Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Blacksmith on January 19, 2009, 03:23:00 PM
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I'm getting ready to glue some rattlesnake skins onto a hickory backed osage bow. A friend of mine picked up a matched pair of snakeskins at the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater Tx a few years back. He rolled up the skins and froze them for me. What is my next step? Do I have to thaw them and scrape and dry them or do I thaw them and go ahead and glue them up? Most of the stuff I read is about using dry skins. Also which is your favorite glue? Titebond 2 or titebond 3?
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Thaw and unroll the skins and with a table spoon scrape any meat or other soft tissue from the skins. They are now ready to glue to your bow with TBIII(any carpenters glue will work). Once the glue has set up but not fully cured(an hour or so) you can trim the excess skin with a sharp razor. When completely dry(I like to wait 3 or 4 days for the moisture from the skins and glue that was absorbed into the bow to dissipate)You remove the scales by rubbing or lightly scraping being careful not to tear the skins.
Depending on the thickness and suppleness of the skins you may or may not need to wrap the skins after gluing down so they lay flat without any air bubbles. An ACE bandage or strips of old bed sheets works well for the wrapping. Pat
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Pat,
I have some sturgeon skins that I'm gonna be using within the next few months. Are the procedures the same for these? Mine are also frozen, but I haven't had the pleasure of using them yet.
Thanks,
Joe
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Joe, I have never used sturgeon skins. I would guess it is basically the same. Check the "How To" section here and see if there is not a build along. I know some guys on PA that have used them.
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Thanks for the instructions Pat. That was what I was hoping to hear!
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After scraping the flesh side you might want to degrease it. I would wash the whole skin with warm water and Dawn dish soap or something similar. Pat
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would the process be the same on a glass backed bow?? :confused:
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Sure. You want any natural oils or flesh off of the skin before you glue it down to insure good adhesion.
Even when I use dried snake skins I soak them in warm water and when soft I wash them with Dawn soap before gluing. Pat
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Thaw them out now soak them in denatured alcohol for 2 days ring them out,deflesh and descale them.Let dry but still flexable.I've used tight bond 1 works good.But I've used ELMERS white glue quite a few times.Never had one come off.Cover bow and skin put it on bow rap with ace bange.Have a role or two of paper towals handie no glue on your skins.If you do have some warm water handie to get off you bow and skins.won't hurt your skins.