Before and after a mount manicure. Wrapping up a very special piece for a very special [and patient] patron. Some people might consider this overly obsessive attention to detail but now these delicate thin claws are far less likely to get broken. I developed this technique about 18 years ago and use it on birds, mammals, and reptiles that have fragile and/or brittle nails. I also do it to hooves. First step is sanding the nails with ultra fine sandpaper to remove any white flaking keratin layers. Step two; nails get saturated with Minwax wood hardener which penetrates beneath the surface and into the nail fibers so they can’t continue to flake. Then the concave underside of the nails gets filled with 10-minute epoxy which reinforces the nails and strengthens them while insuring the nails can never split. After a couple of days when everything has cured they get a final buffing with extra fine steel wool to knock down the high-gloss of the wood hardener. Last step is a thin coat of satin-finish clear enamel. I love the natural color of animal claws and hooves and the subtle color transition from the base of the nail to the semi-translucent tips and edges. A manicure really showcases their beauty.