Hope this is the correct place to ask. Not a lot of Pine trees in Western Washington. What types of pitch have been used in place of pine-pitch? I would think Fir pitch would be fine. Anyone ever use Cherry pitch? No specific use, just whatever pitches have been used for. Thanks!
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Pitch?
- Thread starter coxral
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Black Hand
Cannon
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Fir should work similar to pine, but would likely depend on your application. I've found little difference when used as an adhesive for arrowheads. Best to temper it with some charcoal and beeswax (cutler's resin) - far less brittle.
Black Hand said:
Never tried beeswax in pitch glue. I'll try some next time. I've found too much ground charcoal/charred wood makes it more brittle. Not enough and its too tacky. A binder like cattail fluff or even ground herbivore droppings helps improve its strength also.
Many Klatch
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I happened to travel to Lake Superior last year and had a chance to spend some quality time in a pine forest. Managed to scrape off about 5 pounds of congealed sap. So far I have made a few ounces of pitch adhesive. I found that the pitch, charcoal, beeswax mix really makes for a quick setting adhesive.
Black Hand
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Beeswax appears to increase flexibility.
Are you looking to pitch a boat or are you looking to pitch a vessel for drinking water or other potable liquids. If the latter you will want brewer's pitch..., it's just cleaner and safer than basic pitch.
LD
LD
Coxral, do yourself a favor and next time in eastern Washington, collect some ponderosa pine pitch. I have found it to be the best, especially when mixed with a pinch of ground charcoal and two or three dry deer pellets crushed to dust.
Of course the real aboriginal "superglue" is birch tar, but I don't have access to wild birch here.
Of course the real aboriginal "superglue" is birch tar, but I don't have access to wild birch here.
Questions...How do you prepare pitch for use? There is cutler's rosin which I thought was pine sap and powdered charcoal- so I mixed these ingredients together and although it took a while to dry the stuff is a solid black rock. In any event I was then told I was doing it incorrectly, that you were supposed to cook the stuff to make it dry faster and the end result would also be harder.
On the canoe patch- I thought that was pine sap and animal fat.
And the birch- never knew about that- any details appreciated.
On the canoe patch- I thought that was pine sap and animal fat.
And the birch- never knew about that- any details appreciated.
Black Hand
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The recipe for Cutler's resin I have is:
5 parts pitch
1 part Beeswax
1 part filler (I use finely-ground charcoal).
I've made this with raw pitch that I melted and strained through a piece of T-shirt to remove the particulates. I mixed by weight using a scale. The components were added to a can and melted over low heat, stirred to incorporate (the charcoal wants to sink to the bottom), then poured into a ramekin lined with aluminium foil, allowed to cool and removed from the foil. To use, I heat the disk with a torch or heat-gun and apply. It helps if the material to which it is applied is warmed and appears to stick better.
The resulting material is a black-colored and rather hard. It melts and sticks well, fills voids and appears to be far more flexible than pitch, though could still be fractured if struck with a hammer.
I also have rosin that I made by dissolving the pitch in rubbing alcohol, straining, then simmering to remove the alcohol. This seems to yield material from which the "stickyness" of raw pitch has been removed, though you can feel some "hesitation" when rubbed between the fingers as I suspect rosin would have. I also made a batch of Cutler's resin using this material, but haven't had an opportunity to use it. The only visible difference from the previous batch is the absence of the glossy black color, being more "greasy" looking.
5 parts pitch
1 part Beeswax
1 part filler (I use finely-ground charcoal).
I've made this with raw pitch that I melted and strained through a piece of T-shirt to remove the particulates. I mixed by weight using a scale. The components were added to a can and melted over low heat, stirred to incorporate (the charcoal wants to sink to the bottom), then poured into a ramekin lined with aluminium foil, allowed to cool and removed from the foil. To use, I heat the disk with a torch or heat-gun and apply. It helps if the material to which it is applied is warmed and appears to stick better.
The resulting material is a black-colored and rather hard. It melts and sticks well, fills voids and appears to be far more flexible than pitch, though could still be fractured if struck with a hammer.
I also have rosin that I made by dissolving the pitch in rubbing alcohol, straining, then simmering to remove the alcohol. This seems to yield material from which the "stickyness" of raw pitch has been removed, though you can feel some "hesitation" when rubbed between the fingers as I suspect rosin would have. I also made a batch of Cutler's resin using this material, but haven't had an opportunity to use it. The only visible difference from the previous batch is the absence of the glossy black color, being more "greasy" looking.
What is the role of the beeswax? Bind everything together?
I think the alcohol thinning and strain off impurities and then simmer off the alcohol- that has to make a superior mix. Thanks.
It is sort of funny but on projects where you need a filler- modern epoxy putty is easier to obtain and anyone who looks at the finished item won't know the difference but I'LL KNOW.
I think the alcohol thinning and strain off impurities and then simmer off the alcohol- that has to make a superior mix. Thanks.
It is sort of funny but on projects where you need a filler- modern epoxy putty is easier to obtain and anyone who looks at the finished item won't know the difference but I'LL KNOW.
Black Hand
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Beeswax serves as a plasticizer, as far as I can tell. Reduces the brittleness of the final product.
50cal.cliff
58 Cal.
Go to your local horse supply, and look for pitch.
http://www.jefferspet.com/products...zP5QH-_e-vZT94-ZVlsr_CmB6sBh-1qJ4gaAt3S8P8HAQ
http://www.jefferspet.com/products...zP5QH-_e-vZT94-ZVlsr_CmB6sBh-1qJ4gaAt3S8P8HAQ
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Black Hand
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I don't think this is the same thing as the pitch that oozes (and eventually crystallizes) from pine or fir trees when they are injured. Tar is similar, collected as a product of making charcoal.
50cal.cliff
58 Cal.
Nope, its been processed but if you can't get pitch where you live this is a source and it will work as an ingredient in Cutler's resin!
It eliminates the melting down and straining of real pitch and if you ain't got a pine tree within miles, or you want to skip a step or two, it is an option! :hmm:
It eliminates the melting down and straining of real pitch and if you ain't got a pine tree within miles, or you want to skip a step or two, it is an option! :hmm:
