j8 How To Make Fish Mounts 



Some additional application of plastic will be necessary to bring 

 the base of the fins to their former contours. Use a small file 

 carefully and follow with fine sandpaper in order to remove any 

 rough spots. 



Mouth 



If you have made a separate mold of the mouth, prepare it 

 like any other for casting: allow to dry, shellac, and rub on 

 separator. It is best to make the cast in two pieces. Do one 

 side, wait till it hardens, apply the separator to the edges, and 

 then apply the plastic to the other side. After these two pieces 

 have been removed from the mold, they are clinched together 

 with fresh plastic where they meet at the rear of the mouth 

 ( Fig. 78 ) . A one-piece cast can be made around the mold, but 

 then it is a chore to dig out the goodly amount of plaster which 

 is in the mold. The plaster cannot be removed in a single solid 

 form because of the numerous angles and undercuts in the mold. 



Trim the cast of the mouth so that it fits accurately into the 

 jaws of the fish, then secure it in place with plastic. It is best 

 to do this from the inside. After this plastic has set hard, fill in 

 the seam where the mouth meets the jaws with additional 

 plastic. 



Eye 



Paint the glass eye ( see Chapter 5 ) . Protect the paint from 

 contact with the plastic, if plastic is used to set the eye in place, 

 by dropping hot wax over the painted side of the eye. If wax 

 is used to set the eye, place the glass eye snugly into the socket 

 while the wax is still soft. 



Bills or Spears 



The mold of a sailfish, marlin, or swordfish can be made to 

 include the bill or spear. When the cast is built the bill will also 

 be reproduced in the artificial medium. It is possible, how- 



