Recently, I ran into a family acquaintance who hunts snakes and sells their skins. I've only wrapped for myself, family and friends, but he has offered to pay me for my services. I have never worked with snake skin. I've seen and read them used as inlays and underwraps, but he wants it as decorative guide wraps.
Has anyone ever attempted this?
I figured I would have to wrap the guide with thread and then place the skins around the wraps, and follow with the finish work.
Any starting points or tips are greatly appreciated.

-Devin

the skin would go on under the guide like a under wrap

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 09:19AM by Barry Thomas Sr.

Double post



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 09:20AM by Barry Thomas Sr.

I just did a bait caster with snake skin under the first guide and came out pretty nice if I do say so myself.
I also wrapped the hook keeper on and and overlaid a 3/4"-1" strip over the center of the wrap. Again, to me it's pretty dang sick looking.

Hello Everyone

I do'nt know how it would look but what about putting the skin on and before you epoxy it put the guides on and use white thread (non NCP) with no CP so you could see through the wraps and see the skin?

The guide feet will still be seen but you should be able to see quite a bit of the skin done this way.
If you try this let us know how it comes out and take a pic if you can.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

If you put white thread over the skin, which is certainly a good idea, you'll have to finish it so that the thread turns truly transparent. The best way to do that is with white silk, finished with a thinned varnish or Permagloss. You could achieve almost the same thing with an epoxy that's been thinned. Not exactly a great thing to do with an epoxy, but it's an option to consider in order to get what you want.

............

I have found that 000 white silk (no CP) with Threadmaster Lite will go almost completely transparent. No need to thin the TM. You need to have a warm environment & be careful that the epoxy penetrates & leaves no bubbles in the wrap or near the tunnel. The careful use of a bodkin will help.
Bill

Thanks for the advice.
I don't know if he will go for the transparent guide wrap.
He was pretty set on the image of the skin covering the feet.
Either way it goes I'll be sure to post some pics. It might be a while since he hopes of grabbing a blank at the Sacramento ISE.
Thank You

Hello Devin

Another one you could try is to put your guide on the rod and epoxy it, let it dry cut your skin the way you want it then cut a small slit in the center of the skin so you can slip it over the guide, glue it down and epoxy over that.
There wo'nt be much room for epoxy unless you use real thin coats on both your guide wraps & skin.

Good Luck, let us know what you do & how it turns out.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.