Applying snake skin to pen question

[Efletche]

I have only been doing pens since August and in that time, I have accumulated a large collection of finished pen parts that are too thin to be assembled. I think these will be perfect to use with the snake skins everyone has been discussing lately. I just received a few 'scrap' skins of pytthon and spitting cobra. They were only $5.00 each and all are 14 inches long or longer and about 5-6 inches wide. So, how should the skins be attached to the outside of the narrowly turned pen blank? Initially I was thinking of CA for the center and using 5-minute epoxy on the rest as I wrap the skin around. I think the epoxy will give me plenty of time to get the skin positioned where I want it.
How about afterwards? 4-6 coats of CA glue while the lathe is turning and then sand it down again? Any suggestions from those experienced with applying materials to the pen would be very helpful

 

[J. Fred Muggs]

Edward:
I haven't tried the snakeskin pen thingy yet, but am planning to try real soon(somewhere around here I have some scrap python and cobra skin myself). But, in a past life, I played with leather work for kids in Vacation Bible School (hence the leftover skin)and we used a contact cement sold by Tandy Leather for securing pigskin, snakeskin, and real cowhide to one another and to unfinished wood surfaces with fantastic results. If you want your pen to have the look and feel of the skin, I'd highly recommend this method. If you want a hard protective coating over the surface, then I would think that anything that would stick it to the wood and would not be softened or loosened by the final finish would be suitable.

 

[Bev Polmanteer]

First, I fit the skin to the blank, then apply a thin coat of CA to the blank, apply the skin, making sure all the air and excess CA are out. After this has dried I apply 4 or 5 coats of CA and sand and finish it. This has worked for me!

 

[Efletche]

Bev, are you using thin CA? I want to make sure I have time to move the skin around before it hardens.

 

[Mudder]

Where are you guys getting the skin from?
It sounds like somethinf I would like to try.

 

[PenWorks]

Mudder, I got mine from Steve ,http://www.sdsnake.com/Rat.htm Tell him your going to make pens with it. He sent me a nice selction of pieces for 20.00 Anthony

 

[PenWorks]

Ed. I ordered some of those cobra & python 5.00 skins too, Have not seen them yet. It's been about two weeks. If you look at this link , more talk on skins.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2250&whichpage=

I used med. CA and applied the snake skin to the barrel, and then about 10 coats of Enduro poly over it. I applied the poly with a brush and just used 2400 MM between coats sanded by hand, to protect the scales. I overlapped the seem slightly and it took at least 5 coats before the seem was even. I was happpy with the results, I posted a picture of the finished pen & blanks. I have been trying to cast them in a resin mold as well. Although had no success at casting the first go around, I did manage to turn a cast barrel with the skin glue under the resin and I think it looks allot better that way. Anthony

 

[Efletche]

I purchased my skins from a company called IMPLORA. They have a web site www.implora.com. I received them within a week.

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by Efletche
<br />Bev, are you using thin CA? I want to make sure I have time to move the skin around before it hardens.

At least the e-z bond glue I was selling the thin set faster. in seconds while the thick was longer setting. as much as 45 seconds.

 

[Efletche]

Interesting. I thought the thinner would set slower. Something to consider when I pick a glue.