Home Taxidermy for Pleasure and Profit | Page 4

to hold small tools. A shelf should be fitted between the legs, six
or eight inches from the floor, forming a handy place for boxes of
materials, books, etc.
[Illustration: WORK TABLE-SUPPLIES ON LOWER SHELF,
TOOLS, ETC. ON WALL.]
If large work is in prospect a table should be built of the usual heighth,
two or three feet wide, and six long. The legs of stout scantlings should
be fitted with casters, making it easy to remove it to the center of the
room where it can be approached on all sides, as will often be
necessary. The double top, drawers, and shelf should be a part of the
larger table also. Usually the table is kept in front of the window with
tool racks and shelves for small articles each side of the same where
they can easily be reached.
For preparing and mounting all small and medium size specimens I
would advise the following list of tools. They will enable the worker to
care for any of our native birds, quadrupeds up to the coyote, and any

of our game heads, fur rugs, etc.
1 small skinning knife 1 medium skinning knife 1 larger skinning knife
1 pair scissors, fine points 1 pair shears, heavy, short 2 pairs flat nose
pliers, large and small. 1 pair side or end cutters
[Illustration: HOME MADE TOOLS.
(1) Skin Scraper (made from screw driver) (2) (3) (4) Modeling Tools
(wood and brass) (5) Setting Needle. (6) (7) Stuffers (heavy wire.)]
1 pair fine forceps, 5 or 6 inch 2 flat files, large and small 1 adjustable
tool handle, assorted tools, awls. 2 pinking irons, 3/4 and 1-1/2 inch
Needles, assortment of cloth and glovers Oilstone
If it is capable of taking and holding a good edge the small blade of a
pocket knife is equal to a surgeon's scalpel and a sharp shoe or paring
knife, ground to the proper shape, is a nice medium size for skinning or
trimming skins. A hunting or butcher knife is sufficient for the largest
size. A few carpenter's tools are necessary and a complete set does not
come amiss if much large work is attempted.
We must have:
Handsaw Hatchet Hammer Bit brace Assortment, drills and bits, 1/2 in.
and less. Drawshave Screwdriver Small grindstone or corundum wheel
Chisels, two or three sizes 1 wood rasp 1 cabinet rasp 1 chopping block,
made of a section of hardwood log
If large animals are to be mounted we will need in addition some iron
working tools, such as
Set of taps and dies 1/4 to 1 in. Monkey wrench Hack saw Tanner's
knives, 1 or more
A combination vise and anvil will be needed in any case as well as
some miscellaneous tools:
Fur comb, coarse and fine combined Paint, wax, and varnish brushes

Foot rule Tape measure Putty knife Pointing trowel Skin scraper
and some stuffing and modelling tools which you can make yourself.
The list of materials seems like a long one, but many are inexpensive
and others are used only in some small amounts, so the aggregate cost
is small.
Excelsior Fine tow Cotton bat or wadding Plaster paris Corn meal
Gasoline Potter's or modelling clay Set tube oil colors Glass eyes,
assorted Soft wire, assorted Pins Cord Spool cotton, coarse and fine,
black and white Wax, varnish, glue, paste Papier mache, or paper for
same An assortment of nails, tacks, brads, screws, screw eyes and
staples
[Illustration: TAXIDERMISTS TOOLS.
(1) Gimlet (2) Expansive bits (3) Brush (4) Bone cutter (5) (6) (7) (8)
Pliers (9) Pinking irons (10) Hand vise (11) (12) Scalpels and knives.]
[Illustration: TAXIDERMISTS TOOLS.
(13) Scalpels (15) Sewing palm (16) Straight Surgeons Scissors (17)
Curved Surgeon Scissors (18) Angular Surgeons Scissors (19) Fine
Point Scissors (20) Scissor Handled Stuffers (21) Stuffer.]
[Illustration: TAXIDERMISTS TOOLS.
(22) Stuffer and forcep, curved fine point (23) Regular taxidermists
stuffer and forcep (24) Gauge (25) Hack Saw (26) Egg drill]
A packing box or two will furnish some lumber for temporary stands
and interior frame work. The permanent mounts are treated of
elsewhere.
In ordering glass eyes it is often best to get them in the clear glass iris
with black pupil so they may be given any color desired by painting the
backs with tube colors, afterward protecting the paint with varnish. In
this way a small stock will answer for many varieties. The plain black

eye which is the least expensive can be used for many of the smaller
birds and mammals, but should never be when the iris of the eye has
any distinct tint. Do not make the mistake of ordering an assortment of
"off" sizes and colors, that is those which are seldom called for. Aim to
have those on hand for which you will have the most frequent use,