Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Elk skull plate mounting help

In follow up to this thread https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...k_European_mount_after_the_f#Post5780956

I decided to mount the skull plate to a plaque. My thought was to epoxy studs inside the skull. The problem is that the epoxy didnt stick to the skull. I'm thinking there needs to be a mechanical lock. I should place the epoxied studs back into the skull plate and fill the skull plate with epoxy forming a mechanical lock. I should have done this to start with but couldn't readily find bulk epoxy (anyone know what might be best to use? Thats four packages of JB Weld you're looking at, $20 later)

Will this work? Any other suggestions?

Thanks

I've done a number of Euro mounts on the replica skulls for Bubba types that shot their "trophy" in the head for whatever reason. I don't know that you could tell the difference between the fake and real skull unless you examine them up close.

I bought one of the replicas and sent it right back. The nasal cavity and teeth were not even close. Beside other skulls in the room it looked even worse. No way it could work for me. Maybe you could get away with it if it�s the only skull in the room but alongside others it screams "fake".

I am no taxidermy expert for sure, but I have done several antler mounts at home and they turned out just as good as that which came from th shop. I drilled holes through the skull plate, inserted bolts, nuts and washers. Then I covered the skull plate with plaster of paris so that the bolt heads don't show. I stretched leather over the skull plate and bolted it to the wood plaque. Works just fine.

KC

Thanks KC. I would like the skull plate to show and not have it covered.

A couple ways to get that JB to bond; first take some kind of tool: a Dremel bit, or even just a sharp drill bit and ream/grind the smooth inside some to roughen it up and create some pockets and negative places for the epoxy to grab and hold mechanically. I suspect the batch you poured in may have shrunk due to the size of pour. You could put a bit more underneath and press the plug back in and let it set. Degrease (with acetone or similar) both the skull inside and the hardened epoxy plug before re-gluing things.

Degreasing and roughing up the surface will definitely help. I'll make sure I do that before I lay the plug back in. I'm sure I tightened down on the nuts to hard when attaching to the plaque, Pulling the epoxy away from the skull and breaking the original bond, which was already weak due to shrinkage and not scratching up the skull. I've rounded up industrial epoxy and will fill the complete skull plate. All of this combined should hold it.

Klik
That would be asking too much of the epoxy, IMO. Drill and tap shallow random holes at different angles. The epoxy flooded around them would hold adequately then. It may seem like overkill, but after doing a LOT of moose racks it is the best I found, and fast and cheap... Just four or five 1/4" short cheap bolts can be installed in minutes.

For cost savings the epoxy can be fluffed with micrballoons or chopped fibers to make it go much farther. Bondo is good for filler also and a bit cheaper, though not cheap.
art

Are you wanting to cover it with leather, or have the skull exposed?

Sitka - drilling & tapping for anchor bolts is a great idea.

DC - the skull will be exposed.

Why would you want teeth on a Euro mount? The repro skulls that I've used are cut like every other Euro mount I've seen. That is, the portion of the skull with the teeth is cut off so that it sits flat on the plaque. Maybe you should look into this a little more. Bare skull on a board is pretty tacky.

If exposed, two options...

1. Drill holes through skull from the side that shows. Countersink the holes so the heads will be flush. Then screw directly into the plaque, and cover holes with white eopxy clay. There is nothing wrong with painting the skull with offwhite paint, to blend it all together, then seal with clear matte. The skull may yellow over time otherwise.

-or-

2. Anchor piece of plywood in skull cavity, then send screws in though back of panel into the wood.

Pinchback Reproductions makes an excellent piece that you would be hard pressed to ID as fake.

I agree to an extent, but a little creativity goes a long way.

I took Sitka's advice and drilled/tapped for anchor bolts. When filled with epoxy, the epoxy and skull will have to crumble for anything to move. I was short one bolt so I didn't fill it with epoxy yet but will get it done tonight. I'll snap a few pics. BTW, I happened up on some high viscosity industrial grade epoxy that comes in two gallon cans (for anchoring retrofit bolts in concrete for bridge railing) so I'm in business.

BTW, if anyone is ever in the market for low viscosity epoxy I don't think it gets any better than SikaDur 35 Hi-MOD LV. It was actually way to low for the skull, running through it everywhere like it was kroil. I had a mess on my hands but the good news is that I don't have any doubt that every nook and cranny was filled and it is anchored for life.

Good job! But it doesn't look like all the bolts got bedded in the epoxy! A couple is probably enough. I have hung some Booner moose that way and they really have mass and leverage...

The last picture was pre-epoxy. Here's the final version. I believe that'll hold! I told you the epoxy had a very low viscosity. As you can see it made it's way through the porous portion in the back of the skull (that is not overflow). This epoxy job should be locked for life.

Gotcha! That is not going anywhere!