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Coyote
Aug 25, 2006 21:57:30 GMT -5
Post by trkyman on Aug 25, 2006 21:57:30 GMT -5
My first coyote kill, this is also my first coyote mount. I'd like to put him on a base with habitat but I don't have the money to buy one yet.
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Coyote
Aug 26, 2006 12:18:32 GMT -5
Post by circleh on Aug 26, 2006 12:18:32 GMT -5
Hey nina. Since its your mount you ought to try and make your own base. Try something simple first. Then keep trying to improve each time. It will save you lots of $, its fun, and you can take pride in doing it yourself.
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Coyote
Aug 27, 2006 7:43:31 GMT -5
Post by forrestzoo on Aug 27, 2006 7:43:31 GMT -5
Nina, I make my own bases and they are usually very simple unless someone wants to put alot of extra money in it. Since it's for your self if you don't like the end product no bigger, add more, start over or change it. Since I also don't have alot of money to put into bases like buying the premade rocks etc I try a grou d scene. I purchase or cut from scrap a 1/2 inch (or close) of plywood for the base, buy just enough moulding to go around it as a frame. I go to a hobby store and buy styrafoam for the base. I like to curve the edes down after cuttuing it to fit my base frame it looks more natural. I set the animal on it and mark where the feet/tail/etc will be on it. Then I layout what artificil greenery, sticks, rocks, bones, etc I am going to use to get a feel for the natural look. I have a lot of craft paints so I will mix up a cup of browns etc to get what kind of color dirt I want (reddish brown for clay colored dirt, dark brown for swampy looking dirt). I have already collected several colors of dirt and sand from my area, baked in oven to sterilize & have it in tubs very dry).. So I paint the styrofoam pretty watery the color I want the dirt to be and then srpinkle on the matching dirt/sand. Let it dry dyr dry. Shake off after several hours. The paint will form a crusty layer with the dirt and vwalla or however you spell it.. you have a cheap base. Then superglue/pin/elmers glue your other stuff.
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Coyote
Aug 27, 2006 10:26:41 GMT -5
Post by trkyman on Aug 27, 2006 10:26:41 GMT -5
thanks for the help, I will try that
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Coyote
Aug 27, 2006 19:51:06 GMT -5
Post by jwj4856 on Aug 27, 2006 19:51:06 GMT -5
Nina, saw your coyote on other site and as several others I also suggested putting it on a base, Have you started a base for it yet, let us see some pics when you get it on one.
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Coyote
Aug 28, 2006 8:19:15 GMT -5
Post by trkyman on Aug 28, 2006 8:19:15 GMT -5
Haven't started on a base yet, but will soon
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Coyote
Aug 28, 2006 12:10:01 GMT -5
Post by riverrat on Aug 28, 2006 12:10:01 GMT -5
Hi Nina, You can have a lot of fun creating bases, I start with a piece of plywood 1/2" thick to1" thick (what ever I find laying around). Cut it to a shape I want, spray paint (usually black) the whole base, then I use insta foam, you can spray as much or little as you want. After you do a couple you relay get creative. Now if you have to much foam you get a knife and trim, When I first started I tried to get the foam perfectly smooth (is the ground ever perfect) most of the time now I leave the foam the way it comes out .Any wear that you break the skin on the foam you will have to seal it with a fiberglass (Can be bought at Wall Mart auto dept) I have found at this point that you can fiberglass the whole top and save yourself time by applying a coat of peat-moss over the wet fiberglass an let it set. From hear on it is up to you how much you want add to your seen.
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Coyote
Aug 28, 2006 13:50:56 GMT -5
Post by fleshnertaxidermy on Aug 28, 2006 13:50:56 GMT -5
I agree with riverrat. Thats an easy and inexpensive base. And the sky is the limit
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Coyote
Aug 28, 2006 18:32:54 GMT -5
Post by aussiesam on Aug 28, 2006 18:32:54 GMT -5
You can also mix dirt, leaves, mown grass and sand with pva glue and apply to you foam base. It dries strong enough. (i think you guys call it elmers glue? - its white, dries clear, smells like stay - put adhesive and here its is used for joining wood mainly)
Mache' is cheap and works well as a base builder over scrap foam pieces also. I bondo a plywood off cut in the foam under any supporting feet just for strength also.
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Coyote
Aug 29, 2006 7:30:23 GMT -5
Post by circleh on Aug 29, 2006 7:30:23 GMT -5
I have used wood glue you can buy it in gal. jugs at any hardware store. Just get a water base glue. Then I fill up half of a family size ketchup bottle (anything that you can put a lid on and shake) and fill the rest with water. Shake well. Then I take depending on what I am doing either dirt or sand and put it in a small bucket and dump the watered down glue in and mix. Don't dump it all in at once stir it in a little at a time but try not to make it to runny because it will just slide off the foam base if there are any slopes. If you do make it to runny just add more dirt. Then I take the dirt and start putting it on the base and tap it with my hand to get the shape and texture I want (this it a good time to add any little rocks to the base just press them in). I let it dry a day before I handle (unless it is thick then 2 days) if you push on it with a finger and it feels soft leave it sit. The best part is that there is no painting the dirt because its the real thing, can't get more real looking then that. Oh usually I have the form and take the wires coming out of the feet and set it in the foam before I start putting on the dirt and I put toothpicks in the holes so you know where the mount goes or you could just drill them out. Then when it comes time to put them together i put some glue in the holes to help hold the mount in place. I guess I should have said that I use plywood and foam for the base. If anyone has any questions let me know.
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