Pine Pitch Glue - help

[THoward]

Hello,
I recently made up a batch of pine pitch glue sticks.  I stored them in my shop, nice and cool out there, and noticed they had a tendency to ooze , loose shape or kind of flow down the stick.  I am wondering if my mixture of pitch, ash and plant fibers was off a little.  Is this normal and are they ok to use, should I freeze em or to save the batch can I remelt and add something or do I just start over.
Thanks

[Pat B]

You didn't use hard, brittle pitch. You will now have to cook it to get the volatile oils to evaporate before it will make good glue. If you use oozie pitch you get oozie glue!

[oldhippy]

what Pat said

Steve

[bowtarist]

Scrap the oozy stuff back into the tuna can and reheat like Pat/olhippy said.  Let it come to a boil, and remove.  Let it sit in the can until it cools and check the consistancy.  You should be able to but your thumb nail into it w/ a little pressure, but you don't want it really crystally and hard.  When you feel it is right, reheat and roll your chopsticks or whatever you use in it again.

I use a mixture of 5 parts "firm", but not brittle pitch, one part tallow or bees wax and one part finely ground charcoal from the fire, not brickett. 

What kind of plant fiber did you use?

Hope this helps, dpgratz

[THoward]

Thanks for the info.  I did have oozie pitch to start with and I used lightly ground up dried grass.  I'll take your advice and reheat and share how it comes out.  I will also post a pic of the arrow I'm using it on to get an authentic look.  See ya in a day or two.  T

[crooketarrow]

  Keep adding bee's wax untill it dos'nt run.  I also use antler fileings for filler this is much more corser and with the wax helps to hold together much better.

[GaryR]

Could I use parafin wax instead of bees wax?

[Pappy]

Yep.
   Pappy

[GaryR]

And is cow patty an acceptable alternative to plant fiber? Which is really the same thing processed. Seems to me meadow muffin would be easier to grind than unprocessed plant matter.
Gary

[Pat B]

Gary, just be sure the meadow muffins are very well dried.  Any undigested plant fiber like you find in grass eaters poo will work. It is just to add body to the pitch glue. Finely ground charcoal or even saw dust will work for this also.

[GaryR]

Thanx Pat, perfect answer.

[THoward]

Here's a few pics of the arrow.  The nock is antler.  This one is for my burlap target the next two will have my own band saw steel trade point and the other a napped point.  Still working on those.  Any input welcome if you see ways to refine since this is my first self-arrow.

[bhenders]

Just to add a story on making pitch.  I've got access to about 15 pine trees that were limbed up several years ago.  I went out and scrapped off some the sap that had oozed out to seal the wounds over the last three years.  I added some ground up charcoal from my fire pit and some dried cow pie and slowly heated over a small stove outside.  I added some wax from a toilet seal and boiled off the volatiles until the mixture got to the right consistency.  When cool, I can just push my nail into the pitch.  It works like a charm and I've got about a quart (enough to last forever).

If you look around and / or ask, almost everyone can collect enough pine sap to make pitch.