[JulieWall]

Does anyone know the recipe for making wood stain out of pine tar please. I know it uses Stockholm tar, linseed oil and turps but not in what proportions.

[Donald]

It all depends, naturally. If you state wood stain, which you do, the implication is you are interested only in giving a color and finish effect, mat or glossy. Straight pine tar will do that. To alter the color it is a simple matter of adding pigment. When you start with additions like linseed oil, turpentine and stuff like that then you are expanding the nature of your treatment to things like added protection, penetrability, application modification.
So what do you want and what will be the status when you and done, might be two basic considerations at the outset.


This Stockholm tar, linseed oil, turpentine is known as roslag and is typically a covering for roof coverings.


Greetings,


Don

[JulieWall]

I did say woodstain didn't I, I meant to preserve wood really it just so happens that it colours the wood as well. Since posting this I have found some recipes and bought some traditionally extracted Stockholm tar - I wanted it for soapmaking too so it's all good.
My current hunt is to source some real turpentine and not the turps substitute I keep seeing everywhere, so sick of our ''nanny state'' deciding what we can't have any more  ::)I wasn't going to drink it, sniff it, or use it as body paint honest, I'm a grown-up.

[Donald]

Ok, now that you are on your way I hope you have success because this is a great material with many uses, you can even make candy with it or coat the inside of your wooden rain gutters, as well as making soap like you are planning.
Kremer is a reputable source of pure pine or larch sap turpentine also Dick out of Metten or Claesson's out of Goteborg.


Here is some fresh pine tar running out.
Wood tar on Vimeo


Greetings,


Don Wagstaff

[JulieWall]

I wish they had lingered with the camera a little longer over the fire so I could get a better look at the set-up  There are some good vids on youtube about pine tar extraction though, we thought we would give it a try quite soon as they are thinning the timber plantation around us just now and we may be able to get hold of some pine roots and other waste offcuts. The leftovers will make great biochar.

[Donald]

You only have to ask. The good bits look like this piece once split off from the roots, all full of sap.If you have a big iron kettle just prop it full with such chips. The only special part of the set-up is the iron plate, a hole in it with a pipe attached where the tar can flow once heated sufficiently by the fire.Turn the kellel upside down on the iron plate, seal it around with your clay mixture so no air comes under there and stack a few blocks of wood over the kettle and light.In about ten or twenty minutes some steam then water and then the tar will start to come out.And then, yeah you do have also good charcoal to boot.


Greetings,


Don Wagstaff

[JulieWall]

I'm very impressed and also motivated now
Just have to rack my brains for what bits and bobs we could use. Hubby is a blacksmith so he'll have no trouble rigging something up I'm sure. Maybe some of the ''scrap'' metal pile will come in handy even, lol.