Artificial Snake skin

[bowkee]

I recently acquired one of my Osage bows back and was thinking of putting an artificial snake skin pattern on it, any Ideas?
I was thinking of using some fine linen cloth I have and making a roller with a carved skin pattern so I can emboss the backing.
I was thinking of the California king snake pattern.


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[Bevan R.]

Just a thought for an alternative to making your own, I got a couple of yards of snake skin print material off of ebay. worked out to about $3 a bow. I am to lazy to try to print my own (unless I use the puter and iron on transfers).

[Frode]

I'd be very interested in seeing how this works out, bowkee!  Are you thinking of making a wooden roller, or some kind of rubber/linoleum sort?  I know some people who have expressed some interest in decorative backings, and this would open up some very interesting possibilities, I think.
Please keep us apprised!
Frode

[Justin Snyder]

Some guys have stretched onion sacks over the back of the bow and sprayed it to get the scale pattern of snakeskins.

[robtattoo]

A fishnet stocking stretched over the bow & used as a template pruduces great scale patterns!
I don't have any pics, but I sprayed up a couple of bike gas tanks like this over the years. What works especially well is to spray flat black first, then stretch over the stocking & topcoat with gloss black. It's a very subtle, but surprisinly natural & realistic look!

[bowkee]

Hugh! Thats cool , I'll try all of them ideas.
I did buy some rubber stamp padding and put it on a wood dowel but carving the pattern is going to take some time.
I think the sack and fishnet idea are cool and easier.

[agd68]

Unless your really bent on making your own pattern rudderbows.com sells a fabric snake skin print backings for about 10.00. Thee different patterns of snake skin.

[bowkee]

after figuring on how I would have to carve all those grooves on an embosser I think I will choose the easier path with this project.
I did find something that will work But I would have to tear it apart, It's one of those bug zappers.

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[Justin Snyder]

Unless your really bent on making your own pattern rudderbows.com sells a fabric snake skin print backings for about 10.00. Thee different patterns of snake skin.

I don't care for the fabric at all.

[okiecountryboy]

A fishnet stocking stretched over the bow & used as a template pruduces great scale patterns!
I don't have any pics, but I sprayed up a couple of bike gas tanks like this over the years. What works especially well is to spray flat black first, then stretch over the stocking & topcoat with gloss black. It's a very subtle, but surprisinly natural & realistic look!

Cool idea!
I'm gonna try that one...unless you have some kind of fishnet stocking rights on this.

[mullet]

 Phillip, you can buy that size screen at most Hardware stores.

[bowkee]

Thanks Eddie, sure is complicated figuring how to do a california king snake, meaning the scale colors are black /white or yellow brown but inbetween that is a tan hue,Whew!

[bowkee]

Well I think I have a solution, I found some mesh material on a basket and cut a piece. I then use a couple stenciling brushes.
For the backing material I will be using a double layer of Fine linen. The rest is self explanatory, looks good enough for me. The sample is not linen.  The finished project should look Better, I hope. Phillip

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[Bevan R.]

Looking good so far. Looking foward to a pic of the finished item!!

[bowkee]

Gotter done as far as I could.
after the 2 layers of linen were applied with TB2 and dried I put an under coat of a Tan Hue, dried then stenciled the black, let it dry and applied the white. Kinda over lapped a little but I think it's ok
Don't know why we can't use snake skins here.

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