I know this has been asked before, but I did a search and came up with zilch.
I have 4 bows with snake skin backing. What is the best way to keep them from drying out and cracking?
2 of the bow backings are so smooth it almost seems fake, but i know it is real. 1 is really rough and seems as though it may not have been processed right before applying, feels as rough as a dried diamondback I did with Borax and hung on the wall.
Any special oil or wax that should be used? Or will the sprayed on finish of the bow be enough to keep it from cracking?
I finish my skinned bows in this fashion and never have to do anything else.
4 to 8 coats of super glue on top of the skin to help smooth it out. Use a latex glove (I just cut off a glove finger to apply it). Let it dry for a day and then spray the entire bow with spar urithane. Keep recoating until you're happy with the depth, shine and texture.
The skin that's rough sounds like it doesn't have much finish on it, or it was not sanded between coats of finish. I don't like to use super glue, but a coat or two of Urethane wouldn't hurt.
You can finish with what ever you finish your bow with.I've also used super glue and spray on varafan which is want I use to finsh my selfbows with.