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Hazelnut bow build-a-long (fixed pictures)

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Nightmyth:
I understand. You guys taught me something new, thank you. :)

Gordon:
I ordered a matched set of rattlesnake skins from Pine Hollow Longbows for this bow. I had a problem with the first set of skins I received, but the folks at Pine Hollow took care of it immediately and I had a replacement pair within 2 days. That’s great customer service – thank you Mike!

I’m going to use Titebond liquid hide glue for this job. The back of each limb is first sized by applying a thin coat of hide glue and then letting it dry.



Each skin is hydrated in warm (not hot!) water for about 5 minutes. Then I remove the skins from the water and blot them dry on a towel.

Gordon:
I spread a thin coat of hide glue along the back and then lay down the first skin starting from the tip and moving to the handle.



I carefully stretch and adjust the skin so the pattern runs down the middle of the limb. Then using my fingers, I remove any air bubbles that are trapped under the skins. This is important as air bubbles will result in cracks in the finish.



When the air bubbles are removed, I trim away any excess skin by running a razor blade along the edges of the limb. I keep the blade angled away from the back to ensure I don’t accidentally remove too much skin.

I repeat the process for the other limb.

Gordon:
There is no need to wrap the limbs as the hide glue has great affinity for snakeskin and literally sucks it to the surface of the limb. After allowing the skins to dry overnight, I smooth the edges of the limbs with 150-grit sandpaper and a block. I angle the block toward the back to bring the skin just slightly back from the edge. This will help prevent the skin from lifting after the finish is applied. I sand by making strokes from the back to the belly and from the handle to the tip. Take care when sanding as the skins are delicate and may tear if you are too aggressive.



You must remove the scales before a finish is applied. Some folks use adhesive tape to do this, but I’ve torn skins using this method. A better method is simply to run coarse steel wool gently over the skins in the direction of the scales (from handle to tip). This will quickly remove most of the scales.

Gordon:
As you move the steel wool over the limb listen carefully for any whisper-like noise. This indicates a bubble trapped underneath the skin that will have to be fixed. To remove the bubble, first use a fine needle to poke a hole through the skin. This will allow the air to escape.



Then take a warm iron and gently heat the area under the needle hole. This will liquefy the hide glue and fill the void created by the bubble.



Finally, use your fingernail to remove any remaining scales



And here is what it looks like when done.

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