Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: coaster500 on June 12, 2012, 06:14:07 pm

Title: My fish skin experiment
Post by: coaster500 on June 12, 2012, 06:14:07 pm
Went fishing yesterday and got a few good ones. I caught a limit of ling Cod and got some skins at the fish cleaning station so I've got about ten sides. Ling are ambush predators and change color like a Cameleon. The skins on the board came from Lings in the kelp. The skins on the cement came from lings in open water. I just wondered if they would hold there color when dried. Lings have no scales.
I got a few brown skin rock fish and probably would not have considered them except their skin is tough as rawhide!!! We will see???

Has anyone ever tried Lings??

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/LingandRockFishSkins001.jpg)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/LingandRockFishSkins002.jpg)
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: Dauntless on June 12, 2012, 06:35:13 pm
I've never seen Ling outside archaeological assemblages (Icelandic stuff, I doubt you're over there though and common names can be very misleading).  The skin looks amazing though!  I wonder if the pattern will change while drying or because of UV rays though.

I can't wait to see these on a bow.
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: Keenan on June 12, 2012, 06:41:11 pm
Kip I have done several Ling cod bows. They will lose some color when they dry. They are fairly tough and good for backing. Try some dye underneath to accent and you may be able to pop the color a little more
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: coaster500 on June 12, 2012, 06:52:14 pm
Two hours into it and it looks like I'm looseing color fast. I will continue as I am curious to see if the color come back when I rehydrate and glue to the back of a bow??

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/LingandRockFishSkins.jpg)
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: coaster500 on June 12, 2012, 06:56:54 pm
I'll try that Keenan. When I was fleshing the skins I noticed the color coming out of the skins from the preasure of the blade. I am wondering if I do a better job skining the when they are fresh if they might hold more of the color?

PS... still looking for our Leopard shark :)
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: coaster500 on June 12, 2012, 09:46:16 pm
another couple hours dry to the touch...

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/LingandRockFishSkins001-1.jpg)
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: Keenan on June 12, 2012, 10:20:04 pm
 PS... still looking for our Leopard shark

 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: My fish skin experiment
Post by: bubby on June 12, 2012, 10:31:56 pm
even if it looses the color it still has a cool pattern, Bub