Snake Skin question

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J

JoeHodge1978

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
63
Location
Buckhead Swamp,South Carolina
I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here,but I got a question about the snakeskin blanks.I have read where some curing processes will cause the blank to darken.Obviously I don't want this to happen.I did a Google search on snakeskin curing and this is what I found......


  1. Step 1
    Scrape away as much muscle, fat and tissue from the skin as possible, taking care not to damage or puncture the skin. The cleaner the skin when you begin, the quicker and easier it will cure.
  2. Step 2
    Mix together one part glycerin and one part rubbing alcohol in the container. You will need enough to completely cover the snakeskin.
  3. Step 3
    Loosely coil the snakeskin so that it will fit inside the container.
  4. Step 4
    Push the snakeskin into the glycerin and alcohol solution. Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin and use a clean wooden stick or wooden spoon to help push the skin completely under. Make sure it is completely covered by the solution.
  5. Step 5
    Place an airtight lid on the container and set it in a cool, dark place.
  6. Step 6
    Stir the solution and the skin gently once each day.
  7. Step 7
    Remove the skin from the solution at the end of the third day.
  8. Step 8
    Rinse the snakeskin thoroughly in fresh, cool water.
  9. Step 9
    Scrape away any remaining flesh or tissue, taking care not to damage the skin.
  10. Step 10
    Rub a thin coat of glycerin on the inside of the skin.
  11. Step 11
    Hang the skin in a cool, dry place for one day.
  12. Step 12
    Wipe away any remaining glycerin with a damp clean cloth and then dry with a soft clean cloth. An old T-shirt works well.
Is this the standard curing procedure that is used for blanks or is there another/better way to do this?Any help would be appreciated.
 
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no trouble at all after a couple tries.

i fill 1 plastic cup 1/4 way up w/hot/warm water and place the resin filled cup into it, like a double boiler, before adding catalyst. after5-10 min like this the resin is thin and i stir in catalyst, making sure not to induce bubbles. if there are any on/near the skin i push them away with a toothpick

just be careful not to get any water in the resin
 
Is curing or tanning necessary? I have a lot of snakeskins that i have just 'skinned, stretched, and dried" they are very stable and have been stored for longperiods (over a year or better). I use them in making bows and the "tanned" skins have adhesion problems. ???. i have cast several of these dried skins to pen blanks. the only problems i have noted are a "hazing" effect where the pen parts are pressed into the tube. it almost looks like air is entering into the tube or the brass is slightly deforming and separation is occuring between the resin and skin. this is a very frustrating problem for me i have only completed 3 snake pens because of this issue.

you may not have to cure the skins, drying them is very easy and effective way to preserve the hide. UNLESS my problems on the ends of the blanks is related? i hope this offers some insight.

if anyone has a solution to my "hazing" problem.. i thank you in advance for any help.
dustin
 
sorry to double post, i forgot to add that in my experience the best way to tan a snake hide and preserve color and make the hide durable yet supple is to use a product called 'snaketan' it is commonly used in the taxidermy and leather industry to make leather out of snake/reptile skins
dd
 
hey bodark whats up!

yep the leftovers from our brothers of the bow on PA work great, and yes i have the solution to your problem. while i never had that problem pressing parts i do have the problem of cracking blanks due to not having a pen press yet...
i use a nock file (chainsaw file) to loosen the fit and CA in the parts. works great.
and no tanning ain't necessary if the skins are thin, only 2 out of over a doz. skins i use were tanned. i get my skins from saw filer, mullet, adb, NTD, and skyarrow on PA
 
Joe, all my snakes are caught locally.


Zander, thanks for the tip. i will give that a shot next time.
dd
 
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