Sheep Euro Mount

[tam9492]

After just under a year, my ram is home from Mexico! I’m going to do a euro on a habitat base, and I’m planning to do it all myself. A few questions:

1. What’s the best adhesive for securing the horns to the cores?
2. What’s the best material for building habitat, such as rock? I’m guessing taxi supply sites will have everything I need, but I’m wondering if there are locally-available products that folks like to use?

 

[Ramem7mm]

Awesome ram! Hot glue is what I used before to secure the horns to the skull. A DIY skull whitening trick would be to use salon hair bleach.

 

[ColeyG]

I've used wood glue with a handful of sheep skulls with good results. It is water soluble so if you need to remove the horns in the future for repairs, cleaning, etc. that can be accomplished. I've had a couple of the skulls knocked around pretty good and the wood glue has held just fine. Some of the taxidermists use a finishing nail in the back of the horns to lock them into place after gluing.

 

[JeffP_Or]

Adhesive: I always heard bondo for the gluing part; be sure to mark/locate prior to removal so you get them back in the same position. Some are pin-marked like noted. Also, for what it is worth, I seem to recall there is some debate about swelling the horns and score impacts when using bondo, so on 'official'/record book applications, it is supposedly not allowed or at least controversial and should be researched.

Habitat: Shop around Matuska, Van Dyke's and Mckenzie in their habitat sections - all sorts of available rocks/shrubs/platforms that can be purchased. most are already finished in a regional color. No finishing required beyond putting the pieces together.

 

[Atigun]

Bondo has worked great for me. I have tried hot glue on a dead head before with very poor results. That same dead head I used Bondo after the hot glue failed and then had it fall off of the top of a book shelf and not a worry. If you’re doing a Euro yourself I recommend following the tutorial that was put out by Proving Trail Adventures.

 

[Bambistew]

I have always just bondoed mine back on. Make sure to degrease the core and scrape out all the membrane on the inside of the horn sheath. I usually ruff up the inside of the horn a little with some 80 grit. Make sure to scrape off any excess that oozes out. I've done a dozen like this and never had an issue. My taxidermist does the same thing. Haven't had one come off yet.

Also the horns will shrink so its better to get them back on sooner rather than latter, or you may have to grind off the bone/core to get them to fit.

Nice ram!

 

[Marine4life]

I bought a fake rock off the internet from one of the taxidermists sites. It was pretty reasonable. Then I added smaller rocks and chips from creek bed behind the house. All the vegetation was picked up at hobby

lobby. Glued everything in place myself.


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[tam9492]

I bought a fake rock off the internet from one of the taxidermists sites. It was pretty reasonable. Then I added smaller rocks and chips from creek bed behind the house. All the vegetation was picked up at hobby

lobby. Glued everything in place myself.


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Fantastic! This is what I’m going for. Anything used to keep the skull in place/balanced?

 

[BC Alpine Hunter]

I used PL Premium to glue the horns onto my sheep euro mount. Possibly a bit overkill but I don’t ever plan on removing them. If you are mounting the skull on a base where they won’t be handled I’m sure any wood glue would work. Even a bit of spray foam would work. If you use an expanding adhesive be sure to secure the horns to the skull during the drying process so the horns don’t creep off. Congrats on the ram.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have used liquid nails for the horn glue on pronghorn euros and that worked very well.

 

[Grassymike]

I used PL Premium to glue the horns onto my sheep euro mount. Possibly a bit overkill but I don’t ever plan on removing them. If you are mounting the skull on a base where they won’t be handled I’m sure any wood glue would work. Even a bit of spray foam would work. If you use an expanding adhesive be sure to secure the horns to the skull during the drying process so the horns don’t creep off. Congrats on the ram.

If you used PL premium they are permanent. ...

 

[fshaw]

Beautiful mounts.

 

[tam9492]

I do plan on the skull be removable from the base - not sure if it makes sense just to have it sit on there, or if there’s something to use to keep it loosely in place when on the base.

 

[Bambistew]

I do plan on the skull be removable from the base - not sure if it makes sense just to have it sit on there, or if there’s something to use to keep it loosely in place when on the base.

I'd insert a metal rod or dowel into the base to secure the skull via the brain hole.

 

[WCB]

Bondo for the horns...As far as supplies a craft and hardware store will have 99% of what you need. A fake rock or vegetation would be best bought from a taxi supply. But most habitats are just foam with adhesive over the top and dirt/rocks poured/spread out over the adhesive.

I think it would be cool to do a habitat but just lay the head on there. Look more natural than a head just magically balance on the base. Just me though.

 

[Marine4life]

Fantastic! This is what I’m going for. Anything used to keep the skull in place/balanced?

I used an L bracket from Home Depot. Screwed to the base and then fastened a 5/8 in dowel to the L bracket. I ground a flat spot for a good fit. The dowel sticks up 6 inches. Then I drilled a hole thru the fake rock and placed over the dowel. Fill the brain cavity with plaster of Paris and after it dries drill it out so the dowel fits and holds the skull how you want. In my case the skull doesn’t touch anything but the dowel.


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[Marine4life]

I do plan on the skull be removable from the base - not sure if it makes sense just to have it sit on there, or if there’s something to use to keep it loosely in place when on the base.

I wanted the same thing. Mine goes on and off the dowel very easy. I enjoy pulling it off and holding it and have other people check it out.


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[tam9492]

I used an L bracket from Home Depot. Screwed to the base and then fastened a 5/8 in dowel to the L bracket. I ground a flat spot for a good fit. The dowel sticks up 6 inches. Then I drilled a hole thru the fake rock and placed over the dowel. Fill the brain cavity with plaster of Paris and after it dries drill it out so the dowel fits and holds the skull how you want. In my case the skull doesn’t touch anything but the dowel.


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Perfect info!

 

[Rackmastr]

I use bondo for antelope horns but I use epoxy for sheep horns. I’ve seen bondo fail with sheep horns before, but for a euro mount it would be fine and cleans up easily. I always recommend cutting or carving out the bondo just before it sets up hard (once rubbery) and it cleans up really easily if you have any squeezed out. For a really good hold, epoxy is hard to beat.

For habitat you can either buy a pre made rock or use something similar to Habitat rock or a rock panel from any of the suppliers.

 

[Rackmastr]

Here’s one I did a few years back