Pitch glue recipe for arrows

[Otoe Bow]

Well I tried the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 recipe and it was a disaster.     I think the horse manure was way to "grainy", laterally, and 1/3 by volume was definitely too much, not to mention when I added the charcoal and manure to the boiling pitch, I lost most of the hair on my Pop-ey'esque forearms  .

Be careful because it is highly flammable.
   

Thanks for the warning Pat.  I guess I should listen next time.   
 I even tried adding some bees wax. (or at least the waxy looking stuff from a toilet bowl ring.  I don't even know if it is bees wax but I'd heard it was).    Then it just looked greasy and was still brittle.  I think the next batch I try will just be pitch and charcoal.
 
 Learning by doing.

Mike

   

[Pat B]

Mike the charcoal and dried manure do the same thing in pitch glue; adds body so use one or the other. I've never used manure but I believe you grind it up small before mixing. The wax makes the glue less brittle. My 1/3 measurements were never precise. It was an approximation. The best way is to melt the pitch, add the wax then enough of the charcoal or dried manure(or saw dust) to give the glue body.     Pat

[wally]

Mike I agree with Pat B
 I've never used manure so can't comment, but I think 1/3-1/3-1/3 mixture might not give you what you want.
   I'm not all that precise when I make it up as a glue, a bit more primitive and trial and error.
When you get spruce resin (or pine I suppose) melt it gently together, stir it to mix it and let the, I think it's turpentine, evaporate off for a few minutes. Don't let it boil at all! You'll smell the stuff coming out of it. I don't remove the debris unless it's really big as it all adds to the strength I think.
 Now mix in a goodly bit of hardwood charcoal until it feels about right. To lessen the brittleness melt in real beeswax, about an 1/8 of volume, any more and it seems not to harden properly. Add about the same, or maybe a bit less of any old hard bone filings, use file, hacksaw, and give the rest of the bone back to your dog. stir with stick then dip stick in water to test the lump of pitch stuck to it. If it's too brittle for you lob in another bit of beeswax, if too soft a bit more resin or charcoal, or bone filings. Test again.
I've been told not to keep melting it too many times or it loses glueability. Dip a stick into finished pitch glue and build it up til you've got a nice lump then carry it for running repairs. Just warm it over heat and stick it on. It smells great. I covered my buffalo sinew ends on my version of a Mere Heath bow, which I'll put photo's up, when I learn how to to do it!

[Pamunkey]

I usually mix very finely ground hardwood charcoal with the melted pitch.  I don't think I've ever measured it, but I think it's about 25% or so by volume.  I collect blobs of hardened pitch off of pines, mostly loblolly just because they're the most common pine around here, and heat the pitch with just enough heat for it to melt.  Once the charcoal and pitch are well mixed, I add some little 1/8" to 1/4" "snips" of cordage fiber (dogbane, nettle, etc.)- just to give it some body- plus a few pea-sized bits of rendered deer tallow (serves the same purpose as the beeswax).  I store the pitch blend on the ends of little sticks by dipping the stick in the molten pitch, then dipping it in cold water, and repeating until it's built up as much as I want it.  To use it, I heat the pitch until it is soft enough to pinch off a ball, then I put the pitch ball in the slot to accommodate the arrowhead and heat it in place until it's very soft, then I push the arrowhead in place.  Preheating the arrowhead helps create a stronger bond as well as giving you longer to get it properly in place (something to protect your hands from the heat helps as well).  If it hardens up before you've gotten it set in place, the end of the arrow can be held up to a heat source and rotated to re-soften the pitch.  I then smooth things up, wrap it with wet sinew and finally coat the sinew with hide glue.  I came up with my method by combining information from several sources (Larry Dean Olsen, Scott Silsby, etc.), and it works for me.  Keep experimenting until you get a mixture that does what you want it to do.

Will

[JackCrafty]

Here's an interesting word:

Tetrapharmacum
 ·noun A combination of wax, resin, lard, and pitch, composing an Ointment.

PS.  Go easy on the lard (or tallow).

[wolfsire]

I would echo the need to watch the flames and fumes having nearly burned myself, overcooked, etc., but if you have it under control, there is no absolute need to do it outside.  Here is my setup:



Working two tablespoons at a time, rather that two gallons, is enough for me.  A coffeewarmer will not put out enough heat to even melt it unless there is a flat metal bottom and a lid.  But then, it is perfect.  My "pan," I am pretty sure, is the lid off a fondue pot burner.  I found it by itself at a thrift store.