MAKING ANIMAL FUR RUGS.
Probably the first use (after clothing) made of skins was as rugs or
coverings for the ground or couches, and in this shape they are still to
be found in our most elegantly furnished homes. One of the few survivals
of primitive tastes.
The skins of some few animals such as Polar and Grizzly Bears, Tiger,
Jaguar, Lion, Puma, Leopards and Ocelots are used for little else,
though some of the spotted cats are used for eccentric looking coats and
fur sets. Other smaller skins such as wolf, fox, 'coon, wild cat, etc.
are much in favor as rugs as well as for garment furs.
In skinning an animal for use as a rug it is as well to skin and stretch
it open, cut under side of body from chin to the end of tail and from
each foot down to the central line. A large animal like bear or leopard
looks well with the paws preserved and they should be skinned down to
the last joint, leaving the claws attached to the skin. Smaller skins
may have the paws preserved, though the effect is hardly worth the
trouble and the smaller paws are easily crushed on the floor by a chance
step.
After skinning, using care to detach it from the head without mutilating
the ears, eyes and lips, stretch flat on an inside wall, door, or table
top. Stretch evenly with tacks or small nails close together to avoid
drawing out in points and of the approximate shape of the finished rug.
That is, with the front feet well forward and hind feet pointing back,
not spread as wide as possible.
If you are intending to dress the skin it may be begun at once after
skinning, as per the chapter on tanning, etc., or after fleshing it may
be put in the pickle jar against a leisure day. Otherwise stretch and
dry for transportation or to send to the tanner.
[Illustration: HALF HEAD.
HEAD WITH TEETH.
PAPER HEAD FORMS--FOX]
As regards the mounting of heads for rugs, they may be done in three
styles, called half or mask head, full head closed mouth, and full head
open mouth. The first, as the name indicates, consists of the skin of
the upper part of the head without that of the lower jaw mounted over an
artificial form or "skull." The closed mouth (See dog) has the lower jaw
mounted in addition, but without any teeth used, and the open mouth
mounting requires a set of suitable teeth with the interior of the
mouth, tongue and lips fully modeled and finished either with colored
wax or by painting.
These artificial head forms or skulls both with and without teeth and
masks, are to be had in all varieties and several sizes each of dealers
in taxidermists' supplies so cheaply that I would advise the novice to
procure them if possible. In many cases it is necessary for the
professional to make use of skulls with artificial teeth as the natural
skulls are often thrown away by the collector. In the case of any large
skin intended for a rug the roughly cleaned skull should accompany same.
In ordering from dealers it is only necessary to give name of animal and
the measure of skin from center of nose to inner corner of eye, and
outer corner of eye to ear.
[Illustration: DOG--CLOSED MOUTH.]
The beginner would do well to try mounting a rug with half head first
and the more difficult open mouth later. A very fair mask form can be
made by laying the skinned head down on a piece of thin board and
marking around it with pencil, then cutting out to the outline. With a
bunch of fine excelsior or coarse tow and a spool of thread a half-head
form can be roughly blocked out by winding, using the board as a base.
Then with modelling clay and chopped tow the anatomy is perfected,
pressing down here with the fingers, and building up elsewhere. With the
skinned head to refer to as the form is modeled a good job can be done.
However, if a number of skins of the same species are to be prepared it
is best to make a mould in which unlimited paper forms may be cast.
Particulars in this work are given in Chapter on Casting and Modelling.
[Illustration: FOUNDATION FOR TOW AND EXCELSIOR]
The next step in rug making after drying the pelt is to prepare the head
for mounting. It is as well to do little or no thinning down of the head
skin during the tanning and even if it has been shaved down the vicinity
of the eyes, ears, nose and lips will need thinning with a small sharp
knife, and stretching out with a skin scraper. Before beginning this
process the head skin should be dampened on the pelt side with clear
water (use pickle in warm weather). If the ears are not skinned before
dressing they should be now, and turned inside out to the tips. A small
screw driver with the edge blunted and rounded is a good tool for this
work as it will not readily cut the thin skin of the ears.
Trim and scrape away any lumps of muscle, etc., and shave down the skin
enough to be molded to the surface of the form when dampened. Do not,
however, cut away the bunch of muscles on each side of the cheeks in
which the whisker roots are embedded, or these distinguished ornaments
will drop out. By criss-crossing these with cuts they are made as
flexible as the rest of the skin. After the shaving process get a
suitable needle and stout thread and sew up any cuts or tears that have
been made. If proper care has been used there will be little of this to
do, always remembering that a cut is not irreparable but always makes
extra work. Bullet holes of large caliber destroy considerable skin and
in order to close them it is best to cut them to a triangular shape and
draw together by sewing up from the corners of the triangle, as per
illustration.
[Illustration: SEWING UP BULLET HOLE.]
Cut out from tough cardboard two ear forms a little longer at the base
than the ear skin and small enough to slip inside them readily. Before
going further give the inside of the head and neck skin a coat of
preservative. Let this lay a few minutes to soak in and then after
turning the ears right side out slip the cardboard ear forms into place.
They should be coated first with liquid glue; work the skin over them
with the fingers and fill around their bases with some cut tow and clay
of about the consistency of soft putty. Now place the head skin on the
form, get the eyes and nose in place and drive in a few pins down the
center of the face; they will hold it from slipping while working
further on it. If the form is a little too short for this particular
skin build it out with clay and tow, if too long it can have a trifle
cut off.
Fill the sockets of the eyes with clay, build out the cheeks and the
sides of nose with clay and tow and draw the skin of the lips down where
they belong. The glass eyes are to be cut from their wires and set,
drawing the lids around them with an awl. When they seem properly placed
drive pins at both inner and outer corners. The ears are attacked next
and when arranged to suit, three or four pins driven in at their bases
to hold them.
On a rug the ears should usually be laid back close to the head as by so
doing the chance of their being broken off when finished and dry is
lessened. Also a mounted rug head is usually intended to register rage
or anger.
The upper surface of the face being attended to, turn it upside down on
a folded bag or something in the nature of a cushion while we lace it
across the form with a stout thread and needle. If a hollow paper form
is used it should be filled with crumpled paper, excelsior, coarse tow
or similar material. Do not use fur scraps for this as I have seen done
or it will be a moth nest.
The whole inside of the skin may now be poisoned after slightly
dampening, and then tacked out fur side up in the proper shape to dry.
In order to make an animal skin lay flat to the floor it is necessary in
most cases to cut out several V-shaped pieces. Behind the fore legs
almost always and often in front of them, also and frequently in front
of the hind legs are the places where these gores are removed.
Consisting as they do of the thinly haired skin inside the legs their
absence is not noticeable when neatly sewed up.
Take care in this final stretching of the rug skin to get it alike on
both sides, or, as the artists say, bilaterally symmetrical. When tacked
out, go back to the face and perfect it so it may dry just right. With a
fine awl point draw the upper eyelids down a little, straighten the eye
brows, lashes and whiskers, and mould the nostrils into shape, bracing
them with damp clay; when dry it is easily removed. Now set it aside
until fully dry before proceeding with the trimming and lining. One and
a half or two inch wire brads are good to use in stretching skins, but
3d wire lath nails will do; the longer brads are more easily handled.
After removing the nails turn the skin on its back and draw a line from
neck to tail with pencil or chalk. By measuring from points on this line
we can trim off the legs and flanks of the rug evenly. If it is a small
or medium size skin it will look best with an all felt lining. So by
laying it flat on a piece of felt somewhat larger all round and marking
around it at a distance of 3 inches we can cut out the lining. The edge
of this is to be pinked. One end of our chopping block, usually of
sycamore or oak, is kept for this function, and a few minutes work with
pinking iron and hammer will border the lining with neat scallops.
A sufficient length of felt strips about 2 inches wide, should be cut to
reach around the outside of the skin, also pinked on one edge. Allow
generously for this as it will have to be gathered in rounding the feet
and head. In the case of animals having a bushy tail or brush as the
fox, wolf, etc., the tail is merely sewed up on the under side after
poisoning and not lined or trimmed. Pumas, tigers and others with short
furred tails are trimmed and lined like the rest of the rug. In lining
large rugs a double trimming of felt is often used and a lining of
strong canvas is used throughout, as when on the floor it is not
visible, protects the skin as well, and costs somewhat less.
[Illustration: PINKED LINING, BRIAR STITCHED.]
The trimming felt is sewed around the edge of the skin, passing the
needle through from the back obliquely, resulting in a long stitch on
the felt and a short one on the fur side. What few hairs are drawn down
by this can be picked out later with a needle or awl.
[Illustration: SEWING TRIMMING ON RUG.]
Before sewing the lining on an interlining of cotton wadding should be
cut out and basted in place with a few long stitches. Now place the skin
fur side up, on the lining and adjust it so an equal margin shows on all
sides and pin it in several places to prevent its slipping while sewing
it fast. To do this turn it felt uppermost and sew around just at the
edge of the skin, in the trimming felt, reversing the stitch previously
used. This hides the short stitch outside and if drawn up evenly will
hardly be noticed if a color of thread has been selected corresponding
somewhat to that of the felt.
If an extra nice finish is desired the lining may be put on with a
decorative briar or cat stitch with some bright colored silkatine.
Brushing away any clay from around the eyes and nose, giving the latter
a touch of the proper color (black for the majority of animals). A coat
of thin shellac to simulate the natural moist appearance and connecting
the dried eyelids with the glass eyes with hot colored wax will about
complete the rug. Waxing around the eyes is done with a small round
artist's brush and adds to the finished appearance of a job.
In mounting a rug head with either full head, closed or open mouth, the
beginner had best use a head form from the dealer for a few times at
least. A little study of one of these will enable him to model an open
mouth head, when a good set of teeth are supplied, and the ready made
article not at hand. It requires considerable time and some natural
ability to set the teeth and model the gums and tongue effectively.
A tongue modeled with clay and tow, covered with several layers of
papier mache and when dry, coated with flesh colored wax is good enough
for any rug, though museum mounting might require that the tongue be
skinned and the skin used to cover the model.
Plaster, putty, papier mache and various plastic cement materials are
used for modeling mouths, of which papier mache is probably the best;
plaster paris is often used in an emergency but is brittle and heavy.
For modeling use finely ground paper pulp mixed with glue and plaster or
whiting. Only practice and experiment will determine just the precise
mixture wanted.
A paper half head form may be the basis and to this wire the jaw bones
with their sets of teeth. Clever work will reproduce the interior of the
mouth, gums and tongue, and when perfectly dry they should be finished
either with paint or colored wax.
The tongue should have its base and lower side coated with glue and have
a brad driven through it into the material between the lower jaw bones.
If the head of this brad is well set in, a drop or two of wax will cover
it.
[Illustration: COYOTE RUG, OPEN MOUTH
(Author's Work.)]
In preparing a skin for mounting an open mouth head the lips should be
pared down and preserved as far as possible as they are to be filled
out and attached to the form by pinning at their edges. Common toilet
pins are used for this, driving them in part way and when the work is
dry cutting them off close down to the surface. After this is done the
lips may be waxed thus joining them to the form completely. Never fear
to use plenty of pins in head mounting. In some places they may be
driven to the head and left covered by the fur, in other places where
there is little or no fur, cut them close and drive down flush.
Of course greater liberties may be taken with a rug skin than one
mounted entire for exhibition, still a competent artist can put a great
amount of expression in even a rug head. The close student of animal
anatomy can produce an appalling snarl of anger on the heads of the
larger carnivora or change the same to a sleepy yawn or grin in a few
minutes' manipulation.
The professional is often called in to repair damaged rugs and
especially those with open mouths. Here the operator must use his own
judgment as no two seem to demand the same treatment. Missing teeth may
have to be supplied and carved from bone, celluloid or antlers. The tips
of broken deer antlers make very good canine teeth and blocks of
celluloid which are much easier to shape than bone, are sold by supply
dealers.
I have dwelt at some length on rug making as it is a branch of taxidermy
which seems to be always in more or less demand with the public. Also it
forms an easy entrance to the more complicated mounting of complete
animals and much of the work is identical with the process of preserving
heads for wall decoration.