What do think of this skin ?

WINDTALKER · February 01, 2009, 01:24:00 PM

Well my redtail boa died a few days back so I skinned him out for a bow backing. Not to upset about it, he wasn'nt all that friendly for a 6' snake. The skin is thick almost like deer raw hide and about 10" at its widest point. Im thinking there is probably three bows in there 1 from each side and 1 from the center. what do you al

l think?

ishiwannabe · February 01, 2009, 01:27:00 PM

I think it will look sharp for sure.

Killdeer · February 01, 2009, 02:12:00 PM

Was he tender?

hunt it · February 01, 2009, 02:14:00 PM

What about a quiver? Be a shame to cut pattern all up.

WINDTALKER · February 01, 2009, 02:22:00 PM

Quiver would be nice but my craft skills will barely allow me to glue hide to wood LOL. Killdeer I was tempted as there was a lot of meat there but I wasn't sure of cause of death so I was a little leary

Wannabe1 · February 01, 2009, 02:35:00 PM

That will definitely make for an interesting bow. Good luck and can't wait to see the out come on some limbs.

ses · February 01, 2009, 02:38:00 PM

the olny good snake is a dead snake

mooseman76 · February 01, 2009, 02:40:00 PM

I've never done snakeskins so you want to ask this of someone experienced, but how thick is thick? Is there someway you can measure the thickness of this skin? I'd get that measurement and ask someone who does a lot of skins. You don't want anything really thick and heavy on the limbs...Mike

Pig Sticker · February 01, 2009, 02:53:00 PM

That is Gonna look SWEET!

Clint B. · February 01, 2009, 08:19:00 PM

Be sure to use the part of the skin where the "boa narrows".

)

WINDTALKER · February 01, 2009, 11:02:00 PM

Well its all dried out and stiff like rawhide it pulled the 1"x4" boards that I had used for a frame together in the center as it shrunk. I'll post pics. If its strong enough to warp wood it should do great protecting the back of a bow

Charlie Cole · February 01, 2009, 11:25:00 PM

No matter how you feel about snakes, you gotta admit, skinning out a PET for limb skins is freakin' HARDcore....

But it does make a beautiful skin!

Now where did my wife's cat get to...?

Tater 2 · February 02, 2009, 08:48:00 AM

I have read before thick skins like Boa, will probably add a couple pounds of draw weight to the bow, like backing with rawhide.
Pat

Tom Leemans · February 02, 2009, 09:36:00 AM

Get ahold of Brad Merkel (Little Tree) and he can tell you all about putting that skin on your bow.

WINDTALKER · February 02, 2009, 06:50:00 PM

Heres the finished skin its still stapled to the board so your looking at the flesh side of the pattern. The gap in the board was about a inch and a half the full length when the skin was put on and as it dried

it pulled the boards together.

WINDTALKER · February 02, 2009, 06:52:00 PM

Sorry about the split paragraph and sideway photo. Still working on my picture posting skills

Osagetree · February 02, 2009, 07:35:00 PM

Never seen a snake skin too thick to glue up. It should work fine and really look good too! I always use salt to dry them. Then rinse them in warm water just before glue up. The warm water makes them plyable again. Never had a skin come loose yet.

I would do like you say,,, two one each side and one down the middle.

WINDTALKER · February 02, 2009, 10:30:00 PM

So what do you all think? Since it pulled pine boards together can I use it like sinew and get a little reflex