Pine Pitch

[neuse]

I can not figure out why I am so much trouble with pine pitch.
When I try to mount an arrow head or blade the pitch will harden and create a bond, but it is very brittle and takes very little effort to dislodge the brittle bond.

What am I doing wrong?

Byron

[bowtarist]

Did you make your own pitch or is it traded/store bought?  Is it breaking into crumbles?  Are you wrapping them with sinew or something or just gluing them then trying to break them off?  Pat B will see this, he's the MAN on the subject as far as I'm concerned.  Good luck, dpg

[IsaacW]

Pitch is in nature fairly brittle when dried (especially as it gets REALLY DRY).  That is why when using it for canoes, we add grease (rendered bear, deer, raccoon).  Try adding a little of this too it.  When we make a new batch, we generally test it by dipping a strip of birch bark into the pitch pot and then dunking the bark into a kettle of cold water.  Then, bend the bark and see if it cracks, or if it is TOO pliable.

[Pappy]

I do like Isaac,but use bee's wax,test till it is like I want it. I also add curshed up hard wood coals for body and color,I like black.
   Pappy

[Pat B]

The hard brittle pitch is what you want for pitch glue(and varnish). You do need to add bees wax(or grease like Isaac said). This will make it less brittle so it doesn't crumble. Also add finely ground charcoal(or dried deer or rabbit poop) to add body to the pitch glue.
  Start out with 2 parts of pitch and one part each bees wax and charcoal(or whatever you use for substitutes). You will have to heat these up to mix them together. Be very careful heating pitch as it is very volatile and will combust if it gets too hot. For safety sake you would be better heating and mixing it out side away from anything flamable.

[neuse]

What I bought was pine pitch resin glue, it is a small globule on a stick, very black, shony and hard.
If you look under pine pitch on bay you will see what I bought.

Thank You for the input.

[bowtarist]

You should beable to just slightly push a thumb nail into it.  If not it's too hard and brittle.  dp

[neuse]

okay, I will add some bee's wax to soften it a little.

[Pat B]

You can lightly heat the point, reset it and let the pitch glue harden again. It will probably stick right back together.
  Find out what the maker used to make his pitch glue.

[neuse]

I could not readily find any bee's wax, so I took some of what I had and added some chapstick and it worked quite well. I was both suprised and happy with the results.

I will go today and buy some Burt's Bee's Wax lip balm and try that for another small batch.

When you mention charcoal, will ground up charcoal briquet work?

[Pappy]

Yes ,just grind them into dust.
   Pappy

[Pat B]

Be sure the charcoal brickettes do not have additives to help them light.  You can also use saw dust instead of the charcoal to add body.  Most hobby stores have bees wax. You could also use bacon grease(pig fat) or probably veg cooking oil instead of the bees wax.
  The idea of pitch glue is to use natural materials for your glue. If you have to use Berts bees or lip balm you might as well use epoxy. You will get a better bond.   

[bhenders]

I could not readily find any bee's wax, so I took some of what I had and added some chapstick and it worked quite well. I was both suprised and happy with the results.

When you mention charcoal, will ground up charcoal briquet work?

Can't find beeswax?  Try a toilet bowl seal from any hardware store.  They used to be made of beeswax.  Whatever they're made of now, is just like beeswax for the most part.  Charcoal briquets have 'other' chemicals in them now days.