So, I got back a pronghorn mount from this last year, and it is... not good. My Dad wanted to take his to a guy he knew for a shoulder mount, and he ended up taking my brother-in-laws and mine as well for euros. I told them I was going to bronze mine, and he wanted to give it a try, so I said OK.
Well, the paint is chipping off, one of the nasal bones is broken loose inside, and - worst of all - be glued the horn sheaths on WAY too low. They are pressed all the way down against the eye sockets. Tired soaking and heat, and could not remove them.
I wasn't satisfied just to live with a crappy mount. So, I found a place that makes replica skulls, for classrooms and such I think. I ordered it, and got it a few days ago.
The replica was good, not great. It was the right size, more or less. The eye sockets are a touch small, and it lacks some of the finer bones in back. But it was really flat looking- some detail, but not a lot. It looks like a piece of plastic, flat glossy texture.
So I set off to carving it, and here is where I am so far. I didn't take before photos, as I didn't know if it would turn out. I carved way up the nasal cavity, hollowing out the bones in there and giving it a nice texture inside. I then set to carving the slots between the nose and eyes, where you can see those nasal bones. I tried really hard to give it a layered appearance. I had to add some putty to fill in places that weren't right, and places it had cracked from the mold or shipping. Then I carved the contours on the bottom (roof of the mouth), and the really thin tips on the nose. I also carved a TON more detail into the teeth, and added some texture around the eye sockets. I think it's looking really good so far. Now I'm working on all those little details- the squiggly lines where bone plates join, all the cuts and dings and little pits in the bone.
I'll update this again as I add the final details, and then bronze it. Now I just have to figure out the best way to cut the horn sheaths off the other mount, and hollow out the epoxy or bondo that I'm sure is all up in them.
Well, the paint is chipping off, one of the nasal bones is broken loose inside, and - worst of all - be glued the horn sheaths on WAY too low. They are pressed all the way down against the eye sockets. Tired soaking and heat, and could not remove them.
I wasn't satisfied just to live with a crappy mount. So, I found a place that makes replica skulls, for classrooms and such I think. I ordered it, and got it a few days ago.
The replica was good, not great. It was the right size, more or less. The eye sockets are a touch small, and it lacks some of the finer bones in back. But it was really flat looking- some detail, but not a lot. It looks like a piece of plastic, flat glossy texture.
So I set off to carving it, and here is where I am so far. I didn't take before photos, as I didn't know if it would turn out. I carved way up the nasal cavity, hollowing out the bones in there and giving it a nice texture inside. I then set to carving the slots between the nose and eyes, where you can see those nasal bones. I tried really hard to give it a layered appearance. I had to add some putty to fill in places that weren't right, and places it had cracked from the mold or shipping. Then I carved the contours on the bottom (roof of the mouth), and the really thin tips on the nose. I also carved a TON more detail into the teeth, and added some texture around the eye sockets. I think it's looking really good so far. Now I'm working on all those little details- the squiggly lines where bone plates join, all the cuts and dings and little pits in the bone.
I'll update this again as I add the final details, and then bronze it. Now I just have to figure out the best way to cut the horn sheaths off the other mount, and hollow out the epoxy or bondo that I'm sure is all up in them.
