How I clean turkey spurs tutorial (super clean and picture heavy)

[VanHelden Game Calls]

Scott, tell me more about the procedure you used to clean the bone before the peroxide.  Also how long did you soak in peroxide?

I find a good degreasing to be a key component to quality spurs.  I let soak in ammonia for a week and then whiten.

Some other tips I have learned to help this entire process:
1. If the kill is fresh take a razor blade and cut around the spur base, you can twist and pop the spur cap off before you start the scraping a cleaning.
2. Use dishwasher MACHINE detergent when cooking - this detergent does not foam and is a better degreaser, I also run the bones in the silver ware tray after the degrease before whitening. Not sure it does much but its easy to do

[ScottS]

I think I just did not degrease them well enough. I have bleached deer skulls before but I mixed the peroxide with a powder called basic white. That stuff will take your breathe away and it pretty much turns everything it touches completely white.

[762hunter]

I have always just cut the bone, pulled the inner junk and tossed in a sandwich baggie of borax.

I need to finish them so they look as nice as yours.

What steps would you recommend me go from here?
Boil... Pull caps...Ammonia bath... Peroxide bath?


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[VanHelden Game Calls]

I would start with a day soaking before the boiling to rehydrate so the caps pull earlier in the cooking process.

When dealing with dry and aged there will be some trial and error.

[762hunter]

Ok So now I have soaked, boiled in dawn, pulled caps, and have the bone soaking in ammonia.
Do you also soak the caps in ammonia?
Also the painting the inside of the caps, is that just to darken the cap? What if they are not painted and just polished with the linseed oil?

Thanks for the tutorial


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[VanHelden Game Calls]

No, the caps you let dry and then lightly sand, clean up the base if needed and then apply a wood oil finish such as true oil, boiled linseed oil, even use varnish you have lying around - the point is to wipe on let penetrate the surface and buff off.  You are just replacing the oils lost thru cooking and just drying out.  They do make a taxidermy product for this but for our purposes it would be a waste of $.

After the caps dry, paint the INSIDE with acrylic paint to replicate the natural color.  The color depends on your bird - some are Black, some brown and some spurs are blonde in color.  You will have to pick.....

Then after you have the bones degreased and whitened in 40volume peroxide you just glue on the caps - I find a small dab of hot glue on the back side spur bone is best - then just slip the cap back on.

[WNCTracker]

I use the air compressor and blow the marrow right out and used a wire wheel to get the excess tissue off the bones after boiling in dawn with good success too

[VanHelden Game Calls]

Yeah the air compressor works but I don't like splatter in the garage, that and by the time the compressor charges I am done with a wire.

Careful with the wire brush, brass worked for me but the steel I have had leave metal residue on the bone that I could never remove.

[WNCTracker]

Thanks for the advice

[mgm1955]

Great info. Thanks for sharing.

[MK M GOBL]

Just a question with this method, all your spurs turn out "black" from tip to base then? When I kill a bird I only notice that my short spurs are all black, the good ones seem to have multiple layers of color from the base up the tip and that portion being black... Just wondering if you see this?

MK M GOBL

[VanHelden Game Calls]

They do not all end up black ot is dependent on each bird, seems the areas I hunt black is the main color even on the big boys. I assume it genetic and maybe minerals in the feed?  But I have done blonde and they stay blond as long as you remember to paint the inside a natural fleshy red. T ake note of the color when you pop off the nail.

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[Shahou8]

Looking for someone to do this on my spurs
Who is qualified to do it?
Thanks

[TrkyShepherd]

Great thread. Working though some spurs now. I went ahead and popped the spur caps off before I boiled the bone. Do you think I'll still need to paint the inside of the caps before I glue them back on?  Also - do you typically trim the thin section off the bottom of the cap after you pop it off?


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[vanheldengamecalls]

Yes you need to paint most of the caps on the inside.  Remember you are taking away the flesh with blood and whatever else composes it so it must be replaced.  The glue replaces the physical properties but not the color unless you tint the glue bt that seems like more work then its worth.  A little acrylic paint and let it dry and then glue them on.