snake skin pens

[paulg]

Anyone have any instructions on how to make snake skin pens?

Paul

 

[PenWorks]

I would do it like a veneer. Undercut the blank about a 1/32 or 1/16 depending on the thickness of the snake skin, then have your messure skin layed out and use contact cement to apply. I have always wanted to make some, but never tanned the rattle snakes I bagged or I should say my daughter has bagged, she waisted three this year on our property. What can I say, she had a good teacher. Anthony

 

[cigarman]

Paul
I have only made one snake skin pen (see my album) but the way I did it was I made the pen as normal with plain walnut stock then took some snake skin that had been drying for about a week and wraped it around the wood using super glue to to adhere it. after it dried I took a rag and very carefully wiped more ca on to keep the scales from coming off. use mm to smooth and lightly polish. I am sure there are other ways but this worked for me. Good luck and show us a picture when you are thru.

 

[Fred in NC]

Paul, how thick are the snake skins? Thanks.

 

[paulg]

Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />Paul, how thick are the snake skins? Thanks.

I haven't bought any yet. Wanted to have an idea of what I was doing before I got them.

P

 

[its_virgil]

Glue the skin on the tube(s) (I use CA), cast in polyester resin (can be bought at hobby stores but is expensive or look at http://www.artstuf.com), turn and polish. Take a look in my photo album for one of my snake skin pens.
Also, Ryan at woodturningz has the skins already cast into blanks using polyester resin and they are ready to turn. good luck.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by paulg
<br />
Anyone have any instructions on how to make snake skin pens?

Paul

 

[Scott]

Hi Paul,

I have not done it, but I can tell you how it is done.

Rough up your brass tubes and glue the snakeskin to the tubes. You can overlap the edge just a little bit. Then suspend the tube (with snakeskin) in whatever mold you are using, mix up your polyester resin, and pour it into the mold. After the resin has cured, turn it down on the lathe to whatever shape you need, and assemble the pen. It is about this simple.

There are lots of other things you can cast inside resin as well. I've seen ribbons, pictures, leaves - pretty much anything you can think of. Good Luck, and show us the results.

Scott.

 

[PenWorks]

Those are good ideas. But part of the phobia of having a snake skin pen is to feel the skin. I would prefer having it ontop, like this.

 

[Fred in NC]

Anthony, I made a lizzard pen last year. One thing that bugs me is that the skin can shrink and the joint open up. I am not sure what the answer is. Also, not totally sure about adhesives for leather.

 

[PenWorks]

The Enduro finish always pops up around here. I would think with the poly finish, it would greatly reduce the chances of shrinking or coming apart. If the skin was on top, you would definately have to have some type of solid finish. Anthony

 

[PenWorks]

Sorry, I could not resist [}] How many pens could this guy have made [?] Don't let my daughter's sweet 16 smile fool you, she can knock bowling pins off a table with her .45 with the best of you. []
This prize was a rattler taken with her Styer .17 air pistol.

Don, I took a look at your snake pen, very nice. I visulized somethining different when you explained the technique, pretty cool. Anthony

 

[Randy_]

Anthony:

You do nice work.....pens and otherwise!!![]

 

[Old Griz]

Anthony, bet there is no problem with dishonorable boyfriends around that little girl.. LOL...
Mine is only 6, but she already has asked me when she is going to be old enough to shoot with me... Don't you just love it..

 

[Bev Polmanteer]

Cigarman's instructions are exactly how I do mine. See my album. Folks like the feel of the skin!

 

[PenWorks]

So that's going to be on my list for next year, make a snake skin pen, to bad all the rattlers are sleeping [}] Bev, I think I will give it a try like cigarman, I want to feel the skin.

Tom, the word boyfriend doen't exist in our house, since she can't date till she's 18.I keep telling her, all her friends are welcome at the house, both girls & boys, but haven't seen one boy. I think she's afraid me and her 2 brothers would skin him. Almost time to break out the .22's with your daughter.

Randy, glad she looks like her mother [] Anthony

 

[woodspinner]

Last rattler I had was in my shop under a work bench. After he went through my 3hp vac system there were no pieces big enough to cover a pen. That 4" hose sucked him up like a piece of jelly.

Good turning and be safe
Bill in Casa Grande, AZ.

 

[PenWorks]

Good one Bill, bet that made one heck of a thump. I don't move to much in my shop with out first tapping it or moving it with something other than my hand. First thing I think of, is a scorpion is waiting to tag me, then a snake. The down side to us desert dwellers. Anthony

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by penworks<br />.....Randy, glad she looks like her mother....

I'll bet she is, too!!!

 

[jkirkb94]

Anthony, my little princess 16 y.o. would have enough trouble looking at that picture of your daughter with the snake much less hold one![:X] She does have her own gun (22cal)but unfortunately lost interest in shooting years ago.[] I've told my daughter that daddy is getting out the guns to clean when the boys come over.[] Kirk[8D]

 

[PenWorks]

Does any body know of a place to buy tanned snake skins reasonable? Anthony

 

[Tom McMillan]

Hi Anthony

I just did a brief search and found the site of Snake Den Specialties, apparently in South Dakota. He had tanned prairie rattlesnake skins for from $15 to $28 about 3-4 foot lengths. The website was: www.sdsnake.com/SnDen.htm

 

[PenWorks]

Hey, thanks Tom, just the ticket I needed. Anthony

 

[Fred in NC]

What is Anthony up to ?

 

[its_virgil]

I have found that the smaller snakes have skin patterns that are much smaller and better for pens than the larger snake skins. I try to find skins under 2 ft in length. The 6 foot skins 6 inches wide are imnpressive, but I don't like them for pens. Google "Bayou Bob" . He sells everything rattlesnake.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[PenWorks]

Nothing Fred, I never, ever, ever, open my office or pen shop on a Saturday. But I thought just maybe someone would be doing last minute shopping. I guess they are all at the mall, because I have not had one person come in for the past 2 hours. Anthony Oh yeh, just keep watching..........

 

[Fred in NC]

I am all eyes, Anthony !

 

[Tom McMillan]

Better watch out Fred---Anthony might think yer looking through snake-eyes and make a visit to NC.

 

[Fred in NC]

Hehe Tom! Well, he is welcome to visit, and for that matter, any one of my friends here!

 

[PenWorks]

Rest assured Fred, I won't be gunning for you anytime soon. I had a nice chat with Steve, from the link Tom gave me. He is sending me out some material and he educated me on his tanning process. We will see what happens. At least I will be able to tan my own skins this spring when the critters awake. Anthony

 

[Gary Max]

It would be a great chance for you Anthony---you could drop the calendar off on the way.

 

[Darley]

Good Idea Fred to stabelized the snake just stick the nid in is mouth, you can make 60 pens in an hour @ $ 55.00 each ..geee you rich man []

Serge

 

[PenWorks]

We might have to ease up on this conversation, Animal protective services, Game & Fish & Wild life protection agencies will be down our back. [] Next thing you know, snakes will be extinct and there will be a world glut of pen blanks on the market. Anthony[]

 

[Fred in NC]

OK, Anthony, let's switch to ostrich legs then. [8D]

 

[PenWorks]

Doug, Virgil said Ryan at woodturninz had them. Anthony

 

[GregMuller]

Scott,
I am interested in the process you described were you can cast different items such as ribbons etc in resin. Do you have pictures and do you glue the item to the tube as you described with the snake skin???

 

[Fred in NC]

Greg, there are links to two articles in our home page that are a good starting point.

Let me see how I can explain this...

If you glue anything to the tube, and then cast with a clear material around it, and turn and polish it, the rounded clear resin will act as a MAGNIFIER. Whatever is glued to the tube will look bigger and closer to the surface of the barrel.

Is that CLEAR ?

 

[Rifleman1776]

My first post after joining was to ask how to make a rattlesnake skin pen. I used 'rattlesnake' in the subject. Don't know where that post went. Must have go swallowed up in cyberspace. But y'all have well described the process under the 'snakeskin' topic line. Some really outstanding pens there. I am envious. My personal tastes keep me away from most plastics. But the process for casting resin over a skin, or other item opens unlimited possibilities for creativity. I may have to swallow my usual "if you want plastic, go to Wal-Mart" statements.

 

[Fred in NC]

Of course, there is more than one approach to making leather pens. One is casting, the other simply covering the barrel with leather. Each has its own place, and the result is different.

 

[PenWorks]

Rifleman, your post started under "polls & surveys" I don't know how you got there, but it is there. I have tried not to repsond to it under that heading, but there is a thread there.

 

[woodpens]

The pen below was made by Richard Kleinhenz and is for sale in the Pen Gallery at Woodpens.com. Does anyone know where these blanks can be purchased besides Ryan?

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