Cleaning a Snapping Turtle Shell?

[Tap]

Tap that Turkey call from the box turtle shell is beautiful

Thanks.
Now lets come up with some ideas for Tree Spud's snapper shell.
Bird bath? Peanut shell container for the man cave?
I looked on Etsy for some ideas. There weren't a lot of things made from snapper shells but there were a few. One artist made a guitar-type body out of a shell and another made some sort of woman's pouch. I only drilled down a couple pages so I didn't see everything.

 

[Tree Spud]

I made a nice turkey call from a box turtle shell and piece of slate from a barn roof. My dad did some art work on it...A gobbler on it. Turned out nice and sounds pretty good, too.
I'll post a pic tomorrow.
I've seen some native American type stuff made from snapping turtle shells.

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Thanks. It was a gift to my brother. My sister now has it after my brother passed away.

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Very cool, great use of re purposing stuff ... and great memories to hand down!

 

[Jim Timber]

I had a big painted turtle wash up on shore a few years ago. Kiddo wanted the shell so I simmered it in a wash tub sitting over a propane turkey cooker burner for about 18 hours. Man, did that thing STINK!

Eventually all the meat and flesh came off and we were able to clean it up. My FIL varnished it or something to seal it. You need to make sure you don't boil it or it'll come apart. Letting the bugs do their thing is probably the best option if you're not in a rush.

 

[Seabee]

Was working at a guys house a few months ago who had a huge sea turtle skull he had found that washed up on the beach. Offered him 100$ and he declined. I just love them big ole turtles.

 

[H20fwler]

Here are a couple clocks we have made.

The one in my youngest sons room;

Simple to make, just need some clear spray varnish, clock works, hanging wire, couple small eye bolts, super glue and some numbers. I get everything at our local Ben Franklin hobby store.

One that my daughter and I made when she was young, she took it with her and had it on her wall through college.

I used to trap turtles pretty hard years ago keeping maybe forty a season over fifteen pounds selling the meat locally for $7 a pound bone in back then. Cleaned weight is about half live weight on a snapper 1/4 weight on a big soft shell.