Sizing coats on fresh liquid hide glue (bottled variety) tack up in minutes, not hours. Soak the skins while you size the bow. Then dry the skins and size them. When the glue begins to tack, you can add another coat to the bow and glue the skins on. I like using liquid hide glue for snakeskin jobs better than Titebond. Being the glue and skins are protiens, it grabs and bonds the skins much better initially which makes the process easier. With Titebond, you have a slippery mess until the glue finally begins to set up. The only problem with liquid hide glue is finding and having on hand FRESH liquid hide glue. Check the expiration date printed somewhere on the bottle. I've seen bottles on store shelves already that were past the expiration date. If it doesn't tack between your fingers and begin making hairlike strings when you pull your fingers together and apart, it's old and won't set up or dry so well. The shelf life is less than a year, I believe.
On the topic of strength, thin skins like copperheads offer virtually no protection. I can't help but to think that tough, thick skins on the other hand have to provide some protection. Less than rawhide certainly, but perhaps enough to keep a pin knot from popping a splinter or the like.
