A Day in the Shop
Co-Written by Mike Kirkhart
and Dan Rinehart
E
ACH YEAR AT THE NTA CONVENTION , HUNTING AND FISHING
trips, as well as workshops, are
auctioned to generate revenue. The NTA
Board of Directors voted to put all the proceeds from the Saturday night auction into
the NTA Conservation Fund, a fund used
by the NTA to fight anti-hunting and fishing, and to support efforts by NTA-affiliates
in maintaining hunting and fishing rights.
The NTA board of directors voted to put a
portion of the fund to work by donating to
the Conservatio n Force, a pro-hunting effort founded and headed by Safari Club In-
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With Mike Kirkhart
ternational past-president John Jackson.
Jackson is a lawyer from New Orleans,
Louisiana, who has become the legal watchdog for all outdoor sportsmen. Through a
legal approach, Jackson has had great impact on changing legislation on animals
such as polar bears and leopards. His time is
spent watching and challenging legislation
so that animal rights activists are unable to
slip laws through without being noticed
until it is too late. It is obvious that the
NTA has done an admirable job in choosing a worthy cause to which to donate
money.
While attending the NTA awards banquet in 1998, I purchased two days in the
studio with Mike Kirkhart. One of the days
would be spent at his studio and the other
would be for fishing. I knew that Mike’s
reproduction work was considered the best
available, so I figured that the money I
spent on the instruction was a wise investment. As it turned out, I was right. I
learned a lot and had the opportunity to
spend time with one of the more respected
individuals in the taxidermy industry.
Mike’s shop was very impressive, with
thousands of molds and high quality work.
The most interesting technique I learned
during my visit was how to start with a dolphin reproduction with closed gills and
alter it to open gills. At first, I couldn’t
imagine how it would be possible to take a
rigid piece of fiberglass and reform it to a
different shape. But, as Mike took me
through the steps, it became obvious how
easy it is to create an open gill reproduction from a closed gill reproduction. Here’s
how it was done:
BREAKTHROUGH Issue 56
FISH TAXIDERMY
1
Step 1. Use a Sharpie marker to outline the
gill cover. This line represents where to cut
with a cutter bit. Notice that we cut around
the gill cover and not around the branchiostegal rays.
5
Step 5. Here you can see that the object is
to heat the gill cover inside and outside.
10
Step 6. Now that the gill cover has been cut
and heated, use wedges to open the gill cover
to the desired position.
7
3
Step 3. Clean up the cut by going back
over it with the cutting bit and removing
rough edges.
Step 9. To speed up the cooling process,
spray the head with cold water.
6
2
Step 2. Begin your cut on the leading edge
of the top or bottom and follow the line that
you drew.
9
Step 7. Continue applying heat to the gill
cover as the wedges are being positioned. The
hotter you are able to get the gill cover, the
easier it is to reposition the gill cover. Important: don’t over-cook or get too close, or blistering of the fiberglass will result.
Step 10. After removing the wedges, use
the cutter bit to smooth and thin the gill cover.
Step 11. Using
poster board type
11
paper, cut a piece
to a similar shape
as the gill cover.
However, the piece
must be larger than
the gill cover opening.
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4
8
Step 4. Now that the cut has been made,
open the gill cover. The gill cover must be
heated so that it becomes flexible, allowing for
the cover to be opened. A regular blow dryer
does not create enough heat, so you will need
a heat gun.
BREAKTHROUGH Issue 56
Step 8. Once the wedges are in position,
you should allow the head to cool. The gill
cover will start to close if the wedges are removed before the head has cooled completely.
Step 12. Punch a hole in opposite ends of
the poster board and secure string through
each hole.
Step 13. Push 13
the poster board
through the gill
cover opening and
pull on the string
until the poster
board is pressed
firmly up against
the fiberglass.
Step 14. Hold the poster board in place by
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FISH TAXIDERMY
14
pressing a piece of tape over the tightened
string.
18
ming tool to continue smoothing the Bondotransition between the reproduction and
poster board.
23
smoothed the gap between the gill cover and
branchiostegal rays, now fill and smooth the
gap on the top of the gill flap.
15
19
Step 15. This photo is of a different fish
(largemouth bass) that was molded with the
gills open. Notice how the poster board has
been positioned.
24
Step 24. Apply primer over the areas
worked with Bondo.
Step 19. Now you will need to secure the
top and bottom parts of the gill cover.
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16
20
Step 16. Mix some Bondo and fill in the
gap between the poster board and the reproduction. It is best to loosen the string a little
and let the poster board drop about ⅛ to ¼
inch so you can push Bondo between the
poster board and reproduction. Once Bondo
has been pushed between the two, pull on the
strings again and bring up the poster board
next to the reproduction. Some Bondo will
squeeze out. Create a smooth juncture between the side of the fish and the poster board
by smoothing Bondo along the transition.
17
Step 17. Once the Bondo has set, sever the
strings at the base.
Step 18. Use a knife or some type of trimPage 58
Step 25. Cut out a gill using artificial gills
(from New Wave Taxidermy Supply). Place
the gill next to the gill cover slot to see where
the gill needs to be trimmed to fit.
Step 20. Fill in the slot between the gill
cover and branchiostegal rays.
Step 21.
Once the
21
Bondo has
set, trim it
with a knife
to make it
smooth.
Step 22.
After the
22
rough trimming with a
knife, use
fine sandpaper to create
a perfectly smooth juncture between the gill
cover and branchiostegal rays.
Step 23. Similar to how you filled and
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27
Step
26.
Trim the gill so
that it will fit
into the gill
opening.
Step
27.
Once one gill is
trimmed to fit,
trim three more
(four total).
BREAKTHROUGH Issue 56
Step 28. Apply hot glue
along the inside edge of the
first gill.
Step 29.
Press the gills
together and
hold them in
position until
secure. Do this
on the other
two gills as
well.
29
Step 30.
Place the gills
in position to
make sure they
fit. Remove the
gills to paint
the fish and allow the paint
to completely
30
dry.
Step 31. Apply hot glue inside the gill
cover and push
the gills in position. The artificial gills are
complete and
very lifelike.
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I recommend this type
of instruction
to anyone. Purchasing one of
the workshops
or trips offered
at an NTA convention is a win-win situation
for you and the outdoor sporting industry. I
hope you will consider bidding on one. If
your experience is anything
like mine, you will be very
satisfied. n
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DAN RINEHART is from
Janesville, Wisconsin, and is Marketing Manager for Rinehart
Taxidermy Supply and instructor
for Rinehart School of Taxidermy.
Dan has won three International
Fish Taxidermy Championships (IGT) and one International Fish Carving Championship. In his spare
time he likes to perform wholesale fish taxidermy for
professional taxidermists throughout the United States.
Call (608) 755-5161.