Wire, copper sulfate (or its solution), brush (for applying copper sulfate), tow (or any padding material (sintepon, cotton wool, etc.), glue (moment), quick-drying paints (in the review article, ordinary nail polish from women's cosmetics), beads/balls (for eyes), tweezers, scissors, knife, decorative pins, threads with a needle.
Through an incision in the chest, we free the bird from the carcass (meat). The hardest part to remove the skin from is the head and feet. In the tail, the most important thing is to leave the coccygeal gland (where the feathers grow) untouched. “Undressing” the feathered legs, they can turn out “into a stocking.” It's not scary, then you will bring them to the right position.
Having reached the head, remove it very carefully so as not to damage the feathers and the integrity of the skin. Use a small, sharp knife (preferably a scalpel). Don’t forget to cover the eye slits of the empty stuffed animal with a piece/ball of plasticine.
The bird's skull is cleaned of its contents by rinsing with running water and scraping. Any available objects (knife, tweezers). After that, stand in boiling water for no more than 3 minutes.
Of the entire trophy, what should be left on hand for future stuffed animals: an empty skull and skin with feathers, which must be treated (pickled) in copper sulfate to prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria.
The solution is made at the rate of 1 teaspoon of vitriol per 200-250 grams. water. Using a simple brush, we “paint” the stuffed animal’s skin from the inside. Avoid getting the blue solution on the feathers as unwanted coloration will occur. You can clean it, but there is a risk that the appearance will suffer.
We immerse the shard completely in the container with the solution.
The etching procedure should take about 6-7 hours.
We make the base from wire.
Measurements at this stage play an important role. Let's find out the girth of the head, chest, length of legs, wings. Based on the existing centimeters, we prepare the future frame. We wrap tow (cotton wool, padding polyester) on a wire frame. We’ll “dress” the bird on it.
We insert wire into the limbs of the bird to give it the desired position and so that the body of the future stuffed animal has strength.
In places where it is necessary, we add padding material to the density so that there is no feeling of emptiness.
When everything is ready, the bird is sewn together with thread. To secure the parts to be sewn (for convenience), use decorative pins.
The bird's eyes are made from balls and beads of suitable size. Using a scalpel and tweezers, the skin in the incisions is lifted, and the “eye” is in its place. The original color of this part is not particularly important, since to give the desired effect, black varnish or quick-drying paint is used. For the same purpose, you can treat the bird's beak.
Upon completion of all work, examine the trophy. Feathers that stick out and cannot be positioned simply by smoothing them must be carefully glued.To do this, apply one drop of second glue at the base of the feather.
Some representatives of birds have bright spots in color (beards, combs, eyelids, etc.). A killed bird easily loses this feature. You can easily restore your former attractiveness by resorting to the same nail polish.
In order for a stuffed bird to take on a finished look, it needs a stand. We will paint a simple cut of a tree, onto which a wooden knot is screwed, with “oak” stain.
The end result is such beauty.
