Tim gave me the skins at MOJam but I couldn't get to them until a business
trip the week after MOJam. Here I am in my Dixon, IL hotel room gluing
carp skins to a bow.
Don't tell the folks at the Quality Inn and Suites that I used their
sink to wash the fish skins :)
All washed up and...
...some place to go. A vise attached to a 2x6 clamped to the
work desk transforms any hotel room into your on-the-road bowmaking shop.
Lay down some glue. I used TBII but I would guess hide glue would
work well too.
These skins are pretty weird in that the pattern is made up of the
little filaments that hold the scales on. They kind of float around
so you have to spend a good amount of time making sure they are in the
right place. Otherwise, laying them on is just like doing snakeskins.
It's pretty easy stuff. Just work it until the air bubbles are out
and the glue is starting to set up.
Afterwards just use a sharp knife to trim the excess.
The pattern is striking!
I like to wrap snakeskins with gauze so that's what I did with these.
In the morning I was blessed with this. The yellow from the osage
makes a stunningly beautiful backing. I fear for the grass carp population.
Next up, a little file work on the side of the bow to clean up the skins
and then tip overlays from some mesquite Sparky gave me.
I started with a pretty hefty chunk of this pretty mesquite and booked
out the center which was also the center of the log. I came up with
these pretty little overlays. Should be nice with a satin finish.
I had to ruin some of the fish to flatten the tips. I started
with a rasp but that was to slow and imprecise so I ended up using a belt
sander. I took about 2.25" off.
A little CA gel glue and some clamps and in a few hours we should be
able to shape them. I'll try to update tomorrow.
I roughed them out on the bandsaw first.
Then a little file work and, voila, overlays. Kind of perty dontcha
think?