Sealing Turkey fan

[THattaway]

Two weeks with borax is all the drying needed. Getting all the meat and the fat off, as much as possible, will eliminate any worry about bugs. A triple wash & rinse, blow dry and pin out will make feathers pop with color and behave like new. I use bondo dent filler, place a golf ball size amount on either side. I use a piece of wax paper laid under the fan, glob one portion on, fold wax paper over and mash into quills gently and flatten. Then use wax paper taco to loft and flip fan over, unfold wax paper, apply another glob and repeat mash/flatten. Kicks in about 5 minutes. Then shoot screws through bondo into whatever plaque mount. Easy to work with, lasts forever. Half assed stuff looks half assed to those with discerning eyes. Good luck with it.

[WV Ridge Reaper]

Two weeks with borax is all the drying needed. Getting all the meat and the fat off, as much as possible, will eliminate any worry about bugs. A triple wash & rinse, blow dry and pin out will make feathers pop with color and behave like new. I use bondo dent filler, place a golf ball size amount on either side. I use a piece of wax paper laid under the fan, glob one portion on, fold wax paper over and mash into quills gently and flatten. Then use wax paper taco to loft and flip fan over, unfold wax paper, apply another glob and repeat mash/flatten. Kicks in about 5 minutes. Then shoot screws through bondo into whatever plaque mount. Easy to work with, lasts forever. Half assed stuff looks half assed to those with discerning eyes. Good luck with it.

This guy knows !!!..Crazy crazy the amount of dirt and junk on a fan or a cape..and the difference it makes with some washing

[fadetoblack188]

Never sealed mine. Don't get all the meat off either. Borax it pin it to cardboard let it sit.

How long you let it sit

[Tail Feathers]

Never sealed mine. Don't get all the meat off either. Borax it pin it to cardboard let it sit.

Same here.  Info leave them about five or six weeks so they take a set well.

[Which Gun]

  I don't have no set time fans sit for months in garage pinned to cardboard.  I have enough fans mounted in house already. I make sure I keep them boraxed first few days.

[Shoregobbler]

I use Plasti Dip. Black color and just drizzle on both sides of fan. Once it dries, those feathers aren't going anywhere. No bug issues either.

[TRG3]

I spend about 20-30 minutes per turkey fan removing the meat, fat, bones, and pygostyle gland before smothering both sides of that area of the fan with borax, spreading the fan and using roofing nails pushed into a cardboard box to keep the fan in position for the next month or so. The fans don't need any further attention unless you plan to use one for hunting. If so, apply a hot glue gun to both sides of the area where the quills come together to add strength to the fan. Over the years, I've probably treated 50+ fans in this manner, returning most to fellow hunters for their souvenir or for hunting purposes.

[tazmaniac]

Have some fans that are 25 years old and in great shape never sealed.  As long as you remove the oil gland from the base, plain borax for a few weeks is adequate to preserve the fan

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[g8rvet]

I have used borax.  I have used salt.  Let them sit until I think about them, dump it off and coat it once more.  Usually on for a couple months, sometimes longer.  After I had a fan in every conceivable spot I thought I needed one, I still would save at least one a year for a while.  I would use the same method and put in on the outside of my barn in Florida weather.  Would usually last a couple years under the tin roof, but exposed to the morning sun, bugs and the rain.  Have not saved one for a while for myself, but done sons and son in laws.  I have one 25 years old on the wall of my house, done with just borax.  No weep, no stank.  A salted one in my office is 15 at least.  I reckon if you are in a rush, those sealer methods would work too. 

[turkeyfool]

Amateur question here but how do you wash and dry the fan?

[THattaway]

Turkeyfool, you I'll help.

Get a plastic tub and use a squirt of liquid dawn dish soap. Hold the fan by the base and swish it back and forth, end to end direction. No need to be overly aggressive but use some force. After a minute or two remove the fan and dump the soapy water. Fill the tub with a couple inches clean water and repeat same motion with fan to rinse. Don't spray fan with water. Repeat wash and rinse 3 cycles. About half is to remove dirt, half is to remove grease/fat/meat particles left assuming you attempted to remove any. Afterwards lay it in the sun on a towel for a bit and then blow dry on low or no heat with a hair dryer or forced air from a shop vac etc. Every fiber will mesh back nicely, no splits in feathers, colors will be vibrant. Borax all around quills and pin out on card board to dry for two weeks. I use borax when removing the meat and fat, will make it solidify a bit. Bondo on the dried fan quill base is easy to use and makes a solid base to mount but you can use whatever. Has nothing to do with preserving the fan, just for structural integrity.

You'd be surprised at the amount of fat up around the quill bases. That fat will turn to grease and leech into the feathers if left. Fibers won't mesh or will separate. Take a hard look at some mounted fans and see for yourself. I did nothing but nailed fans to the barn for a number of years. Bugs ate most of them down till they fell apart, usually a couple years. It only takes about 20 minutes to remove all the junk, the yellow stuff. Or you can just hack it off a toms butt, nail meat fat and all to a board. 

[THattaway]

Found another.

[turkeyfool]

That's really helpful, thank you! Would you say it's a big deal to wash it if I already have a fan in borax for a day or so? I'd assume not, but figured I'd ask before I use this process you laid out

[THattaway]

Should be fine.

[turkeyfool]

Sent you a pm with one more question