Got a little more done tonight. Here's how it looked after drying for almost 24hrs. While not completely dry, I thought it was dry enough to start the trimming. First thing I did was to glue any spots where it wanted to lift where the skin starts near the riser and where it ends near the tips.
I had about a 1/4 inch overhang and started trimming with the razor. After I got most of it trimmed back, I switched to a file. You can also use sandpaper. If you decide to use a file, go very very slow and do not take off more than you need. I filed through the skin and the layer of glue and stopped when I got down to the glass.
(Edit: The reason I used a file is b/c the skins were thin and I was trying to blend into a beveled edge. If the limbs have a hard edge like most three piece takedowns, I would just use the razor knife.)
Used masking tape to peel off the remainder of the scales. Press the tape on and rub it in to make sure you get the scales to stick. If you're glue is not completely dry, be sure to hold down the edges near the riser so it doesn't peel back. Also peel your tape from the head end of the skin to the tail end. I don't know for sure, but I've heard it can rip if you do it the opposite way.
I then sanded the edge where the skin meets the bow with some 400 grit to help blend it in and smooth out some of the file marks. I also very lightly sanded over the entire skin. The more I sanded here, the more color I lost so I wouldn't suggest sanding a lot. I'm happy with the result with the exception of where the skin stop on the riser on one limb. Lesson learned. I like how the tips and the edges turned out.
Next is a top coat. Still not 100% sure on what I'm going to use. I have Tru Oil, Tung Oil, and Helmsman Spar Urethane on hand. Right now I'm leaning towards Tru Oil, with a light spar urethane over top. I guess I have until tomorrow to decide. Thanks for following along.
Topic: Cottonmouth skins on my TS Mag (finished pics on pg3) (Read 738 times)
