Jaw Juice: Not Just for Jaws!
by Mark McLain
Jaw Juice was developed by Mohr Specialties a few years back and seriously does just what the name says. It is the ultimate adhesive when attaching rubber artificial tongues down inside an open jaw on a mount–it will never come out!
But is Jaw Juice just for tongues? Not really! Jaw Juice is an adhesive that was developed to specifically work on rubber and plastic, ie. tongues and jaws. The odds are that you probably work with many other items in your shop that are rubber and/or plastic, and sometimes you need to bond them together. Reach for the Jaw Juice!
Research Mannikins Senior Taxidermists and Product Development Specialist Mark McLain is also a working taxidermist. In his shop, Mark has had numerous opportunities to experiment with alternate benefits of an adhesive like Jaw Juice.
“First let me say that some of the great benefits of Jaw Juice is that it remains flexible when fully cured,” states Mark. “In addition, it dries clear, and can be painted when cured. These are fantastic when working on projects in my shop.”
Mark goes on to say that he has used Jaw Juice for many other purposes than what it is stated to be for, with outstanding results. Here are just a few of the uses that Mark has completed, in his own words:
Earliner Adhesive
As an earliner adhesive, it works great on plastic, paper and fiber form alike. First, you want to make sure that the liner fits the ear skin with ease and make sure that all oil residue is out of the ear skin. I will soak the ear skin in acetone or wipe it down with thinner to remove any remaining oil residue. Once you know that the liner will fit exactly like you desire, apply Jaw Juice to the inside of the liner and sparingly to the back. Next, dampen the surface with a dab of water. This will make the surface a bit slick and easier to insert the liner into the skin. Insert the liner and taxi everything into position and work the edges of the ear to fill any void spots around the outside rim of the ear. Now, make sure your upper lobe is in position and work the interior gently, pressing any any excess around to make the surface consistent in thickness. The Jaw Juice will start to get firm in around 15 to 20 minutes and if you have any leaking through small holes that were missed when prepping, you can use a small brass brush or rag with a small amount of acetone to wipe it out, before it cures. This method works super on the new 3-D ears too!
Small Habitat Objects
Jaw Juice works great for applying small objects like rocks, sticks, cones, or just about any small habitat object into, or onto a base. Why use Jaw Juice over a hot glue or something that dries quicker? The simple fact is that Jaw Juice remains flexible and dries clear. And, if you want to apply an object to a vertical surface, it won’t run like many other resins and many other types of adhesives.
Bird Feet
Try a small dab of Jaw Juice to fill the holes of birds feet after you inject them. Works great!
Saliva
Jaw Juice works incredible when making saliva or saliva droplets off the end of a tongue. You can whip air bubbles into it and apply it where you want it, and it will stay there. Dries with the air bubbles intact and looks totally real. If you choose, you can add some color by inserting a drop of paint and it will dry and remain flexible.
Leather
Try using Jaw Juice when applying your material or leather to the back of your next pedestal mount. Simply pre-make a template of the shape of your pedestal back using paper and make sure it fits well before you cut your material or leather. Then apply Jaw Juice onto the back of the mannikin and spread it around so that you cover the entire surface. Place your leather onto the back and press it down, moving it around until the material or leather is exactly where you want it. Let it dry and the result will be perfectly smooth and permanently attached!
According to Mark, it is very important to remember, when in doubt, experiment, and experiment with something that is not final. “You will be surprised at what you will come up with to use Jaw Juice,” states Mark. “I must have a tube in my shop, or I am what they call LOST!”
If you come up with other ways to use Jaw Juice, drop us a line and tell us about it. We will share it with the rest of our industry.