I have done a few skins on my recurves and one longbow....last set has lasted for about 8 years... Do a search on here for Sneaky Snake or Snake Skin and should find my post on the whole process I got from Paul Brunner back in early 90s. All of the ones I have had to replace were because bug spray ate through sealer and hunting in the high humidity and thunderstorms of Lowcountry of South Carolina it would get moisture in it. So would dry and touch up a bit but get sealer on too thick and it will start cracking...then time to strip and do it again.
Here is how I do mine.....use elmers or gorilla carpenter/wood glue for easy cleanup. if you use some of the others you have to sand your limbs every time you reapply...for me that was a deal breaker. hot water and these clean up for new skins...
SNEAKY SNAKE APPLICATION
1. Here's what you need to get the job done: 2 snake skins, coarse grit
sandpaper, 1 pair scissors, 1 sharp hobby knife or scalpel, Elmer's
Carpenter's Glue, 1 spray can of gloss
varathane. We recommend Flecto
brand in the Professional grade (black can).
2. Gently
rough up the backs of the limbs of your bow with the coarse grit
sandpaper. I use a light
circular motion. This roughs up the surface so the
glue will hold to the limb. I do it light enough, so that if I ever want to go
back to original, the limb can be fine sanded back to perfect finish.
3. Get everything ready by having a bucket of water standing by. You are
going to put your snake skin in the bucket while you apply glue to one of
your bow limbs. Let the skin soak until it is nice and wet and pliable.
4. Using fingers, or small brush, I lightly coat the glue on the limbs, making
sure I get complete coverage. Don't get it on too thick. Try not to let it
dribble down the sides. It's not a big deal if it does, but makes for more
clean up work.
5. Remove the snake skin from water and shake off excess water. Lay the
snake skin on the limb. It does not matter whether the head end of the
snake is at the tip of the limb or at the riser. The choice is yours, as long
as you do it the same on the other limb. I usually have the head end at the
riser. Now start smoothing the skin on.
start at the head end of the skin
and work it on with your fingers.
6. Keep working any air and glue bubbles out to the sides of the skin, or up
to one end. I keep rubbing and smoothing the skin for a couple of minutes.
7. Now you will begin removing the outer scales. This must be done, or
your finish will not stick to the skins. Once the skin is beginning to stay in
place, I begin using a pocket knife blade (held at 90 degrees to the limb) to
remove scales and work out remaining glue and air. YOU MUST GO
FROM HEAD TO TAIL WHEN DOING THIS. If you go the wrong way, you
will rip the skin. Get as many scales off as you can, but don't expect to get
them all off. If you go for all of them, you'll probably damage the skin,
although sometimes they come off completely and easily.
8. When I'm through rubbing the skin on, I carefully
take a hobby knife or
razor blade and trim the excess skin on the sides. I make sure the skin is
really sticking in place before I do this. I might move on to the other limb
before I trim the first one. Don't try to trim super close at this time, but you
don't want a half inch of skin overhanging or it will curl when it dries and lift
off the limb.
9. I let the skin dry on the limb for at least 24 hours, then take my hobby
knife, which must be razor sharp, and carefully
check to make sure the
trimming job is perfect...right flush with the bevel on the edge.
10. Now gently scrape any glue off the edges of the limb. I also wipe it
several times with a damp sponge until I can find no glue anywhere on the
limb. Now check carefully
for scales that didn't get removed. I get a good
light source and turn the limb every direction. The scales you missed are
dull looking compared to the places you removed the others. You can
remove the remaining scales two ways. One, you can pop each one with
your little finger nail. Two (easier), just lay a strip of masking tape on the
limb. Gently peel off (from head to tail, please) and the scales come with it.
Now take a new piece and do it again. You're done when there are no
more scales stuck to the tape. Gently wipe the skin with a damp sponge
and allow to dry for 30 minutes, or so. Now you're ready to spray with
Varathane.
11. The spraying does two very important things. It assures that the skin
won't lift along the edges when something rubs against it and it gives it a
really pretty, protective coating. I use about 5 coats of the Varathane. If
the scales are big on the skin, I might use 6. Make sure you get a good
coverage, but not so much that the varathane runs down the sides of the
limb. Remember, too, that you have to cover the sides, as well as the skin,
so that the skin won't lift! The last coat I put on is done from a couple of
feet away and is really "over spray". This takes some of the glare and flash
off the finish, so that the critters don't see it. You can also cut glare by
taking 0000 steel wool (quadruple ought) and gently rubbing the finish.
13. If you're hunting in snake country and lay your bow down, don't just
reach down and grab it.....check the sucker out....it could be the real thing!
Good, sneaky, hunting!
I got this from Paul Brunner back in early 90s....I had changed it a bit for my personal taste but dont have copy of that at work. Good luck
Topic: Snakeskin on a recurve? (Read 600 times)
