I just finished a nice european skull mount on a deer that I shot this season. I cleaned it all out, soaked it in bleach and it

[pjsabella]

I just finished a nice european skull mount on a deer that I shot this season. I cleaned it all out, soaked it in bleach and it came out really nicely. However some of the bleach got on the backside of the antlers and bleached it white. Any idea how I can fix this? Can I put wood stain on the antlers or will that look really fake?

[Derik Lee]

How long do you soak in the bleach and do you cut the solution at all? When I was in school we stayed away from using bleach on whale bones because it can damage the bone, which would make it difficult for articulation. Sun bleaching took more time but didn't matter to me just needed the credits for the class.

[Johnnie]

Somebody had a similar question on here a few months ago. I suggested using wood stain in a Early American tone. I'm not sure if they used the Early American stain, but they did post they had a good result using wood stain.
If, you use the wood stain I would apply a light coat and apply additional coats where you would like a darker tone.

[officerdom1987]

I've heard people put wet coffee grounds on it and let it sit on it till it dries which will bring back a brown look back on them. I also never used bleach on a skull because it weakens bones in the long run, I used a baking soda/peroxide paste mix and paint it on and let it dry.

[DSMbirddog]

I think you could use stain but apply it in coats to get the exact depth of stain you are looking for.

[4everAutumn]

When I peroxide skulls, sometimes the same thing happens to me. I use acrylic paint like you could get at any art store. Burnt Umber and Mars Black should do it, but you might need Titanium White and maybe Yellow Ochre. Paint in on to match the color and wipe it down lightly with a damp cloth for highlights. With a bit of trial and error, you should be able to match it right up. Just stay close with a clean damp cloth, don't get any on the skull and you'll be fine.

[charlie elk]

Next time don't use bleach as others stated the bones become weak & brittle. For added strength seal the skull with a clear wood floor finish or spar varnish. Art hobby stores carry rub on finishes used for antiquing sculptures, pick one that matches the tone of your antlers, you can just rub in it on with your finger to get the desired results.
Instead of bleach in the future use hydrogen peroxide available in any pharmacy.
While boiling and whitening wrap aluminum foil tightly around the base of the antlers above the skull this prevents them from leaching out their color.
Enjoy your mount it will fine for many years. Good luck getting more.
later,
charlie

[JM]

Could try rubbing a walnut or pecan on it(what I do to cover up scratches on rifle stocks). Absolutely no idea if this would work, but if you have any laying around give it a shot.

[huntfishtrap]

Yep, charlie elk said it best, my best advice would be to be a bit more careful in the future and you won't run into this problem. I actually never use bleach on my euro mounts, I find that a small squirt of dishwashing soap in the water when boiling makes it come out as good in the end.

[pjsabella]

Awesome thanks all for the advice!!!

[charlie elk]

Good mention on the dish soap huntfishtrap. A good de-greasing dish soap in the water works wonders for getting all that tallow and brain matter dissolved. I use the same method for making turkey wingbone calls.
later,
charlie

[Trapper Vic]

I have used acrylic paint, works good! Even used titanium white to paint the skull after bleaching. If you bleach paint in on

[pineywoods]

I've heard of using Kiwi shoe polish (brown paste) a little at the time. I think that's one of the keys, doing whatever stain a little at the time until the color and shade match.