how to preserve rattlesnake skin?

[txbowkill]

how do yall do it?

[Pablo Honey]

i keep mine in the freezer for years and years.

[theluckyhunter]

skin, tack to board with scales facing the board, cover it in salt for a few days, clean the salt off, salt again for 3-5 days, if it is then dry mix rubbing alchahol and glycerin (walgreens has it) and rub it into the skin repeatedly until soft

[Tmag]

skin, tack to board with scales facing the board, cover it in salt for a few days, clean the salt off, salt again for 3-5 days, if it is then dry mix rubbing alchahol and glycerin (walgreens has it) and rub it into the skin repeatedly until soft

If it's one that Trailboss or myself have killed you would do the same thing but it would be several little bitty pieces instead of one long piece.

[Texas Grown]

I just use the winter green alchohol and glicerin at a 50/50 ratio. Be sure there is no fat or meat on the skin. The winter green will delete most any smell should there be any. A world class taxi friend of mine told me this. Two coats each side and it will be soft as a baby's ......well you know. Use it on all my skins.

[engine4on]

Do not use too much ALCOHOL!

"then dry mix rubbing alchahol and glycerin (walgreens has it) and rub it into the skin repeatedly until soft"

"I just use the winter green alchohol and glicerin at a 50/50 ratio."

Timbo

[Winman]

Cover with Borax...it will dry out better than salt because salt will attract water as well...then use the glycerin and alcohol..

[wilded]

http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/search?sSearch=snake+tan

[redbeard]

soak them in antifreeze

[Texastaxi]

soak them in antifreeze

This thread was going good until I saw this!

Do NOT soak it in antifreeze!

[theluckyhunter]

This thread was going good until I saw this!

Do NOT soak it in antifreeze!

never heard of doing that. whats it do to them?

[Texastaxi]

It'll keep 'em from freezing ... that's about it!

[redbeard]

This thread was going good until I saw this!

Do NOT soak it in antifreeze!

I have done them that way since i was a kid and never had a problem, they turn out just fine. Have you had a bad experience with it?

[Texastaxi]

Besides it being toxic and having very little preserving agents, no, it's great.

I'm not saying that it won't work, I'm sayin' that there's a lot better/safer ways to do it.

[JTate]

I too, have used antifreeze for preserving snake skins. It doesn't make them soft by an means, but they look pretty good tacked to a board. Had them for about 6-7 years now. However, for all I know the scales may fall off tomorrow. I'm going to try the alcohol and glycerin mix in the future...