Drying skins

[1kwikstik]

Thanks to my fearless son, I've got 4 rattler skins in the freezer. I know I need to pin them down on a board, just wondering if I need to put anything on them. I've heard salt, borax, and nothing at all. What's your opinion?

[2treks]

Nothing! Make sure you have the fat and such off.

[Dano]

As Chuck said, scrape the meat off and air dry em, that's if your going to back a bow with em.

[1kwikstik]

Thanks guys! Thats the plan. I've never backed a bow with them, but he said I could have a pair if I would do his bow too. Think I'll do his first!

[2treks]

I did my wifes bow in 1995 and it turned out nice. You will do fine.
 just to make sure you know tho, you will skin it, scrape it and pin it up to air dry.  Good luck and show us your bow when done.
Chuck

[scrub-buster]

Is it better to put the scales up or down when tacking them down?  I've done it both ways and really couldn't tell a difference.

[2treks]

I always put the flesh side to the air. after a day or so I will pull the skin up on the pins so that a small air gap is between the board and skin.

[Eric Krewson]

Tack you skin to a board while wet. I use a staple gun, putting staples through the belly scales and stretching as I go. You don't want to salt or borax the skin, it is not necessary and makes a skin very hard to glue on unless it is rinsed a zillion times.

 

Use a spoon to scrape the flesh from the center to the edge of the skin, get it all.

After a few days, use a pair of scissors to cut the skin loose from the board. Cut at the line between the belly scales and back scales.

Roll your dried skin up and store in a Ziploc bag.

 

[Roy Steele]

Skin,scrape let air dry after dry roll up and store in a zip lock.I don't even pin them up anymore.When dryt to use tan in denatured alc.this makes them plyable and they return to there normal size.If need to strech do while or before taning.Pining them up makes them dry faster.Pin flesh side out if you do.

[Hermann From Bavaria]

...unfortunately there are no rattle snakes, or other big snakes in bavaria...  :(  

...this skin looks too good!

[1kwikstik]

Hey guys! Got my skins drying, trying to round up what I need to put em on a couple of bows. I'm planning on following the instructions in the How-To about "Skinning a Wapiti". Think I've got everything except the super glue. I'll try to post a few pictures if all goes well! Thanks for your input & encouragement!