I was wondering if anyone has ever tried anything like a tarpon scale inlay. If it would look decent after the finish was applied or not. Or if it would just look plain old strange and kind of odd. I have several scales from fish that I have caught and my mind began to wonder about what it would look like and if it would make a cool inlay.

Curtis Beers

it can be done. Time consuming. I am thinking glue each on seperately and let dry, building up layers of them till you have the area covered.
Give it a shot and show us a picture.
maybe over top of matalic thread ??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2005 07:45PM by bill boettcher.

Never tried it, but don't see why you couldn't. As Bill suggested, I would inlay the scale over a color (thread, paint) that would make it stand out.

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

I think you're right. It needs a background. The scale takes on a natural curl as it dries and is slightly iridescent. I would have to do something to soften it a little when bonding it to the blank. They are fairly large and go almost all of the way around the blank.

They would have to be small scales but you could cover a piece of tube/blank about 4" long and I could encapsulate it just the same as any other grip I make. Jesse

A friend of mine contacted me 2 years ago becasue he was getting into etching images on Black Drum scales. The scales are probably smaller and thinner than the Tarpon scales.

Jesse offers you a good alternative, he encapsulated a set of Blackfish teeth for me with a Blackfish pin a couple of years ago, which came out SUPER.

That's pretty cool about etching images on Black Drum scales. They are probably about the same size as the tarpon scales from the tarpon we've caught. Yesterday the movers were picking up my stuff and found a scale from a black drum, the guy said he thought it was a tarpon scale from looking at it. Pretty heavy duty things, pain in the butt to cut through.

Phil