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bagelbites
i just noticed your post!
heres a really useful beginner reference for bone cleaning!
http://www.jakes-bones.com/p/how-to-clean-animal-bones.html
Hey, I hope y'all don't mind me jumping in here real quick and talking about my first time finding and keeping a dead piece of bird.
It was about two years ago when I decided that I wanted to have a skull, just for fun and maybe for drawing reference.
Without anything but a stick and a plastic bag I ventured out into the wild and started turning over wet leaves, poking the mud and basically looking like an overall creep hiding a body or something. About an hour later (after getting some really weird looks from strangers spotting me sitting in the bushes) I actually found a small skull of a bird with a few dark scraps of meat/feathers/I don't really know , took it home and proceeded to cleat it with an old toothbrush.
Then I dumped it in a small glass of vodka and eventually gave it away as a gift some time later.
I know I probably made all the mistakes possible (I left the toothbrush on the sink and almost put it in my heckin mouth later that evening) but I think it was still a fun experience.
I certainly plan on having some kind of skull/bones in my home once I move out. But this time I'll leave the work to the professionals.
Hey, I hope y'all don't mind me jumping in here real quick and talking about my first time finding and keeping a dead piece of bird.
It was about two years ago when I decided that I wanted to have a skull, just for fun and maybe for drawing reference.
Without anything but a stick and a plastic bag I ventured out into the wild and started turning over wet leaves, poking the mud and basically looking like an overall creep hiding a body or something. About an hour later (after getting some really weird looks from strangers spotting me sitting in the bushes) I actually found a small skull of a bird with a few dark scraps of meat/feathers/I don't really know , took it home and proceeded to cleat it with an old toothbrush.
Then I dumped it in a small glass of vodka and eventually gave it away as a gift some time later.
I know I probably made all the mistakes possible (I left the toothbrush on the sink and almost put it in my heckin mouth later that evening) but I think it was still a fun experience.
I certainly plan on having some kind of skull/bones in my home once I move out. But this time I'll leave the work to the professionals.
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Sewercircuit
yeah you get a 0 for sanitation but a 11/10 for commitment and being generally hardcore.
The sink is a very scary move, which unfortunately I do see a lot. Hoses are buckets of water are quite a bit safer lol. If you are curious on how to do clean up bones in the future it shouldn't be too hard though, as long as you clean it outside and keep any tools you used (say, tooth brush) outside and away too. I don't think the vodka thing was a too bad move actually, most people use hydrogen peroxide to sanitize, but alcohol is a disinfectant too.
But dude, I love the emotional resolve to go out and find a skull, even though an I am a pretty avid dead collector I don't think I ever had the determination to just get out and look for an animal until I found one. Props to you, and I'm glad the experience didn't turn you off from bones for good!
@
Sewercircuit
yeah you get a 0 for sanitation but a 11/10 for commitment and being generally hardcore.
The sink is a very scary move, which unfortunately I do see a lot. Hoses are buckets of water are quite a bit safer lol. If you are curious on how to do clean up bones in the future it shouldn't be too hard though, as long as you clean it outside and keep any tools you used (say, tooth brush) outside and away too. I don't think the vodka thing was a too bad move actually, most people use hydrogen peroxide to sanitize, but alcohol is a disinfectant too.
But dude, I love the emotional resolve to go out and find a skull, even though an I am a pretty avid dead collector I don't think I ever had the determination to just get out and look for an animal until I found one. Props to you, and I'm glad the experience didn't turn you off from bones for good!
Hey everyone! I recently found a little black bird completely intact and partially decomposed. I was able to remove all of the feathers and a good portion of the remaining skin. Does anyone have some tips for removing flesh from such a tiny, fragile skeleton? I've been afraid to try any of the methods I've read for bigger bones. These things are so small theyre literally translucent.
Thanks in advance!
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GingerC
It's cool to see someone else into resin casting! I have a butterfly/moth collection in my sock drawer that I'm waiting on to dry out completely that I'll cast someday. I have several Double tailed swallow tails and a couple of small, monarch looking butterflies that I haven't been able to ID yet. I just found a moth with some really nice feathery antennae that I'm super excited about casting!
Hey everyone! I recently found a little black bird completely intact and partially decomposed. I was able to remove all of the feathers and a good portion of the remaining skin. Does anyone have some tips for removing flesh from such a tiny, fragile skeleton? I've been afraid to try any of the methods I've read for bigger bones. These things are so small theyre literally translucent.
Thanks in advance!
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GingerC
It's cool to see someone else into resin casting! I have a butterfly/moth collection in my sock drawer that I'm waiting on to dry out completely that I'll cast someday. I have several Double tailed swallow tails and a couple of small, monarch looking butterflies that I haven't been able to ID yet. I just found a moth with some really nice feathery antennae that I'm super excited about casting!
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ShivaDiamondDust
I have dealt with some translucent bones before, from a little feral green parrot. Scary stuff, it's so delicate!
Macerating it in a bucket of water worked very well, as long as you have patience. You can use any container really, just be careful with jars with metal lids in case it rusts. But I'd say leave it in the water for a while to break down and loosen the rest of the flesh, and then try to with a small, soft bristle tooth brush to gently remove the remaining flesh. But, if you leave it in the water for long enough (a few weeks or more) you probably don't have to worry about much remaining flesh.
Just be sure to use a fine mesh when straining the bones so you don't lose any. For things that small you might be able to use wire pencil holders or something similar when changing the maceration water.
Also, I love your sig, the ludicolo are adorable!
@
ShivaDiamondDust
I have dealt with some translucent bones before, from a little feral green parrot. Scary stuff, it's so delicate!
Macerating it in a bucket of water worked very well, as long as you have patience. You can use any container really, just be careful with jars with metal lids in case it rusts. But I'd say leave it in the water for a while to break down and loosen the rest of the flesh, and then try to with a small, soft bristle tooth brush to gently remove the remaining flesh. But, if you leave it in the water for long enough (a few weeks or more) you probably don't have to worry about much remaining flesh.
Just be sure to use a fine mesh when straining the bones so you don't lose any. For things that small you might be able to use wire pencil holders or something similar when changing the maceration water.
Also, I love your sig, the ludicolo are adorable!
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LizardKing
Thanks for the helpful info! I never even thought of using a toothbrush +straining
My only problem is i found the bird first, and did research AFTER. Hey ho, excitement ^^; I had it soaking in alcohol due to my roommate's recommendation. Will macerating it still work even though the bacteria have been killed off? Or would just letting the flesh soak in water soften it up some even though its sterile?
And thanks! There used to be a Miror B. sprite next to them, but the image was taken down and I've been too lazy to find/make a new sprite. Someday though!
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LizardKing
Thanks for the helpful info! I never even thought of using a toothbrush +straining
My only problem is i found the bird first, and did research AFTER. Hey ho, excitement ^^; I had it soaking in alcohol due to my roommate's recommendation. Will macerating it still work even though the bacteria have been killed off? Or would just letting the flesh soak in water soften it up some even though its sterile?
And thanks! There used to be a Miror B. sprite next to them, but the image was taken down and I've been too lazy to find/make a new sprite. Someday though!
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ShivaMateria
Sure thing!
Even if its sterile, the water will still break down the skin, it should still work. Bacteria do help break flesh down, but water itself is pretty powerful. It will certainly soften up the flesh at the very least. Plus if you just have water lying around bacteria can very well start to grow; water is a breeding ground for all sorts of microorganisms, and if it still has skin on it there will be food! Not saying it will happen, but I'm sure its a possibility; sanitized things don't stay that way for ever.
my random progen is named Miror B he's such an amazing character omg
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ShivaMateria
Sure thing!
Even if its sterile, the water will still break down the skin, it should still work. Bacteria do help break flesh down, but water itself is pretty powerful. It will certainly soften up the flesh at the very least. Plus if you just have water lying around bacteria can very well start to grow; water is a breeding ground for all sorts of microorganisms, and if it still has skin on it there will be food! Not saying it will happen, but I'm sure its a possibility; sanitized things don't stay that way for ever.
my random progen is named Miror B he's such an amazing character omg
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LizardKing
Great advice! I'll give it a shot and post an update (hopefully with photos) in a few weeks :)
I looked at your progen, btw. I love how he's as flamboyant as the real character! B^)
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LizardKing
Great advice! I'll give it a shot and post an update (hopefully with photos) in a few weeks :)
I looked at your progen, btw. I love how he's as flamboyant as the real character! B^)
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ShivaMateria
I'd love to see update photos when it's all finished up, tiny bones are just so delightful to look at, something between it being so cute and small but dainty and pretty!
............................
So, I finished up my wet preserve speckled crab today. Kind of. My weird contraption to fix it into the position I wanted worked really well, probably. The body stays in the rough position I put it in, none of the legs are balling up or any of that. The fixation pinning worked. So I'm one step closer to finishing up my little (no, its huge, oops) wet specimen tutorial! In a way.
His claws are really dark, with red in the joints. I don't know what that is. His back body is also kinda dark, and the front of it. I fear that the black felt could of dyed it? Or the colored orbs on the sewing pins? But that doesn't really make sense, as only a few areas are discolored. I still want to test it, because I can't recommend something if it might discolor the specimen really strangely. We didn't know the time of death on the crab though, so it could be decay? But I have seen any floating or gas release, so I can't be sure.
If anyone wants to look at him, and also maybe try and help me figure out what is happening to him, that would be awesome. Just PM me and I can send you the pic.
Oh boy, weird problems show up at every corner don't they?
@
ShivaMateria
I'd love to see update photos when it's all finished up, tiny bones are just so delightful to look at, something between it being so cute and small but dainty and pretty!
............................
So, I finished up my wet preserve speckled crab today. Kind of. My weird contraption to fix it into the position I wanted worked really well, probably. The body stays in the rough position I put it in, none of the legs are balling up or any of that. The fixation pinning worked. So I'm one step closer to finishing up my little (no, its huge, oops) wet specimen tutorial! In a way.
His claws are really dark, with red in the joints. I don't know what that is. His back body is also kinda dark, and the front of it. I fear that the black felt could of dyed it? Or the colored orbs on the sewing pins? But that doesn't really make sense, as only a few areas are discolored. I still want to test it, because I can't recommend something if it might discolor the specimen really strangely. We didn't know the time of death on the crab though, so it could be decay? But I have seen any floating or gas release, so I can't be sure.
If anyone wants to look at him, and also maybe try and help me figure out what is happening to him, that would be awesome. Just PM me and I can send you the pic.
Oh boy, weird problems show up at every corner don't they?
I got around to prepping my little black bird for maceration today! Got him as clean and plucked as I could manage, now we wait!
For anyone interested, here's a current progress shot. I love how translucent the skull is. I'm currently brainstorming on a name for the little thing. If anyone has ideas, PM me xD
TW: Dead stuff.
>>>Black bird pic!<<<
@
LizardKing
I got around to prepping my little black bird for maceration today! Got him as clean and plucked as I could manage, now we wait!
For anyone interested, here's a current progress shot. I love how translucent the skull is. I'm currently brainstorming on a name for the little thing. If anyone has ideas, PM me xD
TW: Dead stuff.
>>>Black bird pic!<<<
@
LizardKing
