...Dressing Tattered Tail Feathers...

[NCBigShot]

..Not sure if this is the place to post this but...

..I'm doing a fan mount of my son's first turkey. Unfortunately this bird's tail feathers look like they went through the spin cycle in a Maytag. How do you guys fix curled, separated and frayed tail feathers to make them look good?
Any and all help is appreciated! Thanks

[PA Boxcall]

I had a fan mounted this past year, and without thinking I set a heavy parka on top wrinkling a few of the feathers.  I asked the same question, and a couple people responded saying steam would straighten them out.

I didn't need to try, I laid the fan out flat for a week, and the feathers seemed to correct themselves.  They must have a memory, because the creases are hardly noticable.

So I would try laying them out flat and see if the memory in the feather returns it to its normal shape.

If not, steam.

[drenalinld]

I have had luck washing them in mild soap and warm water then blow drying with a hair dryer. If they don't quite look right with gaps, spray with hair spray and run your fingers along the quill squeezing the feather into the quill as you slide from bottom to top on each quill. Sounds silly, but effective.

[coachmitchel]

Washing them and blowing has worked for me also.

[Gitzit69]

Wash them in the sink. I soak mine with a little dish soap. Rinse off well and use a hair dryer. I did my tail from last season that way and it worked great. The tail was pretty ragged looking but it cleaned up well.
Here's a link I found, I didn't use the mineral spirits just soap.
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-mount-turkey-tail-50870/

[Zumer]

Wash them in the sink. I soak mine with a little dish soap. Rinse off well and use a hair dryer. I did my tail from last season that way and it worked great. The tail was pretty ragged looking but it cleaned up well.
Here's a link I found, I didn't use the mineral spirits just soap.
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-mount-turkey-tail-50870/

Dave,

            That's a beautiful fan