Making pitch glue

[paulc]

So I had a little time to myself today (summer camp season is rough) so I decided to try and make some pitch glue. Long story short it was real thin still after simmering for probably 20 min. It caught fire at one point but I was able to quickly put it out. I stirred in some charcoal as after crushing it as best I could with my fingers. So it was pretty gritty, and thin then while fanning the small fire trying to up the heat I whacked the soup can and sent it all flying. 

The pitch has cooled hard of course and I've collected several really thin "pancakes" of even grittier pitch....should I just chuck it and try again or will some/a good bit of grit not be a problem.

Thanks Paul

[paulc]

Nevermind. It some you tube research and watched a dude strain his pitch once it was fluid. And then he rolled the dregs out of the sieve and had a ball of ready to go fire starter....Paul

[bjrogg]

To big of grit can make trouble. You could try heating it again and try crushing it with a stick. I believe if I understood Pappy correctly. He uses burnt up charcoal from barbecue charcoal. Said it isn't so gritty. I've never tried it but should work. I just try to crush it good before adding it to pitch.
Bjrogg
Just noticed you found your answer. That should work to

[Pat B]

I use charcoal from our wood stove, grind it up very fine and pour it through a tea strainer to eliminate any chunks. Now it is ready to blend with hard melted pitch and enough bees wax to make it less brittle.

[Hawkdancer]

Keeping the thread  alive, I gathered a bunch of pitch, some hard some a bit gooey!  Plan to heat it all in a double boiler contraption to clean out the crud, bark, and other stuff before adding other glue making ingredients.  Question is it better to separate hard from soft pitch, or just go for it, heat it all and filter it through a coffee filter.  I have used Kleenex tissue to filter beeswax successfully, coffee filters should be enough for pitch, I think.  Both make nice smelling fire starters. !  Charcoal, I'll crush from the grill and the smoker.
Hawkdancer

[Ryan Jacob]

I just made some out of mango sap, it wotks but needs more temper (note: if you have poison oak problems I do not suggest, I for one, don’t)

[Pat B]

I'd keep the hard and sticky stuff separate. You will have to cook the sticky stuff so the turps evaporate off. Be very careful because it is highly volatile.  And, I'm not sure if the pitch will seep through a coffee filter or not.

[Hawkdancer]

I plan to do the "cooking" outside when it it somewhat cooler.  I sort of forgot about the rendering of turpentine!  Duh!  Is skimming enough to clean up the crud, or is a metal mesh strainer better?  Thanks for the info.
Hawkdancer

[Pat B]

I think a medal strainer would be best but you can skim the crud off the top and gentle pour off the melted pitch to keep the heavier stuff on the bottom.  The crud from the top and bottom can be saved for fire starters.
 I cook pitch on my wood stove(I don't recommend it for others) but I don't let it come to a boil. I'll cook it for a short while, let it cool and check for hardness and repeat...sometimes 5 or 6 times over a few weeks. You'll have to let it cool to be able to tell if it is hard or still sticky when cooled.

[Pappy]

I do about like Pat, Just add more fine hard wood ash if it is it still sticky when it dries and more bees wax if it is to brittle. Once I think it is close I drip a little on a sheet of paper, let it cool and see if it is sticky, you can bend the paper and see if it is to brittle, then just add more ash or wax until you get it right. Takes a little while because I usually do a big pan at a time. 
 Pappy