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Question on snakeskins

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bentstick54:
I have backed 4 bows with dried snake skins, but never glycerin tanned. I have heard of people using glycerin tanned skins by washing them good in dawn dish soap. Has anyone had any bad experiences using them? How easy/hard is it to remove the scales?

Pat B:
One problem with glycerin tanned is the glycerin can repel the glue. The glycerin probably had alcohol as a carrier when tanned so I would use alcohol to remove it probably by soaking then wiping down the belly side of the skin with a clean, alcohol soaked rag. I'm just guessing because I've never done it.

bentstick54:
Thanks Pat. Yes, the skins I saw are glycerin/alcohol tanned.

Pat B:
The only time I used glycerin tanned skins on a bow back was with a snake skin we tanned at my leather shop in the 1970's and I used the skins on a bow in the 1990's so I guess the glycerin had evaporated or something.

bentstick54:
Do you remember any special prep work, and did the scales remove easily?

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