Pitch Glue

Pitch glue is mentioned in the 12th century Mappae Clavicula; a little key to Medieval Techniques as an ingredient and has one recipe for a stone glue 122-B which includes pitch.

It is also mentioned in On Divers Arts by Theophilus (ca. 1120 AD):

Chapter 59. The Composition Called Chaser's Pitch
Grind a piece of brick or tile very small and melt some pitch in an earthenware dish and add a little wax. When these are both melted, mix in the powdered tile and stir it vigorously and pour it out into water. When it begins to grow cold, dip both your hands into the water and knead it for a long time until you can stretch the composition and draw it out like a skin. Immediately melt this composition and fill the cruet to the top.

According to MedievalArtisan.info pitch [glue] is used as a firm, grasping, yet flexible material to hold and support a metal sheet.  It can hold the sheet in place and provide a strong surface behind the sheet which gives under pressure - but not too much, or too quickly - for further decoration techniques like Chasing and Repoussé.
http://www.medievalartisan.info/art/Crafts/Metal/MakePitch.aspx

Following are three recipes from modern sources, each with their own interpretations and preferences. Pine pitch glue has been used since antiquity for a variety of gluing chores, including to help attach projectile points and knife blades to a variety of shafts/handles. Especially when combined with sinew, pine pitch glued points, more often than not, break before detaching. But, when a pine pitch glued object is left in really hot sun, it will soften and stick to whatever it touches.


Tree Resin of Pitch Glue
Use tree Resin (sometimes referred to as pitch) from any variety of coniferous species. The clear or yellow resin seeps from anywhere the tree has been injured and often looks like the wood itself. Without binding agents the tree resin would be too brittle, you can use Charcoal, Beeswax, Dry shredded plant matter (typically in the form of animal droppings). A ratio of 2 parts resin to 1 part charcoal/Beeswax/animal droppings works well. Grind the charcoal and animal droppings to a powder - the finer the better so it is worth extra time and effort in the process. In a suitable container, heat the tree resin (be careful while melting because it is flammable) until it become more liquid. Stir the other ingredients until the glue becomes a thick, black, tar-like substance that is very sticky.

The glue mixture will harden very quickly upon removal from the heat source, but will become pliable again as heat is applied. Therefore it is possible to make in advance and store until required for use.

From http://www.ancientcraft.co.uk/Projects/Projects.html


How to make pine pitch glue
-Here’s how to use Pine resin in a homemade glue recipe.
-Collect the resin from a pine tree.  Here’s a method to tap a pine tree to obtain the sap from a tree.
-Melt the resin.  If it ignites, blow out the flame and move the container so the heat is lessened.  Try to not overheat the resin as the compounds are destroyed the longer they are subjected to heat.
-Add 1 part hardwood charcoal powder.  This helps temper the resin and reduces its stickiness.
-Add 1 part filler material.  This can be ground plant material (crushed to a fine powder) or rabbit or deer scat/droppings (dried and ground up).  In a pinch, you may also substitute sawdust, bone dust, or animal hair.  The filler material helps strengthen the glue compound.
-If you wish to make the resultant glue more flexible, so it can be easily worked, add one part fat, tallow, or beeswax to the mixture.
-Mix thoroughly.
-Apply using a stick.

After the glue hardens, it will resembled hardened glass (unless you chose to add beeswax or fat in which case it will be more elastic).

Dried pine pitch glue can be reheated to convert it back to its liquid state.  Dip a stick into the mixture and remove, allowing the glob of glue to harden on the stick.  Re-dip the stick to add additional layers of glue (as it cools, you may wish to roll it between your hands to compress and shape it).  The finished lolly of pine pitch glue can then be carried with you and reheated when needed.

From http://wildernessarena.com/skills/general-repair/how-to-make-pine-pitch-glue


To Make Pine Pitch Glue
Needed: Pine/Fir pitch (sap), Charcoal – finely ground, Plant fibers – coarsely ground (manure).

1. Once you collect enough pine pitch you’ll need to heat it to remove the ‘volatiles’  (turpentine).  You must heat the pine pitch to the point where the turpentine evaporates  away.  Some say to bring the pitch to a low boil for a few minutes and others recommend  just a low simmer for 5-6 minutes.  Both work but the boiling is faster.  Be sure and use a container large enough that it won't boil over or spill.

2.  I filter the hot, liquid pitch through a layer of two of cheese cloth.  Pine pitch, especially if you find large deposits of old pitch, usually contains bugs, moss, twigs and other debris. These can make the glue inferior and much less attractive when you apply it to an arrow or knife.

3.  Make some charcoal and grind it into a fine powder. If you can't make your own charcoal make sure you get chunk charcoal, not the briquettes. Those almost always contain petroleum products and can ruin your glue.

4.  Take the cool charcoal out and grind it into as fine a powder as you can.  I have a great  method - I put two dozen 2 oz lead balls in my tumbler with real small chunks of charcoal and 20 minutes later I have charcoal as fine as can be!

5.  I mix the charcoal into the hot liquid pitch in about a 50/50 ratio or until it starts to feel like soft clay. Some people recommend adding some plant fiber - usually very dry manure (such as elk droppings), coarsely ground between the hands but not finely ground. I do this as well as it seems to give the glue a little more strength.  But I add only about 10%- 20% manure to the pitch/charcoal mixture. You have to mix all three ingredients together at the same time while the pitch is still liquid. It will start to cool and harden fairly quickly.

6.  Most people I know make 'dubbing/daubing' sticks. Take a pencil size stick and coat it with the finished pine pitch glue by rolling one end of the stick around in the glue until you have a glob about the size of a walnut on the stick. You can then use the daubing stick like a stick of ferrule cement, just heat and apply.

7.  You can also store just the clarified pitch by pouring into a small can such as a 6 oz tuna can. To make storing even easier, once the pitch hardens I cut/peel away the can and place the pitch in a plastic Ziploc baggie.  Be sure and store in a cool place.

Last tips - for appearances sake, I always mask off the areas I don't want to get glue on with tape.  And I always have some turpentine on hand for clean-up. Turpentine works the best.

If you do this right, the glue, when applied, will harden like JB-Weld and work great.  If you make a mistake you can re-heat the glue and start over.  Note - do not leave a pine pitch glued object in really hot sun, it will soften and stick to whatever it touches.

From http://www.pugetsoundknappers.com/how_to/pine_pitch_glue.html