Making Pine Tar?

FortyTwoBlades

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri
Dealer / Materials Provider
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
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Has anyone ever made pine tar before? I'd be very interested in learning how, as it seems to be a very handy and multi-purpose wilderness product. I can't find any references on how to make it, other than ones that talk about its large-scale production which burned about a cord of wood at a time, yielding a whopping 8 gallons of the stuff. :eek:

So any tips on how it might be accomplished by a single individual for small-scale use?
 
i remember watching one episode of a ray mears program where he demonstrated how to make and use it.

i'm sure that helps.

sorry.
 
Ray also talks about another method of making pine tar in his extreme survival show, about the people who they made the movie Defiance about...

If necessary, I can find the video...

But, right now, I have to make my shipping deadline... : )

Marion
 
How does pine tar vary from clarified pine sap like used in pitch glue? I've made bunches of the latter, but never thought to make it so runny.

Can you get this tar from any pine tree or is one species preferred over another?
 
Well, I plan on giving it a go on Friday (as well as testing out the friction-reducing coating on that machete of mine) as long as the weather isn't too awful for me to do the burn. I even went and bought a tin of Danish butter cookies just for the tin (and yeah, maybe the cookies too! :D) to do the slow burn in. I'll post pics of the results!
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Well, I plan on giving it a go on Friday (as well as testing out the friction-reducing coating on that machete of mine) as long as the weather isn't too awful for me to do the burn. I even went and bought a tin of Danish butter cookies just for the tin (and yeah, maybe the cookies too! :D) to do the slow burn in. I'll post pics of the results!
Click to expand...

You should have your bail by then, if you don't already...

So, you could make a spot tea while you are at it.... Or even over the fire that is making your tar.... And if you wore one of your hats, that would be like the trifecta, right?

Marion
 
Not sure what hat in particular you're talking about, but sure! :D
 
the foxfire books did a story on this. they filled a kettle with sappy pine, turned it over on a large rock and sealed around it with clay then built a fire over the kettle. after a while the liquid flowed from a channel cut in the rock from under the kettle.
jd
 
Ah yes--the ol' aluminum hardhat/cooking pot! :D

AluminumHelmetCooking053.jpg


Or maybe my vintage top hat? :eek: :p

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