skull cleaning | Hydrographics | tanning

What is Hydrographics?

Hydrograhics is the process of applying images to three dimensional objects. Simply put if it can be painted, it can be dipped. If you have ever seen a wood grain dash board in a car, then you are familiar with Hydrographics. Hydrographics, or hydro dipping in its simplest form, is an automotive process where an object is cleaned, sanded, cleaned again, primed, painted, hydro dipped, then clear coated.

What options do you offer?

We use automotive grade primer, paints and clear coats. We will not use aerosols on your skull, rifle stock or motorcycle gas tank. Each part is properly prepared to give it a long lasting and durable finish. We offer dozens of patterns that we keep in stock, and have access to just about any film that is out there. We deal with many of the top film and hydrographic suppliers in the industry. We also stock a variety of clear coats; anything from high gloss to soft touch flat.

What is Your Process?

We offer you all of the advantages of having your skulls cleaned with dermestid beetles but we set ourselves apart from others who commonly use boiling pots in their process. By using beetles, you eliminate the danger of cleaning by boiling, which can damage the bone structure or cause shrinkage. Once cleaned of flesh, they go through an extensive de-greasing process. Then they are whitened to a natural bone color.

Preparing Skulls with Dermestid Beetles

Dermestid beetles are a specialized species of beetle that eats only animal flesh. Dermestid beetles are the longstanding preferred method of preparing skulls, used by many museum and university collections around the world. Preparing skulls with Dermestid beetles has several advantages over other methods, such as boiling or composting.

Your trophy will have absolutely no unpleasant smell, because all traces of meat are removed, and no emulsified fats are impregnated into the bone. Cleaning with beetles does not allow bone structures or suture lines to be unnaturally weakened, or teeth loosened or subject to cracking. Boiling also has been shown to shrink skulls!

If you want a high quality trophy, consider having your trophy prepared by our Dermestid beetles.

About Euro Skull Mount

My name is Gabe Piselli, and I am the proud owner and operator of Euro Skull Mount LLC. I started this business because of my passion for whitetail and predator hunting. In 2006, I learned how to skin and tan predator hides for myself and close hunting buddies. A year later I purchased my first colony of dermestid beetles to begin cleaning skulls again for myself and close friends. The word quickly spread that I was now doing European mounts, and from that Euro Skull Mount LLC was born.

As the skull business began to thrive, camo dipping of European mounts was growing popular. Feeling the need to be a full service skull cleaning business, I wanted to offer hydrographics to my customers. In May of 2014, I traveled to Arkansas and became a certified hydrographic installer. I was trained by one of the premier companies in the country.

I personally handle every trophy that comes in. From a youth hunter’s first antlerless whitetail to a moose from New Foundland, I prepare every trophy and oversee the cleaning, degreasing, whitening and camo dip if chosen. I currently have three colonies of beetles. Lead time on most whitetail is under three months. We do not boil or bleach any skulls.

We look forward to customizing your skulls, rifle stocks, car, truck, and motorcycle parts. From one hunter to another I will care for trophy as if it were my own.

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