Thread: Tahr Skull - post boiling/cleaning nose bone separation (how to fix?)

Hey All,

The bones around the nose of my Tahr skull have separated following the cleaning process. Wondering if there is an easy way to pull them back in together again without breaking the bones?

It's only the second skull I've cleaned out so have mercy on my skills please haha.

Those two long bits in the middle always fall out just super glue them back in

Glue them, pull in tight with some decent tape. Then seal the whole skull with a 50/50 mix of PVA glue and water.

In the future, don't boil them too hard out. Simmer them until the flesh/membrane on the face starts peeling, them water blast. In my experience you are better to try and water blast earlier rather than later, as it avoids the bone becoming brittle or going chalky.

Cheers gents, will try that this w/e.

Originally Posted by JoshC

Glue them, pull in tight with some decent tape. Then seal the whole skull with a 50/50 mix of PVA glue and water.

In the future, don't boil them too hard out. Simmer them until the flesh/membrane on the face starts peeling, them water blast. In my experience you are better to try and water blast earlier rather than later, as it avoids the bone becoming brittle or going chalky.

yes just like that, waterblast early then put back for short bursts back in the pot between blasting. did you put some whitening washing machine stuff in the mix? helps to remove all the oils

You can buy small bottles of peroxide from the chemist or a 5 litre container of baquacil pool cleaner from farmlands for $40 which lasts a long time & normally it’s just one good coat of peroxide & leave it in the sun & tickle up the areas that need a bit more 1-2 days later.

Note - use latex gloves & eye protection when using peroxide!

For the horns spray them with WD-40 & wipe off the excess. It brings out the colour & there’s no lasting WD-40 smell.

Do the horns separate from the skull during this process

This is the last one I did for a 16yr old lad, his first bull Tahr a couple of weeks ago.

Originally Posted by imaca

Do the horns separate from the skull during this process

Soak the skull in a bucket of cold water for a week and the horns should wriggle off

I read an artical years ago buy a guy who did skulls.
He reckons the best way to clean a skull was to get a jar of slaters ( those little hard shell insects that roll into a ball if you touch them)
And put them and skull in a container and leave them for a few weeks. ( after removing as much flesh as possible)
The skull he showed was clean as and all those fine nose membranes were in tact and spotless. They really don't disturb anything but the flesh they are eating.

Originally Posted by kruza

I read an artical years ago buy a guy who did skulls.
He reckons the best way to clean a skull was to get a jar of slaters ( those little hard shell insects that roll into a ball if you touch them)
And put them and skull in a container and leave them for a few weeks. ( after removing as much flesh as possible)
The skull he showed was clean as and all those fine nose membranes were in tact and spotless. They really don't disturb anything but the flesh they are eating.

I had no idea slaters ate meat

Originally Posted by kruza

I read an artical years ago buy a guy who did skulls.
He reckons the best way to clean a skull was to get a jar of slaters ( those little hard shell insects that roll into a ball if you touch them)
And put them and skull in a container and leave them for a few weeks. ( after removing as much flesh as possible)
The skull he showed was clean as and all those fine nose membranes were in tact and spotless. They really don't disturb anything but the flesh they are eating.

Thats cool.

Over here they say you can leave the head on an anthill,apparantly they will clean it really well.Thats if someone dosnt steal the head to make knife handles from.

Slightly off topic too but has anyone got advice for dryed on tahr horn removal?

Originally Posted by Bill999

I had no idea slaters ate meat

Me either till I read that.
Heres a blurb of a gardening site.
I just had look as I've rembered the artical but never verified it.

also known as Pillbugs, Wood Lice and Roley Poleys are not insects but one of only two species of crustaceans adapted to living solely on land. This means they are more closely related to lobsters and prawns and why they still need to live in a fairly moist environment. These little creatures are scavengers which mean that they mainly feed on rotting vegetation, animal remains and other decaying organic matter.

Originally Posted by norsk

Thats cool.

Over here they say you can leave the head on an anthill,apparantly they will clean it really well.Thats if someone dosnt steal the head to make knife handles from.

or someones mutt gets a whiff and steals his dinner