tite bond and snake skin

[Justin Snyder]

I think you would be crazy to seal anything within several days of gluing the skins on so dry time isn't a concern. I also like to seal the skins good to help hold the scales down so I don't care about waterproof. 

maybe leaving the scales on is why yours take days to dry....I always remove all the scales I can and 24 hours is usually more than enough using elmers wood glue or titebond...  My current skin has been on bow for 10 years.

You help the skin shed, but you don't really remove the scales only the old skin, the scales are still on there. I do the same thing, as most people do. I don't have a problem with drying, but I think it is wise to let it cure. You never know how much moisture the wood has absorbed from the glue. You spend a year or more waiting for the wood to cure and days building a bow. Why would you want to take a chance on applying a finish before all the moisture from the glue is gone?

[Pat B]

I generally seal the back of the bow with a thin layer of TBIII let it cure overnight then add the skins with TBIII. This sealing helps to keep new moisture from entering the wood.
  I skinned an osage bow a few years ago and after a few days realized it felt mushy and had lost 10# of draw weight. I set it in my utility room for a week and it came back to life and back to it's intended draw weight. After that I began sealing the wood before adding the skins. I still give a newly skinned bow at least few days to "cure" before stressing it.

[HoBow]

Can you put a layer of TB3 over sinew that has been laid with hide glue and not lose any sinew benefits?  Then lay some skins down?

[Pat B]

Jeff, I have done that too on the last few sinew backed bows I built.    Works well!

[Justin Snyder]

Can you put a layer of TB3 over sinew that has been laid with hide glue and not lose any sinew benefits?  Then lay some skins down?

Yes,
The irony to this conversation is that the snakeskins will provide about as much water proofing as the TB will so worrying about the waterproofing under the snake skin is a little funny. Roll the snake skin over the edge of the bow a little to make sure it is completely covering the sinew. And I still recommend curing then sealing.