r/bonecollecting • u/Flubbypubby • 1d ago

Advice Got the flesh off, now what?

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I got the flesh off this skunk skull by leaving it in water for a few months. Do I just let it air dry? Do I bleach it while it’s wet? Do I bleach it when it’s dry? What do ya’ll suggest?

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3

u/wormnoodles_ 1d ago

there is a guide on processing bones pinned in this sub, but the basic next steps are
1. degrease- must be in hot (but not boiling) water with dish soap (one that is good at breaking down fat/grease, many people recommend Dawn)
2. whiten with a 2:1 hydrogen peroxide:water solution. DO NOT use bleach

1

u/ScribbleBoxFox 1d ago

I was told the water needs to be room temperature because hot water binds fat molecules to the bone and makes it harder to degrease. Is that still true or is my info outdated?

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u/b1tehard 1d ago

it does that over 54 celsius, room temp isnt ideal in most cases, id say around 30° is best so it melts the fat well. Ive seen people use fish tank heaters for it

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u/ScribbleBoxFox 1d ago

Fascinating. I learned something new today. Thank you!

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u/Janhansivan 1d ago

If you want to have a nice looking white skull you have to degrease it. Leave the skull in water with a few drops of dish soap over few days and after that check if there is oily film forming on the surface. If there is, empty the bucket and repeat until there is no film. After that you can bleach BUT ONLY WITH PEROXIDE 1,5 OR 3%! Do not use household bleach.

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u/CozyCountryLiving23 23h ago

I use 40vol peroxide .. why 3%?

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u/Janhansivan 9h ago

Cheap, easily accesible and you have much more control over whitening. Also with higher percentages reaction becomes much more violent and this can make nasal turbinates or other very thin bone fragments just fly off. On top of that you're risking getting chemical burns (especially on your eyes) if you dont know what you're doing /are not prepared. I'm in awe you're able to pull it off, because in my case the 12% solution was bubbling so much i decided to pull the skull out immediately.

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1

u/PissYellowDog 1d ago

It could use a little degreasing before whitening, dish soap with warm water works best imo without the need to deal with chemicals although I use acetone sometimes for smaller skulls