Step by step Peregrine Taxidermy

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

This is a reproduction of a thread from a couple of years ago.

Ok, as promised, here is the start of the Taxidermy thread. The first 2 pics show the Peregrine before any work has started. At this point I would feel the bird for broken bones etc. Moving the bird into various poses, and taking a mental note of how I envisage the bird to end up.
I part the breast feathers and make an incision down the centre (pic3).

Pic 1
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010549.jpg
Pic 2
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010550.jpg
Pic 3
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010551.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Then proceed to skin down towards the tail, taking out the leg bones (pic 4).
Once the legs are out, I take the tail out and continue to skin up the back, towards the head. (pic 5).
I skin over the head, right down to the cere (pic 6).
Pic 4
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010552.jpg
Pic 5
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010553.jpg
Pic 6
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010554.jpg

[Colin Bevan]

Hi Rob, this should be interesting as i missed it first time round. I guess you have to leave at least one of the rings on, as proof for whatever ?
Col.

[Colin Bevan]

Oops...I guess not :oops: :)

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Then clean the skull (pic 7).
The wing is skinned from the inside as much as I can, then finished from the outside (pic 8).
Pic 9 shows the bird ready to be cleaned. I need to clean all the fatty tissue from the skin, and from between the feather tracts.
Pic 7
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010556.jpg
Pic 8
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010557.jpg
Pic 9
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010558.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Pic 10 shows the cleaned skin. Notice the feather ends now that they have been cleaned.
Pic 11 shows the bird after it has been washed. I cover the inside of the bird with fairy liquid which helps with the degreasing. Then it goes into a sink of warm water with more degreasant in it. The bird is washed and rinsed.
Pic 12 shows the bird after it has been dried. I use a hairdryer for this.
Pic 10
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010560.jpg
Pic 11
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010561.jpg
Pic 12
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010562.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Pic 13, shows the carved foam body. Measurements were taken from the original carcass to ensure that the foam body fits correctly.

I dont carve from foam anymore, i prefer to bind the bodies using thread and woodwool, covered with scrim then woodglue.

Pic 13
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010563.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Pic 14 shows the wire in the wing. The legs are also wired in a similar way, but using a slight heavier wire.
Pic 15 shows the bird with legs and wings wired, and ready to stitch up, as does pic 16.

Pic 14
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010564.jpg
Pics 15 and 16.
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010565.jpg
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010566.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Pic 17 shows the bird in a rough pose, ready to start the final finishing work. Pic 18 is with some finishing work done.

Pic 17
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010567.jpg
Pic 18
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010568.jpg

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Pics 19 and 20 show the bird pretty much finished. Over the next few days, I will groom the feathers a little more.

Pic 19
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010569.jpg
Pic 20
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010570.jpg

[Bullet]

outstanding thread mate, credit to you

[OutHawkn]

Very nice Rob, I've practicing but I can see I have a long way to go......:lol:

[LongArm]

awesome work rob, i hope to take up this craft in a few years, i was a butcher / slaughter man for many years, so im priety good with animal anatomy, do you think this would help,also do you have to paint the feet and sears, due to pigmantation loss, kind regards longarm :supz::supz:

[Simon C]

Excellent - never seen anything like that before - precision cutting :supz:

[Phil Noble]

Amazing work really admire the craft and skill that goes into this, Well done!
Phil

[Ross Ricks]

tats bloody brillant that is
cheers for showing
atb ross

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

awesome work rob, i hope to take up this craft in a few years, i was a butcher / slaughter man for many years, so im priety good with animal anatomy, do you think this would help,also do you have to paint the feet and sears, due to pigmantation loss, kind regards longarm :supz::supz:

Thanks folks. Yeh, the feet and cere need painted. I use a permenant marker on the talons as well. Gives them a nice black look.

[LongArm]

Thanks folks. Yeh, the feet and cere need painted. I use a permenant marker on the talons as well. Gives them a nice black look.
cheers rob :supz:

[David.Gook]

Fanastic job , really looks nice mate well done

[Kentish Falconry]

Nice work Rob
Terry :)

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Thanks Terry.

[Andy_G]

Wow mate stunning work a credit to you

[Robam]

Stunning !! can we see a final pic, when talons painted etc and its completley finished :supz:

Rob

[Ross Ricks]

rob roughly how long did tat take to do mate?

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Stunning !! can we see a final pic, when talons painted etc and its completley finished :supz:

Rob

Hi Rob,

Thats a couple of years old mate. Im not sure if i have a pic, but will have a look.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

rob roughly how long did tat take to do mate?

You could do it in a day. Tho i have about 20 tea breaks a day, so it runs into 2 days. Its like a crossword puzzle, you gotta walk away sometimes and pick it back up later to get it completed. Anyhow, im not a full time professional, so im not "on the clock" so to speak.

[Robam]

Hi Rob,

Thats a couple of years old mate. Im not sure if i have a pic, but will have a look.


Oh!! didnt realise it was 2 years old, but then on re reading first post it does say that :roll::rolleyes:

Rob

[Maverick]

excellent thread Rob, really interesting!!!
regards
Kevin

[Mooshie]

What a great thread I'm happy you showed it, iv always wondered how it was done? :P

[K.K]

I thought it is more difficult. Thanks.

[EdenJohnny]

Super thread, but as a matter of interest, do You do them as a commission? or what would the price be to just buy one .? wel done
Johnny

[Rabbit Killer]

I thought it is more difficult. Thanks.

It is difficult.
The easy bit is skinning the bird out.
Anyone can skin a bird out.
The hard bit is setting the bird up to look right.

Theres alot more to it than the pictures show.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Super thread, but as a matter of interest, do You do them as a commission? or what would the price be to just buy one .? wel done
Johnny

I only do to order these days. pm me if you have something in mind.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

It is difficult.
The easy bit is skinning the bird out.
Anyone can skin a bird out.
The hard bit is setting the bird up to look right.

Theres alot more to it than the pictures show.

:supz:

[Rabbit Killer]

As anyone who has tried Taxidermy, they will tell you its hard.

I have given a couple of days tuition to a mate from Dumfries who still finds it very hard to set them up. (I think he,s given up anyway)

Carl Church produces some of the best Taxidermy I,ve seen here in the UK.
Google Carl Church Taxidermy for his website.

Mike Gadd is also an outstanding Taxidermist.

Rob, I have seen some pics on here of your work.
Have you got anymore you can post up.

Thanks.

[K.K]

I see..

I know some guy here who is taxidermist, but he use some high poison chemicals?

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

As anyone who has tried Taxidermy, they will tell you its hard.

I have given a couple of days tuition to a mate from Dumfries who still finds it very hard to set them up. (I think he,s given up anyway)

Carl Church produces some of the best Taxidermy I,ve seen here in the UK.
Google Carl Church Taxidermy for his website.

Mike Gadd is also an outstanding Taxidermist.

Rob, I have seen some pics on here of your work.
Have you got anymore you can post up.

Thanks.


Will dig some others out later, cheers.

[Wooly]

Cracking thread Rob thanks for sharing, it was very interesting. ATB terry.

[Rabbit Killer]

Will dig some others out later, cheers.

Thanks.

If I can I,ll put some pics up of some of my work.
I,ll have to photograph some pics from my photo album and try reproduce them on here.

ALB.

RK.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

An early Albidus Gos.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1010531.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/P1030450.jpg

[Rabbit Killer]

Rob,
Do you use acyralic eyes for your work ?
I get them from STS for the Gos, Spar, Buzzard etc etc.
They are very good quality. Very life like.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Yeh, tho mine come from John Hallet.

[Rabbit Killer]

Yeh, tho mine come from John Hallet.

I dont know him.
I have seen some horrendous work in the past, as you most likely have done with people not prepared to pay the cost of quality eyes. I have seen teddy bear eyes substituted for quality eyes just to cut costs.

It pays to go for quality materials.

[RandusBaby]

Thankyou Rob for this very interesting thread, it has really enlightened me, you make it look easy but i can tell it is not. Great skill you have there my friend, not many people would want to share the knowledge that you obviously have!

[SashMan]

liked seeing that thanks ,how many years have you been doing this art

[Rabbit Killer]

Thankyou Rob for this very interesting thread, it has really enlightened me, you make it look easy but i can tell it is not. Great skill you have there my friend, not many people would want to share the knowledge that you obviously have!

As a Taxidermist myself, I will tell you that its not easy.
I have tried to teach several people how to do it, most have got frustrated and gave up in the early stages.
There,s loads of materials needed to start and finish the work, its more than just a dead specimen.

I always advise people to practice on a Magpie, Jackdaw etc as their skins are tough and will tolerate mistakes etc. And they are plentiful too so nothing lost either.

[SatansLittleHelper]

Wow thats amazing....I have always wondered how exactly that is done, so a fascinating thread :supz:
Your work looks brilliant..!!!

[Drifty]

The Peregrine's very nice Rob, but you should post a pic of my ex wife that you did for me. The kid's still don't Know!!! BLISS.
Thanks again!!!
Alan.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

Steady on guys...:oops: thanks for the compliments but im afraid im just ordinary when compared to the decent taxidermists like Carl Church and Mike Gadd.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

The Peregrine's very nice Rob, but you should post a pic of my ex wife that you did for me. The kid's still don't Know!!! BLISS.
Thanks again!!!
Alan.


Here you go Alan, what was her name again, Jackie?

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/ayrshiretaxidermy/jackie_stallone1.jpg

[Owl]

excellent work the time you put into your birds to get them the way you want them and the hard work brilliant, those birds are a credit to you as they have got a sort of a second life after death posing the way you have them keep up the excellent work.atb,tony :supz::supz::supz::supz:

[Rabbit Killer]

If Rob doesn,t mind I'll try post some pics up of my work too.
I dont want to raid his thread though, although its all Taxidermy related.

Thanks.

RK.

[AyrshireTaxidermy]

If Rob doesn,t mind I'll try post some pics up of my work too.
I dont want to raid his thread though, although its all Taxidermy related.

Thanks.

RK.

Carry on mate.

[Rabbit Killer]

Carry on mate.

Thanks,
I'll try and do it 2morrow if I can get the digi camera to take from my album.

[FalconFred]

Very good Rob,

atb,

Ger

[Gordie]

a mate of mine in banff tryed to show me how to do taxidermy,but i'v no patience's,nice work you do there rob. gordon.