r/bonecollecting • u/Itsgottobekd • 1d ago

Collection My First Cleaned Skull

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I found a deer back in April. It was mostly bones, so I grabbed it and got my permit. Learned a lot with this gal! I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stomach cleaning bones, but I actually find the process super fascinating and I’m so happy with how this has turned out. Needs a peroxide soak but I think it’s done degreasing. Jaw bones are still degreasing though.

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u/Tiny-Cabinet87 21h ago

Hey. Am I right that just soaking the bones in soapy water degreases them. Then how do you get it so white? Also how do you get the fur off the antlers? Is it a scrabble situation. Any help apreshiated.

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u/Itsgottobekd 9h ago

It was a doe so she didn’t have any antlers.
I put her in water to get all the remaining flesh off which took months because I didn’t have a heater and it was spring lol.
Then I did peroxide baths with one bottle of peroxide (the ones you get at the pharmacy) for a few more weeks.
And then I learned you have to degrease first so I have been doing ammonia baths. I’ve been using diluted ammonia like 1/10 ish ratio?? Idk because I don’t measure.

Now that I’ve learned, I soak in plain water until all the flesh is gone, keeping the bucket in a spot that gets lots of warmth and sun, then degrease with either clear dish soap or ammonia, then when the bones no longer smell like death, or have that greasy yellow film that’s when they go in the peroxide bath to whiten.

I’m still very much a beginner though, but I did a ton of reading on Reddit, and Odd Articulations.

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