Fish Taxidermy Methods
Posted on August 4, 2010
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Fish taxidermy can be accomplished by one of two different methods. The original traditional method involves removing the skin, placing the skin on an armature carved of foam to resemble the original fish, and then painting. The other way to do it is to create a molded replica of the fish using the original fish. Each method has its pluses and minuses when it comes to how to taxidermy a fish.
Lets examine each type of fish taxidermy in more detail to help you decide which is best for you. In the traditional method the fish is laid on a block of Styrofoam and a marker is used to draw the silhouette of the fish on the foam. The taxidermist then begins to carve the Styrofoam block in the shape of the original fish. This is where much of the artistry comes into play. As you can see the Styrofoam armature must look as much like the original fish as possible or the fish will be poorly shaped. Since the skin has a tendency to shrink the armature must be made slightly smaller than the original fish.
If the armature is not made smaller the incision on the back of the fish may open up requiring additional fillers and repairs. Any sunken areas on the armature are filled in with auto body putty called bondo. This makes the armature very rigid. Unfortunately the skin may shrink or swell during weather changes but the armature will not.
The fish is then dried for months. After a lengthy drying period the fish is now ready to be painted and this completes the process of fish taxidermy.
Small cracks can develop in the skin over the bondo filled areas because the bondo does not flex. Changes in the skin can cause the paint to bubble and peel. Many of these natural problems can be solved with a fish replica. They are totally artificial and have none of the original parts of the fish in them. Some clients will reject this method of fish taxidermy because the replica is not the actual fish they caught. For many others the replica is their choice.
This method begins with a casting of the entire fish. Fish taxidermy supplies include a flexible silicone material as well as fiberglass cloth and resin. The silicone rubber is poured over the fish and allowed to harden. Then the silicone material is topped with fiberglass and resin to make the mold rigid. Once this casting is made it can be used to make other fish replicas around the same size and type. Sport fishermen can then bring a photo of their catch and have a replica made even though they do not have the original fish. These replicas can be done quickly and painted immediately. Replicas are helping to hold fish taxidermy prices down but some fishermen still want the real fish mounted.
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