Titebond 3 and mahogany.

[Weez]

Hey everyone,

New to the forum, and something I wish to look into after this project I am working on. But it so happens, I am building a guitar at the moment made of mahogany, and I have a python snakeskin, with a leathered backing, had it years, so I put it on my guitar body using Titebond 3 and vacuum packed it.

I will eventually clear coat with 2 pack acrylic paint.

I kinda went head first in so my question is, did I use the right glue? I did a test piece first and trying to remove it was difficult and very hard. Pulling the snake skin away from the leathered backing.

I googled a lot and this came back, a lot of people saying yes its fine and Titebond FAQ said it was fine.

So, have I been hasty? Or is it a okay ready for cutting trimming and clear coating?

[PEARL DRUMS]

The skin is probably tanned. It may not stay put. I've had miserable luck with tanned skins.

[osage outlaw]

I haven't glued tanned snake skins yet but I have several sets and I plan on using TB glue.  I have glued leather to wood with TB and it stuck pretty well.  It takes a lot of effort to peal it off.  Your guitar won't be flexing like a bow so I would think you will be fine.  Did you get all the air bubbles out of the skin when you glued it down?  Could you post some pictures of you guitar?  I would like to see it. 

[Weez]

Bugger.... I hope that isn't the case... I went for it on the basis of it saying okay for leather and my small test piece was real tricky to peel off. I know that Washburn have done this before in the past, they seemed tanned as well. I don't really have anything else to hand, bar some elmers PVA glue but I always use TB3 for, well, everything.

I ran a piece of timber over the entire thing with some force to remove air bubbles, then put it in a vacuum pack bag and sucked the air out and for good measure clamped a piece of timber to the top with medium pressure.

Like I say, I need to clear coat it and finish it up and bind the body. Let me see if I can upload a photo...

[Weez]

Aha, it worked... as you can see, the back of the skin on the cut piece to the bottom is white and fluffy and leathery, so I HOPE that it would be incredibly difficult get off. I rollered the glue and did it in half sections to ensure and element of workability.

I have tonnes of the stuff left as well, maybe 13 foot. Maybe more.

Just really really hope this sticks, as I don;t have the width to stick it again if it were to slip.... :/

[Weez]

Ah, SUEDE! That was the word I was looking for to describe the backing... 

[PEARL DRUMS]

My glue turned a weird brown color after soaking something out of the skin. Then it wouldn't quite dry and eventually I cleaned it off and junked it. Hopefully yours is good to go on your guitfiddle. If you have to take all that off and sand again your pots and pick ups might not fit right.

[Weez]

Everything SEEMS a okay so far. Titebond 3 reckons any leather should stick nicely with clamping pressure. So fingers crossed it holds out, will be a while before I clear coat it.