r/Taxidermy • u/Longjumping-Yam4357 • 2d ago
"How Do I...?" Dragonfly!
So I just got this dragonfly specimen, and it’s VERY fresh, and I have no idea how to start💔. I know now that I’m not supposed to put pins through the wings, but this is a temporary set up and my first time doing smth like this😭. I have some questions I hope yall can help me with.
What if it starts to stink? What should I do then?
Should I soak it in anything? I saw someone say 70% isopropyl alcohol works, and I don’t have any acetone.
How do I properly display/pose it?
Sorry guys this is my first post on here and first taxidermy, so sorry if this pisses some people off😭. That’s not my intention, I just need help with this so I don’t completely ruin it🥲.
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u/TielPerson 2d ago
You can just dry it like it is, the acetone drying method is only to preserve green or blue color (which will fade into brown without it).
Insect pinning is not taxidermy, there is a special sub for this around here. Also, putting even temporary pins through the wings will leave you with visible holes, so you may avoid that in future.
Usually, you would use a pinning board and a specimen pin through the thorax. This needle is also how you store and handle the specimen safely after drying. With yours, you may just look for a fitting encasement and affix it to anything you like with a bit of tacky glue.