Sitka Spruce pitch question

[Elktracker]

I have a couple very large Sitka Spruce trees We cut up a couple winters ago and there is a thick hard white pitch or sap or something. It melts down when used as fire starter and looks like it could be used for possible primitive projects. So my question is can I make use of this white had pitch for glueing arrow heads or other projects? If so how do i prepare it for use? Thankyou all for any help or info Josh

[Sparrow]

I have a bunch I brought down from Alaska and am still using it. I got it melted together with some charcoal dust and a little bee's wax and spun up on a stick so that i just melt the stuff on the stick with a lighter and drip it onto whatever I am setting (Usually stone arrow heads in shafts) and for coating sinew lashings to waterproof them.
It's primitive and works good. Watch out when you are melting pitch. It is flammable.  '  Frank

[markinengland]

Basically just heat it, to start with. Heating will boil off some of the more volatile elements. Not too much heat as this will make it brittle, while not enough will leave if gummy rather than a hard setting thing. Add an equal voloume of either powdered up rabbit poo or charcoal (to give fibres and act as a filler). If too brittle add some beeswax. Done.

[Pat B]

I like to start off with hard brittle pitch then add bees wax(or animal fat) to make it less brittle. If it is sticky when you make your pitch glue the glue will be sticky too. If the pitch is hard, even though you add bees wax it will not be sticky to the touch.

[Elktracker]

Ok thanks guys after looking closer there is a ton of this white hard pitch everywhere in slabs 3/4" thick by like16" by 3' long on some of these rounds. I know this is the wrong place to ask but rather than asking in bow section could this also be used as a finish on a bow? If so would it be the same mixture? thanks again guys Josh

[Elktracker]

also is there any way to get the softer stuff to harden to a point of use? thanks

[Pat B]

You will have to cook the soft stuff to eliminate the volatile terps. Be very careful doing this because it is very volatile and if it gets too hot it WILL combust!
  I make pitch varnish to seal sinew wraps and primitive arrow shafts. I put the pitch in an air tight jar and cover it with denatured alcohol. The alcohol will dissolve the pitch and I then strain the mixture and store in an air tight jar. You have to use hard pitch for this because when the alcohol evaporates the remaining pitch should be hard and not sticky. I guess this could beused as a bow finish. I think Rich or Grunt makes a bees wax and pitch bow finish, or maybe it is pitch and animal fat(deer, bear).

[JW_Halverson]

I tend to use sitka spruce for arrow shafts....now I wanna use spruce pitch to seal them!!!  That ought to "spruce" 'em up real good!

[Elktracker]

thanks again guys this site is great!!!!

[aaron]

bring some to the knap in.!
to harden if too soft, heat on low temp a while and let cool. Very flamable.
I think you mix with turpentine for a bow finish- spruce varnish.
for use as arrowhead mount, mix with about 1/3 finely powdered charcoal to 2/3 pitch. up to half and half mix depending on how you like it.

[Elktracker]

ya i might do that and bring some aaron. Is there a knap in thread? I wanted to get some ideas on what people would trade for oceanspray darts and staves. thanks again. Josh

[aaron]

there's no thread here for the knap in but on paleoplanet there's one in the events section, but no ones posted on it...
you never know what you'll find there...