Have I Removed Enought Meat For Borax?

[Sir-diealot]

I suspect that your pet brush is not stiff enough to remove the fat and meat.  For this and future similar jobs, just get a standard, wire brush and a razor blade knife (either utility knife or single edge razor blade holder and blades) from a hardware store.  Use the razor knife/holder to trim as much of the meat and fat off of the feather quills at the base of the fan. Then sprinkle borax on the base and scrape off as much of the rest of any meat/fat that remains as you can. 

Your only real concern in removing the meat/fat from the fan base is to avoid cutting the feather quill bases such that the feathers detach from the fan base.  After you have cleaned as much meat/fat off the base as you reasonably can (as others have said, you don't have to get every little bit), thoroughly rub borax into the base of the fan.

If your fan feathers have blood/gunk on them, wash the fan by submerging it in water with dish soap and gently agitating that stuff off.  Rinse in clean water and then take a hair dryer and blow dry the fan completely dry.  It will come out looking brand new.


Take a piece of cardboard bigger than the fan.  Spread the fan on the cardboard and using straight pins, pin the two outside fan feathers in the position you want the fan to take (stick the pins through the center of the quills down near the base and pin into the cardboard). If needed, put a few more pins in various places to make all of the fan feathers even,...and then let it dry for about two weeks,...or as long as it takes for the fan not to try to close up after you remove the pins. 

During the drying process, adjust the fan and rump feathers so that they dry evenly spread as naturally as possible.  After the drying period, pull any split ends back into place and give it a final adjustment so all the feathers are uniformly in place,...and you are done (unless you are going to fancy it up with a base and beard/spur accents.

Thanks, I am getting some meat off with it but not much. I am getting ready to try to remove the bone in the center, that part really worries me. This is the video I have been trying to follow, go to about the five minute mark, that is where he starts doing things.
https://youtu.be/-U2WtCR-TPg

[Sir-diealot]

Well got it laid out.

[mmorgan9812]

Well got it laid out.

Looks good!

[Sir-diealot]

Well got it laid out.

Looks good!

Thanks

[Manoflaw]

I agree.. Looks good

[Sir-diealot]

I agree.. Looks good

Thanks, have some feathers and other things in Borax as well now.