of the lamp.

If you make a chandelier of 3-4 horns, then in this case the horns are combined with each other in the center of the bases and strengthened at a certain angle on a solid welded cross. The base of each horn is crimped with an iron strip, which is fastened with bolts. A copper tube of 20-30 mm in diameter is firmly fastened to the cross-piece and becomes a holder, which is suspended from the ceiling hook. The length of the tube depends on the height of the room. The cross from the bottom side is decorated with a horn or a slice of a cap (Fig. 10). Such a chandelier can have 10-15 lamps. On the processes of the horns and strengthen the candlesticks. It should be borne in mind that the chandelier is heavy and requires durable fittings and reliable fastening.

The very shape of the elegant fore or hind limb of a boar itself suggests its use as a wall lamp. In the extracted animal, a limb is separated, on its lower side an incision is made to the base of the hoofs. The knife is better to enter under the skin, then it does not spoil the hair. If possible, it is better to pull off the skin of the foot with the stocking to the hooves and, on the sole, make one small incision for its separation (Fig. 11). If this is possible, the skin should be well scraped from the tendons and muscles, preserved with sodium chloride and potassium alum. At the same time, the extremity extracted from the knives is laid sideways on the paper and outlined with a pencil to get its outline. According to it and the sizes removed from the extremity, they are cut out of dense foam or they wind materials, suitable for the reproduction of the limb in the breadboard, - hemp, straw, shavings, hay, and moss.

It should be noted that in the place where the tendon usually passes, an electric wire will pass through the entire limb in the model. A lamp made from a limb should have a bend in the joint, which allows strengthening a small lamp cartridge between the front hooves or installing a candlestick-type lamp. Such a bend justifies the type of luminaire (Fig. 12). Before you install the layout and sheathe it is necessary to prepare the skin for this, wash it well in warm water of salt and blood, using soap or laundry detergent for this, then wipe it with a cloth, dry it with starch, and rub it into the undercoat, then blow it out of the fur with a stream of air from a vacuum cleaner. To protect the exhibit from damage by a mole or a leather beetle, the mid-side of the skin is smeared with 3-4% solution of karbofos several times. Cleared of muscles and bones of the hoof stuff soft clay to give this part of the leg the correct form. The prepared layout is placed in the skin and sheathed, trying to make the seam unobtrusive. Due to the fact that a wire or a metal pin extending from a model of a limb has a thread at the end, it will be easy to attach it to the wall on the stand.

From the bottom of a boar limb, you can make a cup for pencils. To do this, the skin is removed or tied up to the hoofs by a stocking, an incision is made between the hooves, through which the skin is cleaned. The skin is etched and, stitching an incision, tightly stuffed its cavity with dry sawdust or sand. At the same time it is properly installed, strengthened on a temporary stand and dried, making sure that the skin does not deform. After a few days, it hardens firmly, the contents are removed and the inside of the skin and hooves are glued with layers of gauze. The upper edge of the glass line, cutting off excess skin. To make the glass stand firmly, it is attached to the stand with a bolt, drilling a hole for this between the hoofs on the sole (Fig. 13).

The ashtray is made from the skull of a wolf or a bear. A lid is cut out of the skull, which is then fastened on a loop and leans back (Fig. 14). In this case, the lower jaw can be separated, and the souvenir itself is fixed on a stand from the cut of a birch or birch burl. On the stand you can strengthen the skull with an open mouth, securing it with screws: then the canines will be clearly visible.