Melting pine or fir resin without a metal container?

[justin_baker]

So this has been on my mind for a while, and i havent come up with a solution. How did native people melt down pine sap for arrowhead lashing, ect?

[RangerXanatos]

Erunksurvival has a couple of videos up on youtube showing him melting pine sap. He did it by making a fire under a rock or a shell with a depression in it. I believe it shows it in the one where he makes his own bubblegum. Maybe someone with better skills sing the search engine or know how to spell his username correctly can find it.

[justin_baker]

Erunksurvival has a couple of videos up on youtube showing him melting pine sap. He did it by making a fire under a rock or a shell with a depression in it. I believe it shows it in the one where he makes his own bubblegum. Maybe someone with better skills sing the search engine or know how to spell his username correctly can find it.

Yeah i have seen his videos. I didnt see the rock depression one, but it sounds like a good idea. You need to actually find a rock with a depression though. I saw that he did it with sea shells, but im not on a coast or anything.

[your_comforting_company]

We have freshwater muscles here. They work just as well, if you fire them first. They can tend to be a little, umm.. unstable (kinda like sarge ;) ) so I recommend heating them in a fire before getting up close and personal with them in use IN fire. Clay pots were also used, but quite a bit harder to make on the fly. Skullcaps of certain animals could be used also.
In my mind, drink cans and soda bottles litter every corner of the world. wouldn't really be that hard to come up with a metal container these days.

[welderguy]

There was a post on here about boiling water in plastic bottles, I havent researched that but if it would work for water it might work for melting sap.

[storm77]

hi guys,

sorry to hijack this thread but i wondered if anyone knew the safest modern day technique for melting down pine resin/sap/pitch? Would a deep fat fryer work and or a crock pot?

Thanks

[randyt]

I use a tin can on the woodstove, kitchen range or camp fire.

[crashdive123]

Tin can near some coals for me. I keep it away from open flames while melting.

[randyt]

Some guys float the pitch in a tin can of water as they melt it down. Doesn't make it any less flammable but I think it may be easier to purify that way.

[hunter63]

hi guys,

sorry to hijack this thread but i wondered if anyone knew the safest modern day technique for melting down pine resin/sap/pitch? Would a deep fat fryer work and or a crock pot?

Thanks

Hunter63, saying Hey and Welcome.
There is a introduction area

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?14-Introductions

I would guess any of the containers you mention would work,....but I sure the container would be toast.
As has been brought up, keep away from flames is important, although if it does catch it can be sniffed out with another pan or metal bucket.

[ClayPick]

Dig out a bowl shape in a piece of wood and fill it with sap. Melt it with a hot rock.

[randyt]

this thread brings up another question. What do you use as a binder with the pitch? I've used charcoal or dry herbivore dung, specifically deer, elk and rabbit.

[ClayPick]

Spruce sap mixed with fat was used for canoes.

[Rick]

Charcoal is what I've used. I just grind up some from the fire. Never used dung before. I don't think that will make my bucket list either.

[Gille]

I tried to post a link to youtube but for some reason the form won't allow me to. If you search youtube for "How to make pine pitch glue" there is a good video by BombMastre

[Rick]

You don't have 10 posts yet. Once you have ten post under your belt then you can post links. It's just one of the ways we keep a handle on spammers.

[Gille]

Ah, ok thanks Rick... and that makes 10 ROFL

[Gille]

Dig out a bowl shape in a piece of wood and fill it with sap. Melt it with a hot rock.

Caution when heating rocks, they can shatter with considerable force. Certain types of stone are better than others. Taking the time to learn which might save your life.

Quartz can actually explode when the water is poured over a hot stone which contains it.
Sauna - Rocks do matter (http://www.rockcollector.co.uk/editorial0407.htm)

[danmc]

this thread brings up another question. What do you use as a binder with the pitch? I've used charcoal or dry herbivore dung, specifically deer, elk and rabbit.

I used a little bit of hardwood (oak if memory serves) ash. Maybe 1 part ash to 8 parts pitch or so. Disclaimer: I did this once to make some arrows and it is the only time I have done it so my first hand experience level is low.

-Dan

[hunter63]

You know I was seeing gobs of pitch collecting around cut off branches at DD and SIL house while I was walking the dogs....Their lot is in a pine plantation.....and thought about bring a container and gathering up some....just to try this......and didn't.

[Rick]

You could have him mail you some.

[randyt]

I use spruce pitch. Never really used pine pitch although I have some refined rosin in different grades.

[hunter63]

You could have him mail you some.

Then he'd say......"Say WHAT?, you want me to mail some what?.....That sticky nasty stuff?....You Yankees are nuts...."....LOL

[ClayPick]

I’ve come to believe that it’s an art form getting it just right. You usually end up with sap that cures to soft or to brittle. Most igneous rock holds heat well. Basalt is easy to find here because the unconformity in the rock layers are right to the surface.

[BushTech]

I've seen people 'stab' a ball of pine resin with a stick and heated up over a fire, and proceeded to use as a glue stick to fix an assortment of leaks. No container used at all but definitely specific to that particular method. The previously mentioned muscle shell idea is perfect from a strictly primitive standpoint.

[Roel]

In Europe, in prehistoric times, they never made glue out of resin, they always used tar instead. Strange, we have plenty of pine and spruce.
With a friend I did some experiments making birch tar without using pottery or tin cans. It workt.

[Roel]

Sorry, I almost forgot, the pics.

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