Snakeskin blanks

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laspringer

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Feb 20, 2005
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Alliance, Nebraska, USA.
I've cast about 10 snakeskin and 6 of them have a white film on the snakeskin,on the seam side. I am using about 30psi in my pressure pot. Is this about the normal amount of failures?

Alan
 
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Mudder

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My guess is that some glue leached out or you had air trapped in there.

I have not cast too many skins but I think that 60% is an abnormally high rate of failure.

Can you show us some pictures?
 

Skye

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Jan 3, 2006
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Rock Hill, SC
I've been getting this a bit without pressure.

My suggestion would to minimize the use of CA. It may be reacting with the resin. Also just cast one skin to cut down on heat created by the resin hardening.

Also, where are you getting the skins from? Whatever tanning method they use may also react with the resin.
 

its_virgil

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Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
Did you keep the pressure constant? Fluxuating pressure has proved to be a problem in my casting. Did you leave the cast under pressure until it was completely cured? Taking it out too soom will allow the air to escape from inside the tubes and get trapped between the resin and the skin. Heat is also problem and it caused poor quality of the finished cast and sometimes causes fissures in the block of resin. How large a cast are you doing (amt of resin)? And, how much catalyst are you using?

White film??? Is it sliver and shinny and sort of clear, or is it cruddy and opaque? I"ve had both and it is really upsetting.

May I suggest: (1) constant pressure...no fluxuating...leaking down and repressurizing, (2) adjust catalyst to the amount of resin...I cast 16 ounces of resin and use 3 drops per ounce, (3) ambient temperature...onece the temp is over 90*F my AC comes on or I cast late in the evening and leave it all night.

Good luck.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by laspringer
<br />I've cast about 10 snakeskin and 6 of them have a white film on the snakeskin,on the seam side. I am using about 30psi in my pressure pot. Is this about the normal amount of failures?

Alan
 

Russb

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Oct 22, 2005
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Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
Alan, I too want to do snakeskins. Do you think the white film could be the CA still not set yet and the resin is acting as an accelerator. Accelerator causes a white residue. What resin are you using. Should the glued tubes set overnight to let the CA cure.
 

laspringer

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Feb 20, 2005
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Location
Alliance, Nebraska, USA.
Thanks for the help everybody.
I get most of my skins from the snake den in South Dakota,
the skins that I am curing myself do the same thing.
Mr Fiberglass is were I get my resin.
I am using 4 drops of catalyst per oz of resin,
and for pressure I start at around 30 psi and keep the
castings in the pot about 16 to 24 hours before taking them out,
my pot will leak about 10 psi in that time.
All of my casting stuff I keep inside the house and take to the shop
when it is time to cast,in my unheated shop so we are talking about
40 to 50 deg when mixing the resin, pouring and adding pressure, then
it is back to the house for the curing time.
The skins will sit 24 to 48 hours after they are glued to the tubes

Alan
 
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