How to de-bone

[Marcel2992]

Hi everyone!!
I don't know where else I should have post this topic.. So sorry if it is in the wrong section

One of my snakes died yesterday and I thought why not skin it then.. I've skinned it this morning and injecting the head with formalin. So I also thought.. why not make a skeleton. So the question goes... how do I de-bone the snake without breaking any bones?? All the organs and etc. are out already

Thanks Marcel.

[eyed_lizard]

I just pulled it off, pretty simple. What snake died, sorry for the lass mate.
Just do it slowly, the head is the difficult one, I still have my spotties skeleton at home, I need to dip it into boiling vinegar now to bend it and flex it as needed, got the teeth and both lower jaws all still good. looks awesome!!

[Marcel2992]

How do I just pull it off?? The head is with the skin so it is just the body. But how do I get the meat off the bones?? Because it is just a strip with the bones and the meat still on it

[eyed_lizard]

...what do you mean the head is with the skin, is the skin still attached to the skull? or did you separate that head and the rest of the skeleton? well otherwise it is simply just like pulling a sock inside out.
how did you take the intestines out? did you put it into the freezer after you were done.

[Marcel2992]

The head is still normal but attached with the skin. I've cut the skin underneath in the middle all the way down to the tail.and then I pulled the skin off..I pulled out the intestines. so it is just a skeleton with meat on it. I threw the intestines away why??

[eyed_lizard]

The skin should come right of the head, just like the rest, it will look like a shedding but more meaty... if I can put it that way.
or else cut a slit on top of the head from the nose to the neck and strip it like that?!
Hope this helps, I don't know why you are having problems, I have done this numerous times and never had this kind of problem?!

[Marcel2992]

I don't want to take the head off. I just want to make a skeleton.. I need to take the meat off the body (without the head) skeleton I'll post a pic now

[Marcel2992]

Here it is

new.JPG

It is drying out now so I need advice as soon as possible

Thanks

[Eyelash]

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=22833

This might help you...Bleach is the easiest way...and the best smelling one...
I'll update my topic tonight so you guy's can see how it's coming on haha...

[Marcel2992]

Oh!!! You used worms. Ok so should I put the body in bleach??

[eyed_lizard]

Yea worms or small crickets, but crickets can actually eat the bones.
I have lost small skeletons like that... I mean they literally disappeared hehe

I used vinegar eyelash, boiling water with some vinegar in it, but literally just dunking it in there for +-5seconds and then maneuvering it in the position I want and then brush away the existing flesh but the bones don't fall apart, ok this is my second attempt only on doing this, first one I screwed up, you have to leave the skeleton in a dark place for about 2months and then only do the vinegar thing, use a toothbrush to brush of excess flesh paint lightly with a varnish (clear) and bobs your uncle, the varnish will also help stick the skeleton to whatever you want to put it on.

My 2 months are still going...

[Marcel2992]

But I think I'm going to put it in bleach. I don't have any worms right now

[Eyelash]

Just a tip Marcel...cut it up into short segments and then put each in a separate bowl of bleach so you know exactly where each bone needs to go...

p.s the vinegar way also works but its not my fav. one to use haha...I like my vinegar on chips...not skeletons haha...

[Marcel2992]

Oh ok.. thanks!!At the moment that peace of meat is laying like in the photo and waiting to de-boned lol So I'm going to cut it up nicely and put it in bleach RIGHT NOW. How long is it going to take for the meat to get off?

Thanks

[Eyelash]

Well it all depends...Just keep your eye on it...If all the flesh is gone remove the bones because the bleach will cause them to crumble or break if the are in for to long...I recon it should take about 2-3 hours...?After that run a thin wire through them to keep the spine in the correct order...and then dip it in water so most of the bleach will dilute...
Take the ribs out as the become de-attached and place them in order...
Then it's all model building from there...

Let us know how it goes bud...