Hello fellow rodbuilders,

I am about to take my first shot at a snake skin inlay for a butt decoration. I've read the article in RM magazine and all the other tutorials that i can find. The question is which cp would you more experienced rodbuilders reach for as a first choice for tacking down and coating the skin? I have the following brands; Flex Coat, Glass Coat, Gudebrod 811, Diamondite, Chroma Seal, Casons CC water based, and some old Cabelas stuff that will re-arrange your brain cells if inhaled for too long. Which one have you used with good results? I don't know which brand I should use, and I don't have enough skin for multiple tests.

Thanks in advance for your replies or suggestions!

Rog

Roger,

I used Chroma Seal on my last one and it turned out fine, I have also used U-40 Color Lock 2 with really good results. I think just about anything you have would work fine as long as you get a couple really good coats on it. The Chromaseal locks it down pretty quick.

Walt Davenport
"Roadhouse Rods"

I've used Chromo seal and Flexcoat both worked good also. Check out the Video tutorial on Mudhole

Sorry Double Post



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2010 04:17PM by Barry Thomas Sr.

I always use U40's Color Lock. Nothing but great results.

Do NOT use a solvent-based CP with snake skin. Water-based CP wets the skin and makes it flexible and pliable. Solvent-based CP dries the skin and makes it hard to work with.

Roger, I have applied many snake skins using Flex Coat, U-40 Color Lock 2, American Tackle Tread Sealer and Casons CC non water based. Each of these sealers have done a satisfactory job, but in my opion the Casons is superior. I am very impressed with this product. It is water clear, it coats extremely well and decorative feathers are a breeze to apply with it. It is, however, not as quick to set up as the others I have used. I can only assume the Casons water based product will work for you as well as the non water based Casons works for me.

Walt

I'm on the Chromo seal side. Mine turned extremely well.

Walter, the advice not to use the solvent-based CP came from Mr. Cason himself at the Expo. He was quite specific about it. I can say that his water-based product works very well on snake skin.

I have used his solvent-based product for feather inlays, and it does a terrific job for that application. It is also an excellent choice for Madeira and Metro poly threads.

I use U-40 Color Lock or Chromaseal

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Gary, I have not experienced any problems with Cason's solvent-based CP. Mr. Cason must have run up against a problem that I have not experienced. I have found the product to be consistently exceptional in all working aspects. The only downside to the product is that it is unpleasantly odoriferous. And because of the distasteful fumes I had already ordered Casons' water based equivalent. I hope it works as well.

Walt

Walt, if you are going to use the water-based on Madeira or Metro poly threads, be sure to do a color test first. The solvent-based works fine with these threads, but the water-based has caused me some color-change problems.

The reason I don't recommend the solvent based product is that it can, with some snake skins, make the skin brittle and hard to work with. The water based product makes it pliable and does a very good job on snake skin. Feathers, however, seem better handled with the solvent based product.

The water based product has now been improved to eliminate the "haze" issue some users have seen in the past. If you have a bottle of prior product then please drop me an email. We will trade addresses and I'll send you a bottle of the new stuff.

Best,

Bill Cason