1st time snake skin-finish cracked

[DuBois]

Put on my first skins and got the scales off. I have never held a snake skin bow so I am not sure how smooth they should be prior to finishing.
Has a little texture to it but looks good I think.

Should I do anything to the skins before I put on shellac and then tru-oil coats?

Thanks folks,

Doobs

[4dog]

gaze at the awesomeness!! 

[HighEagle]

I also just applied my first snakeskin I used Gorgons Hazelnut build along for a guild. On the edges seem to lift a little on the points, I Hit them with lite sand paper steel wool between light coats of  tru oil  on about my 6th coat and the skins feel smooth now. Chuck 

[Mohawk13]

Have to agree. Took 4 coats of poly before the felt smooth. Added 2 more just to be safe. Tru-oil will go on thinner, so might take a few more coats to get the smooth effect...at least in my experience.

[Pappy]

7 or 8 coats of true oil for me,some a little more some a little less depending on the snake. You want it so smooth you can't feel anything when you rub it up or down,takes patients but well worth it.  I also use 000 steel wool between coats and always go from head to tail in a light stroke,just enough to smooth it a bit.
   Pappy

[ohma2]

like pappy said dont rub a snake skin backwards.it will raise little [for the lack of a better word] teets.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I put a vinyl glove on and with my finger smear super glue along the edges of the skins from tip to tip. It keeps those pesky edges from lifting here and there and "cracking the seal" on the finish.

[adb]

Even once the scales are gone, real snakeskins will have quite a bit of texture. No big deal. I finish my skins with multiple coats of semi gloss polyurethane in line with the grain of the scales (grip to tip). I use a gloss or semi gloss so the skins look a bit more 'alive' on the bow. Like Pearlie, I go over the edge of the skins, and glue done any lifty bits with thin CA glue. They're originally applied with TB2 or TB3.

[DuBois]

OK, thanks fellas.
I will post some pics when the bow is done. It's kind of a short Frankenstein bow saved from some other attempts and the skins are rat snake. Not a great beauty but more good learning before I do some rattler skins or something.

[DuBois]

Done with bow and after shooting it some it got these cracks in finish on both limbs around mid limb. It has shellac and then tru oil several coats and them poly. Hard to see in this pic but it is the lighter area across the back and mostly n the middle.

What happened? And what should I do about it?

Thanks,
Doobs

[Gsulfridge]

I would certainly get that section of track repaired before the next train comes through.   I can't see a crack in the finish on the bow.  Skins look nice, though.

[DuBois]

They look like tigers eye sorta across the back. I will probably be retillering some and may just have to sand down and refinish anyway.

[DuBois]

Anybody ever have to refinish snake skin?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Too much sealing doobs. Your finish was so thick it cracked. A few coats of shellac and a few coats of oil finish is plenty. No need to spray more over all that. I wouldn't worry about re-doing them, I doubt you could without damage.

[Pat B]

I was thinking like Pearlie, too much sealing.  I use about 6 coats of Tru-Oil with a good rub with 0000 steel wool between coats. When it is all good and dry a quick spray of satin poly to break the shine. The Tru-Oil is flexible and the quick spray of poly is very thin, just a quick spray to cut the shine.