Cracked, and chipped Brewers Pitch.

I have a leather tankard/mug, I've had since about 1975 that is sealed with brewers pitch. It fell off the shelf in my shop. It cracked and chipped some of the inside by the lip when it hit the bench top. My question is, can I use a heat gun to repair the area that is damaged, or do I need more pitch, and where do I get it?

Bill

 

[rich pierce]

Bill, you can heat it and it will run. If you need just a little bit I can send you cutler's resin which is similar. It is a mix of pine pitch, charcoal and beeswax. Black, obviously.

There are other recipes using carnuba wax, beeswax and pine pitch. I like the black stuff.

 

[netoleon]

I think I'd go with adding a spot of new pitch rather than trying to melt the 30+ year old stuff and spread it around. Probably some significant loss of viscosity has occured after all that time. Plus it might get tricky adding enough heat to melt the pitch without really stressing the leather.

The only place I've seen brewer's pitch lately is at Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. (http://jas-townsend.com/product_info.php?products_id=373)
That's not an endorsement however, at 9 bucks a pound their price seems a bit steep. But then I'm cheap !

Good luck with the repair.

 

[rich pierce]

Pure pitch is very liable to crack and crumble. A mixture of pitch mixed with wax and a filler is better for many repairs. one pound of pure pitch will fix things for the rest of your life if you mix it with wax and charcoal or fine sawdust. But it can be fun and stinky to render your own pine pitch.

 

[djnye]

bill,

up in your neck of the woods you probably could walk out your front door and pop some spruce gum balls off a spruce tree, tempor it, add a little fat or wax and you are good to go.

take care, daniel

p.s. i reheat old and hardened pitch all the time on canoes, mukuks and the like to re-caulk. be sure to wet your fingers when comes time to push it around. it will stick and burn if you don't.