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Author Topic: Pitch glue too soft  (Read 3789 times)

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Offline Aaron H

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Pitch glue too soft
« on: August 20, 2016, 06:44:53 am »
I made up a new batch of pitch glue yesterday and I think it may be a bit soft.  I was told that ideally you should be able to just leave a small thumbnail impression in it when it is at room temperature.  With fair pressure this is what my thumbnail impression looks like.
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Offline Aaron H

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2016, 06:48:41 am »
This is a mixture of (soft) pine resin, a small amount of beeswax, charcoal, and rabbit droppings.

My best guess would be about 4:1 pine resin to beeswax

The pine resin was very malleable before I cooked it down, and I never reached boiling, which I heard only makes it brittle.
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Offline PaulN/KS

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2016, 07:55:07 am »
Maybe add bit more bees wax to the mix?
 Oh, and trim your nails..  :)  ;)
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Offline Redhand

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2016, 08:13:36 am »
I use hard pine resin to make my glue. I used the soft resin before and it wouldn't harden up especially in the warmer temperatures it just stayed soft.

Runny or soft resin was used as a paint binder and on the back of sinew backed bows to help protect the sinew from moisture.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2016, 08:26:50 am by Redhand »
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Northern Ute

Offline Hummingbird Point

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2016, 08:18:52 am »
Either get some hard, crunchy pitch and add it to the mix by melting the two together,  or re- cook a while to drive off the turpentine in the current batch.
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Offline Aaron H

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2016, 08:46:27 am »
Haha, thanks Paul
Thanks Redhand, yea I was afraid of it not getting hard enough during the warmer weather
Hummingbird- I was thinking about heating it longer too.  Hadn't thought about adding the hard resin to the mix, that's a good idea also
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2016, 08:51:54 am »
Start with hard, brittle pitch. Add enough bees wax to make it less brittle and the charcoal(or dried rabbit, deer pellets) to add body.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Aaron H

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2016, 01:17:29 pm »
Right on, thanks Pat
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Offline Pappy

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2016, 05:27:22 am »
Add more droppings or charcoal. I mix up a batch and then drop a spot on a sheet of paper, if you bend it and it breaks[to brittle] add more wax, if it is to soft or sticky add more filler[ droppings or charcoal]
Pappy
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Offline Aaron H

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Re: Pitch glue too soft
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2016, 09:33:29 am »
Well I re-heated the pitch glue, let it simmer for a few more minutes to burn off more of the turpentine, and I added a bit more droppings.   Worked great, now it just leaves a small nail impression at room temperature.  Thanks everyone
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