Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: zenmonkeyman on November 06, 2011, 08:49:33 pm

Title: Pine Tar?
Post by: zenmonkeyman on November 06, 2011, 08:49:33 pm
Was in the local gas station/farm supply store recently, and came across a quart can of pine tar.  Which instantly begged the question: "How can I use this?"  So I'm asking: has anybody used it, what did they use it for, did it work well?  I gather it might be used for waterproofing/sealing of wood, perhaps it can be used to make pitch glue for arrowheads?  Maybe gluing down a rawhide backing?  This can has me excited without really knowing why, lol.
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: Cameroo on November 06, 2011, 09:38:57 pm
Have you been in the rum again??  :P
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: zenmonkeyman on November 08, 2011, 12:18:30 am
Hey!!! Did I deserve that!?  I think I'll pour myself a rum and "mull" it over.  Get it!?  Rum!? Mull!? Ok, maybe it's not that funny.  ;D
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: Pat B on November 08, 2011, 02:35:26 am
I don't know. I've never used it. Does it list ingredients?
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: toxophool on November 08, 2011, 07:16:38 am
I don't know about it's possible uses with archery, but here in Finland, it's used to waterproof the bottom of klinker built wooden rowboats and the like.
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: bowtarist on November 08, 2011, 05:02:01 pm
Have you been in the rum again??  :P
HAHAHAHAHAH!   >:D  That was a good one Cam!!

And zenmonkeyman, I don't know if you deserved it or not, but if I had to guess..... :-\

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHa, dpgratz

think I'll pour one myself...whisky though, I'm a Southern Indiana hillbilly.  ;D
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: stickbender on November 09, 2011, 12:10:59 am

     Zenmonkeyman;
     Just Google Pine Tar, and go to the Wikipedia, and it lists all kinds of stuff for it.
Like Toxophool, said it is used for marine applications, as well as medical uses.

                                                           Wayne

Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: sadiejane on November 11, 2011, 06:52:10 pm
not my words-found online
"Pine tar is a sticky material produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood in anoxic conditions (dry distillation or destructive distillation). The wood is rapidly decomposed by applying heat and pressure in a closed container; the primary resulting products are charcoal and pine tar. Pine tar consists primarily of aromatic hydrocarbons, tar acids and tar bases. Components of tar vary according to the pyrolytic process (e.g. method, duration, temperature) and origin of the wood (e.g. age of pine trees, type of soil and moisture conditions during tree growth). The choice of wood, design of kiln, burning and collection of the tar can vary. Only pine stumps and roots are used in the traditional production of pine tar. Pine tar has a long history as a wood preservative, as a wood sealant for maritime use, in soaps, in roofing construction and maintenance, and in the treatment of skin diseases."

is there any way to use pine tar to make glue? thats what i was looking for when i found this.
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: nclonghunter on November 11, 2011, 07:13:12 pm
If you have some, try mixing some charcoal and deer dung to make a "pine pitch" for attaching points to the shaft. May not work, but try it and let us know. I would think it is a very clear type of pine sap, unless the heating process of gathering it, changes it some how.
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: Pat B on November 11, 2011, 09:45:37 pm
To make good pine pitch glue or varnish you first need to have hard, brittle pitch. If you strat with gooy pitch your glue and varnish will be sticky. I assume the "pine tar" has other additives to make it easy to apply. If it is just gooy pine tar you will have to cook the terps out so it will solidify if you want to use it for glue or varnish.
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: bowtarist on November 12, 2011, 01:46:39 pm
Be careful putting that stuff to a fire.  I picture it as being a very dark reddish black thick sticky stringy liquid.  Highly volitile I'd susspect.
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: stickbender on November 14, 2011, 02:55:24 am


     Flaming arrows! ;)  8) >:D

                                Wayne
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: PeteC on December 16, 2011, 11:44:44 am
We use it on the horses hooves during dry conditions.It helps hold moisture in them,to help stop cracks and splits. God Bless
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: Stiks-N-Strings on December 17, 2011, 10:30:06 pm
Pete said it. I was a farrier and raised horses for awhile and used it for hoof treatment and also a teaspoonful for a horse with a cough. All kinds of uses really but like it says it is the consistency of gooey tar.

 
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: MetisLifeguard on December 21, 2011, 09:37:03 pm
The place I've seen this used for archery is in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoNmUJWNCMw

This guy is making a replica arrow of Otzi the iceman. He does it the primitive way and shows us how to get the pine tar out of it. About 2:52 is when he starts getting the bark to make the tar.

Minwikijigan
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: Pappy on December 22, 2011, 09:18:50 am
Very cool video,that was Birch bark not pine pitch but both will work. I will have to give that a try,we don't have much birch around here except ornamental ,I have a large one in my yard by the pool,think Miss Joanie would notice if I de barked
it ? >:D >:D ;) :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: Pine Tar?
Post by: crooketarrow on December 25, 2011, 11:33:48 am
 I've used it before a time back. It's not nearly as good as pine pitch glue. But if you add hot glue to it ,it works. But makes a good varnish I used it on arrows before. Never used it on bows where the limbs bendin the cold. You soon find out about wood sealers are it is it if dos'nt crack up in the cold when the wood bends.