I need some help on my skull mount. I was talked into doing it myself and it's coming along, but I've hit a snag. The "face" area is split in the middle and across under the eyes where the natural joints are, but seem to be held together only by cartilage. Do I separate these pieces, remove all of the junk inside and then glue it back together or what? Also, if it doesn't come apart, what's the best method for getting all of the soft tissue out of the snout without tearing something up?
Thanks,
Tim

OK, here's what I'm talking about:
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr310/ToolMan41/DSCI0090.jpg
The nasal cavities are still full of junk but I'm afraid if I keep boiling it and pull out all of that cartilage, the two lower pieces above the cavities are going to come apart from the rest of the skull. I really don't want to have to glue this guy back together, but if that's what needs to be done, that's fine-I just don't want to screw it up.

put the next one in a bucket of water for two weeks and then spray off with water hose .boiling works but you have to know what your doing try hemostats on the nose...

i soak my skulls in water first until 99% of the stuff rots off. it smells horrible but works well. then boil to get the last of the junk off/out and get rid of the smell. but not really boil but high simmer.

when yall leave them out in a bucket of water, do yall cover up the horns with a tarp or something???

I dont want my horns to lose their color.

Someone already mentioned the key to not having your heads fall apart at the seams is to not boil them, but simmer them. Besides the rot in a bucket of water (technically called, maceration) the other trick is to use a power washer to reach into the nasal areas either after maceration or after simmering. I will simmer for about 1 hour and clean as much as possible, then simmer again for 30 minutes and clean again, repeat simmering and cleaning as many times as necessary to get everything out.

Brandon you can submerge them in a square bucket (kitty litter bucket) to where just the horns are sticking out. They usually aren't in the soak long enough for the horns to discolor but they can be covered if you wanted to.

i boil mine and never had it happen to me. but iam sure u used a gas burner and let it get to hot. the best way is do it over an open fire in a pot works great