Thread: Fish skeleton help please..

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Hey everyone!
I have an idea for a specimen jar prop. I was wondering if anyone has tried to use small fish skeletons before in anyway? I would like to get a fish at the market(not sure which type) and boil it so that the meat falls off the bones. Then somehow get the skeleton, corpse it a little and coat it in acrylic clear for strength. Is this possible so that I may store it in a specimen jar for a lab scene? Any input is always appreciated!

Even larger (approx 1 foot in length, walleye to be exact) fish in these parts, that I've caught or my friends have caught, and enjoyed, have tiny rib and other structural bones. I think this would be difficult to do if you wanted most/all the bones to be intact/seen in the specimen jar.

Don't let me discourage you, I'm sure some local HF talent and ingenuity will come through to help you with this excellent sounding prop.

Well I was looking at using an old gallon sized pickle jar that would accomodate a fish curved within the jar. I figure it would fit up to a 16" fish if positioned correctly. I know the fish will fall apart but I would most likely use a 2 part clear resin to glue/piece together. Then corpse and apply a protective coat. Just a brainstorming idea of mine.. We will see if it is possible!

If you find something that's gunna work, keep me posted. And I'm sure if other members get word of this project, they'll wanna know how it works out too.

Heck... go to an Asian food market... tons of real dried and preserved fish to choose from! Just scrape off some of the bits and what not to maybe make it look a little more messed up? I've often looked at the dried fish and squid there thinking of doing something Halloween related with them.... hm...

I thought maybe a great place to start would be a taxidermy site. Van Dyke's is my favorite (I've bought my Coyote Nite Eyes from them for my Reindeer Wolf project). I know that Van Dyke's features fish items so thought they would be a good start. Van Dyke's has a How-To Area but I see that it is temporary down. Here's the link to it, you might want to check back when they have it updated and see if they have any instructions that might apply to your project.

Use some Combs from the $ store ( the ones that taper ) glue them back to back Sculpey a Head, Fins & Tail then corpse. Don't Kill a Little Fishy for a Prop, Karma Ya Know.

Originally Posted by BooBoo

Use some Combs from the $ store ( the ones that taper ) glue them back to back Sculpey a Head, Fins & Tail then corpse. Don't Kill a Little Fishy for a Prop, Karma Ya Know.

Well the fishy would be already killed Boo Boo. I would not go buy a live fish and kill it myself! I'm not a monster!... Well at least not during the months of NOV-SEPT... Lol!

I do however like the dried fish idea at an Asian market. I will pass by one on Friday to check on any inventory and what choices they have to offer.

If you do wind up trying to clean real fish bones, I remember a tip from a taxidermist once that said they soak bones in Biz enzymatic laundry booster to clean them off really well. I don't remember how long it took, however.

You'd probably keel over from the smell before it finished though.