Well, I finally completed my Snakeskin Project on my Wapiti TD. I still have to do a final satin coat, but need to wait on mother nature warm up into the 60's F.
Anyway here's how I did it
A pair of matched Prairie Rattlesnake skins
Next, I sanded each limb with 60 grit paper to roughen up the the surface for better adhesion.
Limbs were wiped down with acetone and masking tape was applied to the face of the limbs to keep them clean during the glue up.
Before I started the glue up process, I soaked the skin in lukewarm water. This makes the skin flexible and easier to work with. I let the skin soak for about 5 minutes.
Wipe down the limb with acetone while the skin is soaking in water. Liberally apply Titebond III glue to the limb. Remove the skin from the water and remove as much water by sliding the skin between your index finger and thumb. Then apply skin to the limb and positin the skin. Start working out the air bubbles and smoothing out the glue. At this point glue will be working its way from under the skin. Work from the center outward. One very important step prior to actual glue up is laying up the skin to the limb. Determine where and how you want the skin on the limb and make length cuts to fit the limb. Leave enough overlap. The overlap will be cut off after the skin dries.
Continue working out the air bubbles and smoothing out the skin. A small roller used for hanging wallpaper works well. You can also use a piece of arrow shaft. If you have alot of overlap on the sides of the limb, trim it back some with a new razorblade knife. Leave about .25 inches. This will keep the skin from curling. Let the skin set about an hour to dry. Then take the back of a knife and scrap off as many scales from the skin as you can. It is much easier to do when the skin is still moist. Don't worry about getting them all off now. After the skin dries overnight, you can trim the excess skin flush with the limb with a razorblade.
Take masking tape and apply it to the skin to remove the remaining scales. Make sure you remove the tape in the same direction that the scales lie. Make sure you get all the scales off the skin.
After 36 hours, complete a final close trim of any skin hanging over the limbs edge. Check for any spots along the edges where the skin may have not taken hold. Use superglue or Zap a Gap to fix these spots. Once the skin is secure to the limb, take some 220 grit paper and touch up the edges of the skin. Wipe down the skin with a damp cloth to remove any residue from the sanding step. Let the limb dry for 1 hr.
Next, take superglue and apply it to the surface of the skin and along the edges of the limb. To apply, I used a surgical type glove made of nitrile. The blue ones. Pour a small amount of thin superglue and rub it as smooth as you can onto the skin. Do two coats and sand with 220 paper after the first coat. You can apply the second coat after 1 hour. To do my limbs, it took a little less than one ounce of super fine CA superglue. Best place to pick it up is in a Hobby store. I got a 1oz bottle for $5.00.
Topic: Skinning a Wapiti Build Along (Snakeskin Applique & Photos) (Read 8554 times)
