202 How To Make Fish Mounts 



patch it. Instead, dig and scrape away all of the old wax and 

 remodel with fresh wax. Place a piece of beeswax in a double 

 boiler. When it melts apply the wax to the head with a brush. 

 When enough wax has been placed on the head, work it into 

 shape by scraping a knife over the high spots. With a sharp 

 tool carve in the necessary lines around the gills, lips, etc. Rub 

 down the head with cheesecloth dipped in turpentine to smooth 

 the head. Apply a thin coat of shellac over the waxed head 

 before painting. 



Body 



Often, the scales on a skin mount will lift. In order to 

 remedy the situation, it is necessary to remove the paint. Apply 

 a standard type of paint remover until the paint is soft, and 

 then wipe it off with a rag. Place some wet cloths over the 

 scales until they soften and return to their normal position. 

 Wipe the excess moisture off the fish and then brush on a thin 

 coat of glue. When the glue has dried thoroughly, coat the 

 entire fish with shellac (thinned 50-50 with alcohol) before 

 painting ( see Chapter 5 ) . If the mount does not have too heavy 

 a layer of paint, it will not be necessary to use paint remover. 

 Scales will soften quickly if moisture is applied to the underside 

 of the up-turned scales. 



If the body skin is cracked, it should be glued back to the 

 mannequin with a good contact cement. If there is a slight 

 separation where the crack occurred, it can be filled in with 

 melted beeswax. Scrape away the excess wax when it cools 

 and then brush on the shellac before painting. 



The inside of the mouth, if open, usually requires additional 

 attention. Dig away all old wax; apply fresh beeswax (brushed 

 on hot and melted ) ; model into the desired shape with scraping 

 tools and a hot iron; smooth with a cloth and turpentine; apply 

 shellac before painting. 



It is usually better to give the mount an entirely new paint 

 job rather than attempt to patch up areas. Paint fades, and it 

 is difficult to match an old paint job with fresh paint. 



