Thread: snake skin casting?

G'day Ernst,
Same thing happened to me with my snake skin.
Will be interested in the replies that you receive.

Terry

I have no experience with snake skin, but maybe can offer some generalizations.

First, is it definitely discoloured as in it's changed shade to darker than what it started? You sure it's not a trick of the light that it now looks darker embedded?


When I tried to cast some feathers, they resin seems to have turned some of them translucent. Could it be the colour of the tube showing through the skin has altered the hue?

Is it actually a tanned leather you are using, or simply the skin that a snake has shed? If it's just shed skin, you'll probably find that it too thin. It needs to be a proper tanning skin to get the results you see on commercial snakeskin blanks.

Either the resin itself, or the heat from setting may have causes a reaction with the skin. Given that others have sucessfully done it though, I'm sure that would have come up before.

That's just some thoughts from no actual experience myself.

Russell.

Nothing I know about this casting business,I think russell is on the right track though,but try turning it to a size and polishing ,you may be surprised at the result cheers ~ John

Hello Russel,
I have tanned skin on the ground Messinkrohr stuck with Glu.
Then cleaned with alcohol and after 10 minutes then poured into acrylic.
When cleaning with alcohol was the leather even dungel. After the dry but bright again
When you pour, it was then also immediately, and remained dark but then so.
So in the heat, it can not lie because it is already right at the beginning was dark.
Just as the leather gets wet.

Ernst

I'm sorry but I don't undestand all of that, but I'll try my best.

You are saying it went dark immediately, so it can't be the heat? That sounds about right.

What does "dungel" mean - darker? It went darker when you cleaned it, but then went lighter again when it dried?

I'm not sure what Messinkohr is. I'm wondering then if maybe the glue and the resin have reacted. I'm not sure what else it might be.

Russell.

PS - As John says, I'd suggest turning it and showing us another picture. it's a bit hard to see through the blank it the mictures, to see how the skin has been affected.

Russell.

sorry Russel

Messinkrohr =Pen Tube

Found this post by Neil "dai sensei" may help
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/shed-snake-skin-pens-50348
good luck ~ John

It was tanned and processed snake skin.
Could it be that it only works with snake untanned skin.
Or with the snake skin snake skin change over the remains.

http://www.tierpraeparator.de/Produk...E/Default.aspx

Yeh, the post of mine John referred to was with a shed skin, not a tanned skin.

With the tanned skin it could be just the wet look of the skin, a reaction of the chemicals used in the tanning process, or just an optical thing associated with the resin (ie change in refractive index).

Sorry, I'm no expect with real skins, I tend to buy the real skins already cast in resin from Brett at addictive pen kits. Perhaps you could also join and ask some questions on the IAP penturners forum.

Good luck

I still suggest turning it and showing us what it looks like finished.

Russell.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Perhaps you could also join and ask some questions on the IAP penturners forum.

Just noticed you already have