Pine Pitch Varnish

[neuse]

I made some with clean purified pine sap and denatuered alcohol.
But it is very sticky, not drying.
I am supposed to cook the pine sap until it is completly brittle before I use it?

I expeiremented with making pine pitch and I think I did ok with that.
It is a little less hard and super shiny like some I have seen.

[Pat B]

If you use sticky pitch you will get sticky varnish. You have to have hard, brittle pitch to get varnish that is not sticky.

[neuse]

Ok, thank you Pat for the info. I knew you where the person for the answer.

So do I need to cook the pitch longer?

How about the varnish, do I need to cook that also?

[Pat B]

You will have to cook out the turps before the pitch will get hard. Be careful because it is very volatile. Once you've done that, dissolve it in alcohol, strain it and seal it in an air tight jar. You don't have to cook the alcohol mixture.

[neuse]

Thank you again Pat.
I will be busy making varnish and pitch, and then onward to arrows.

[Pat B]

Be real careful cooking the pitch. I would suggest doing it outside for two reasons, 1) it can burst into flames if it gets too hot  2) your wife will burst into flames when her house smells like burning pitch. 

[neuse]

I am having fun with this.
It is simple once you do it, but if you've done it your not sure what to except.
I think the pine smell is bonus, where I live, pine trees are in short supply.

[burchett.donald]

neuse, in a pinch you can collect crystalized dried hard pitch and skip the cooking process by dissolving in alcohol. I also got that from Pat B and use it over all my sinew wraps after they dry.
                                                                                                                                  Don

[Pat B]

That's the safest and easiest way to do it. Get it with the turps already evaporated off so the pitch is hard when you collect it.

[JackCrafty]

Rosin for violin bows is a good, hard pitch that works well.  I mention that because sometimes you can pick up a good sized block of rosin for cheap or free.

[neuse]

Oh, did not know rosin was pitch.
Always learning.

[JackCrafty]

Names for pine pitch that you can buy:

Hard Pitch:
Bow Rosin (for violin bows)
Cake Rosin
Pharmaceutical Rosin
Gum Rosin (for soap making)
"Rock" style pine gum/rosin/resin
Solid Soldering Flux Rosin

Fossil/Buried Pitch:
Copal (used for varnish in late 19th and early 20th c.)
Subfossil Copal
Young Amber (another name for copal)
Kauri Gum
Amber


Soft Pitch:
"Pebble" style pine gum/rosin/resin
Colophony
Pine Gum
Brewer's Pitch

Liquid Pitch:
Pine Tar (extracted by heating pine wood)

Sometimes the pitch that I call "soft pitch" above will be very hard but it's a crap shoot.   It's hard to tell when you by it through mail order.  Brewer's pitch, however, is always very soft.

[neuse]

Very nice Patrick. Lots of good and new info.