Thanks guys. I think it was a fairly simple process - not near as much trouble as I was anticipating. Snakes skin out pretty cleanly. Most of the flesh seems to stick to the skin on the belly, which you are going to cut off anyway. I applied it green, without any tanning procedure. I coated the back with Tite bond and laid the skin in place. I smoothed it out with my fingers, being sure to rub in the direction that the scales are laying. A snake has scales almost like a fish. I let it dry for a couple of days and trimmed off the excess. Then I sanded the edges with my electric sander. I stained the tips and belly with a dark walnut stain. I sprayed three coats of spar urethane over the whole thing. Since the rest of the bow was a little dark, I went with a lighter colored leather wrap for a little contrast. I have a found another use for these buggers, besides the frying pan....
