Snakeskinning a bow

[benjiec]

I skinned and air dried a couple of canebreak rattlers and attached them to the limbs of one of my recurves.  Then to give it the wet look I put several coats of polyurethane on them.  It turned out beautiful.  The only issue was that the brown bands turned a slight gray/green.  It still looks good, what should I have used other than the polyurethane to maintain the original color?

[Pat B]

I don't know why the color changed. Did you remove the scales before you sealed the skins?      Pat

[benjiec]

Yes I did, I used a standard Minwas fast drying gloss polyurethane.  Maybe that had something to due with it.

[Pat B]

I generally use Tru-Oil over snake skins so I don't know how poly would react to the skins color. If you have a scrap piece, try a bit on it and see. Pat

[benjiec]

Thanks, I'll give it a try on the next one.

[roy easom]

Minwas fast drying gloss polyurethane sucks it the finish turns  into a brownish color

[YORNOC]

Poly does not last too well on skins, plus it yellows more and more with time. Varathane adheres a bit better and tru oil is great. Another option instead of a hardened finish is to either give it a good coating of Montana Pitch Blend, mink oil, or even butchers wax. It is leather after all, and this seeps into the nooks and crannys very well, but keeps it as a very natural non glare protective finish. Without the waiting time. I have put well over 100 skins on limbs for people, this is what I do for my own bows. I hunted Newfoundland where it poured everyday on me and my bow for a week, the skins held perfectly and did not absorb water.