Getting sheep horns off
- Thread starter YELUM
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Zeke
Long Time Member
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Cut between the sheath and the core as deeply as you can get a knife, put them in a plastic bag for a few days, room temp, remove from the bag and drop them on the cement floor. The sheaths should pop off.
The bag will keep the horns moist and allow them to "rot" inside so they can be removed for thorough cleaning and bleaching and re-attached with glue. Be sure to clean the inside of the sheaths too, not just the outside of the cores.
If this doesn't work, call a taxidermist!
Zeke
The bag will keep the horns moist and allow them to "rot" inside so they can be removed for thorough cleaning and bleaching and re-attached with glue. Be sure to clean the inside of the sheaths too, not just the outside of the cores.
If this doesn't work, call a taxidermist!
Zeke
S
scottyboy
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Nov-28-11 AT 02:43PM (MST)[p]Sounds like the core has dried on you.
If they were mine, I would drill a 1/16th hole into the back of each horn (to let the moisture into the core and release the sheaths), submerge for 2 days, then repeat the sweat process. They should pop off with ease after this.
Once off, clean then borax the inside of the horn sheaths then allow to comepletely dry, clean the skull either via beetles or boiling (I prefer beetles), then afix your horns back onto the horn cores after you have the skull cleaned and whitened to your preference.
As for the tiny holes in the sheaths, a tiny amount of sculpt-all with a tad of texture and coloring will fix it in less than 5 minutes. No one will ever see it. This will be done after the horns have been re-attached to the skull.
Whatever you do, DO NOT BOIL THE SKULL WITH THE HORNS ATTACHED!! It will stain the horns forever.
I hope this helps.
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DRSS
If they were mine, I would drill a 1/16th hole into the back of each horn (to let the moisture into the core and release the sheaths), submerge for 2 days, then repeat the sweat process. They should pop off with ease after this.
Once off, clean then borax the inside of the horn sheaths then allow to comepletely dry, clean the skull either via beetles or boiling (I prefer beetles), then afix your horns back onto the horn cores after you have the skull cleaned and whitened to your preference.
As for the tiny holes in the sheaths, a tiny amount of sculpt-all with a tad of texture and coloring will fix it in less than 5 minutes. No one will ever see it. This will be done after the horns have been re-attached to the skull.
Whatever you do, DO NOT BOIL THE SKULL WITH THE HORNS ATTACHED!! It will stain the horns forever.
I hope this helps.
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DRSS
littlebighorn
Long Time Member
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- 5,400
LAST EDITED ON Nov-28-11 AT 02:49PM (MST)[p]Yellum,
I had to keep mine in a bag for quiet a while before the inside started to smell (rot). Also, keeping them warm enough if they are not inside, might also be part of the hang up. Ditto on boiling! But you probably already knew that.
Anyway, good luck.
I had to keep mine in a bag for quiet a while before the inside started to smell (rot). Also, keeping them warm enough if they are not inside, might also be part of the hang up. Ditto on boiling! But you probably already knew that.
Anyway, good luck.
S
ShowThemToMe
Guest
Hey YELUM?
She's surely gettin that thing mounted ain't she?
Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
She's surely gettin that thing mounted ain't she?
Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
3
3QtrSlamRam
Guest
Yelum,
The best way to get the horns off is to wet paper towels so they are damp with water not dripping. Then put them around the skull by the bases but not on the horns or they will dis-color the bases. Tape the paper towels there and put in a plastic bag for several weeks so damp paper towels help the rotting process. Once you open the bag lift horns over your head and slam them on you garage floor. Hope you get them off. I have used this process on all my sheep.
3QtrSlamRam
The best way to get the horns off is to wet paper towels so they are damp with water not dripping. Then put them around the skull by the bases but not on the horns or they will dis-color the bases. Tape the paper towels there and put in a plastic bag for several weeks so damp paper towels help the rotting process. Once you open the bag lift horns over your head and slam them on you garage floor. Hope you get them off. I have used this process on all my sheep.
3QtrSlamRam
treedagain
Long Time Member
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-16-11 AT 04:47PM (MST)[p]well...i am happy to say i just got my horns to pop off....in hind sight i should have done them when they were fresh, just liked to handle them a couple times a day...i soaked/submerged them for about a week in a pot of water, drilled a hole or 2 in them and double bagged them and put them in a warm spot for about 18 days or so.....they stunk up a storm when i opened the 2 bag.....dropped them on the cement from about waist level and the 1st one popped off on the 3rd drop....banged the other side about 10 times or so and the other side popped....now i just need to boil and they will be ready to mount. got my hide back yesterday so now i need to decide on my mount and it is game on...
one_dryboot
Long Time Member
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Man I had to beat the hell out of them to get em off. finally got pissed and body slammed them and it worked.
