Snake skinning a snakey osage.

[Kent D.]

I have a quick question.  Im in the process of chaseing a ring on a snakey osage branch I cut a year ago.  It has quite a few knots.  I have a few snake skins laying around and thought I might put one on the back of this bow.  I have never tried to put a snake skin on a knotted back.  This bow has quite a few knots.  I have been leaving several rings around the knots but was wondering if I could flatten the knots, back the bow with linen or raw hind, then put a snake skin on it.  Ive never tried to skin a bow with knots on it.  Also, ive never smoothed over knots and backed a character bow.  It was just a thought running through my mind last night while chaseing a ring.  What would you fine folks suggest.

Keep it as a knotted character bow, or try  to flatten the knots, back it, then put on a skin?

[Aosda]

Burnie,
  Is there a way to wet the skin and secure it to the bow with a wrap instead of glue to see if the skin would conform to shape?  Kinda like a dry run.  I have never worked with skins, but whenever ya break in new leather boots, you wet them and then wear them dry from about 60%.  Seems to me it might work with a skin.

Tavis

[Kent D.]

Sure can.  I will actually have to wet them to soften them before putting them on.   I guess I could give that a try.

[Mark Smeltzer]

My thought is that snake skins offer little to no protection against ring violations. I would follow a ring and leave the knots as they come out naturaly. The wet skins will conform to some pretty big knots.  I would also not leave extra wood (puddles) around the knots, the extra wood can lift and ruin your skins.
You may be able to do as you sugest,  flatten the knots and back with linen first and then the skin, to me that is just added weight and taking a chance with bow breaking at the knot.
Just my 2 cents
Mark

[Keenan]

Dont violate the rings around the knots unless you are going to reinforce with linen,rawhide or sinew then skin on top. That being said, If the bow is sound and staying together as a shooter just skin over the knots and bumps. Snake skin gets very stretchable and pliable when prepared right. I just soak mine in the sinew glue and wait till they are good and stretching easy.

[Dano]

I'd do as Mark suggested and chase the knots to one ring and skin over that. I wouldn't just scrap em flat, even rawhide might not protect it then. Just take more care around the knots when applying the skins, air bubbles like to build up around them so keep that in mind. Skins over a knotty, snakey bow look pretty cool.

[bigcountry]

On the one bow I have snake skinned, the rattlesnake skin conformed pretty nice to the pin knots.  I wrapped tight with some ace bandage. 

But just thinking outloud and I shouldn't even be giving advise, but when you wet the skins, you could put them on, and put a soft spongy material over the pin knots, wrap with an ace bandage or tape.  That way it might might keep from getting an air bubble there.  I have no idea if it would work.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Skinning a bow is probably the easyest thing you'll do in bowmaking 

[sulphur]

this doesn't pertain to snake skins but everytime i left rings over a knot that knot popped.  i always leave it a little wider around knots but leave it on the same growth ring as the rest of the limb.

[Hillbilly]

I agree with everyone else-don't leave extra rings around the knots. The ring you're chasing will already have extra material around the knot, if you leave islands of extra rings around it, they're gonna come loose sooner or later. Also, don't flatten the knots unless you're going to put a hard backing like bamboo or hickory on it, or several layers of sinew at the very least. Even sinew won't always hold a violated knot.

[Pat B]

I think I'd do like other have said...remove the excess layers of wood from around the knots. I would shoot it like that, or add a rawhide backing, for a while before putting a snake skin on it. I would add a rawhide backing and shoot the crap out of it first. After a few hundred shots add the snake skin. If you use hide glue for the rawhide and also the snake skin it will "suck" them to the bows back. You may have to play with it around the knots a bit to eliminate air bubbles.
   Sounds like a fun project. Looking forward to some pics!

[Kent D.]

Thanks all.  I  have chased the ring I want.  I have skinned several bows, I just have never skinned one with this many knots.    I got a different idea last night while finishing up.  Ive got a smaller snake skin that I think ill put on my smoother limb and follow through the handle with the tale, and run the tail through the knots.  Like the snake was climbing up the bow. 

[lowell]

Can't wait to see!!

[bigcountry]

Thanks all.  I  have chased the ring I want.  I have skinned several bows, I just have never skinned one with this many knots.    I got a different idea last night while finishing up.  Ive got a smaller snake skin that I think ill put on my smoother limb and follow through the handle with the tale, and run the tail through the knots.  Like the snake was climbing up the bow. 

That sounds pretty cool.

[Aosda]

Will the bow's name then be "Caduceus"?  Sounds like a great idea.  Can't wait to see it.