Pine Tar

[bluefish22]

Many years ago, WB published the recepie for a pine tar based wood finish. It contains pine tar, turpentine, linseed oil and japan drier. I mixed up a batch and finished my spars with it. Very nice. Now it is time to re-finish but my brother-in-law drank down the remnants of my last batch. I made the mistake of keeping it in a mason jar. Does anyone remember the mix ratios?

[Thad Van Gilder]

I do half turpentine and linseed oil with a dollap of pine tar and a shot of Japan dryer

[George Ray]

Pete Culler: Skiffs and Schooners ... the chapter on 'Goops and Goos' .

I'll look it up later if no one else chimes in .

[RichardH]

Is the only source for pine tar on line? Our boats in the SF bay area.

[gert]

I see this "Pine Tar" here frequently; what the h is Pine Tar?

[Gary E]

So far I think it's Pine Tree Sap... but I really dont know...

I wonder if it's the same stuff that is used by the cheaters in baseball... i think they use it on the bat and pitchers have been cought with it...doing what I have no idea..

For all we know it's a big HOAX...

[dmede]

So far I think it's Pine Tree Sap... but I really dont know...

I wonder if it's the same stuff that is used by the cheaters in baseball... i think they use it on the bat and pitchers have been cought with it...doing what I have no idea..

For all we know it's a big HOAX...

It's essentially distilled tree sap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_tar
http://www.maritime.org/conf/conf-kaye-tar.htm

[dmede]

Is the only source for pine tar on line? Our boats in the SF bay area.

Try vet's supply, feed supply, saddle shop etc. Pine Tar is used for various hoof treatments on horses, cows, goats etc.

Formulations vary by user. It's not such a critical mixture thaty you must get it exactly right. Most recipes seem to use roughly 50/50 linseed oil to turps followed by a "dash" of pine tar and some dryers. The dash can vary widely so just add until you get a color you like.

Search for pine tar recipes here in the forum under "pine tar" or "boat soup"

[Kim Whitmyre]

It's also used to "dress" trees after major pruning, so nurseries should have it. That's where I used to get it.

[Gary E]

Maybe ask the ball club manager...

[Donn]

So, how's your BIL feeling? :D

I'm just about ready for my first experiment with pine tar. I've got 7 coats of tung oil/mineral spirits on my garden tool handles, and pretty soon I'll be mixing some pine tar into the concoction.

I'm at ~90% tung oil to 10% mineral spirits, and I'm going to follow Smalser's advice of 1-2 tablespoons of pine tar to 8 oz of tung. I'll start with one and see how it looks on some scraps I've been coating along the way. I'm looking for color without tack.

[dmede]

Is there a way of getting more "body" in the mix to leave a thicker film?


I've been playing with a mixture of BLO/Turps/Varnish (1:1:1) plus a plop or two of pine tar. It builds more than the BLO alone but has the wipe on wipe off applications of the boat soup mixture.

[George Ray]

I bought 1 gal of "Natro Tar 588" from Natrochem in Savanna GA last year and they would not take money over the phone. They told me to send a check after I got the product. When is the last time someone told you that?
I think Mystic uses "Natro Tar 588".
The first quart I bought before the Natro-Tar was for packing horse hoofs and it smelled very nasty. The natrochem stuff is old time boson's locker smell.... NICE!

http://www.natrochem.com/Natro-Tar%20588%20tds.pdf

The Pine tar is used to make the Brion Toss slush for parceling and serving.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid223/p914c7884887d0d70ecf54e8f94003206/eadbf53a.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid220/pbebc4df625b2c2198963314f26ee0feb/eba43086.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid223/p55791d546ca6f353d4e450bf9146065c/eadbfd3b.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid223/p4dba9c931b5faf0993e2841fe5133426/eadbfcc7.jpg

[Donn]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid220/pbebc4df625b2c2198963314f26ee0feb/eba43086.jpg

Lookit that nice row of Memphis Net & Twine tarred seine twine.

Great stuff.

[Tristan]

I used to use pure Stockholm tar on my served shrouds and deadeye lanyards. It dried OK. Traditional Bahamia sloops and schooners coated the inside of their planking with pine tar. Whether it was Stockholm or some other form of pine tar I don't know. It's a good idea to paint a bit of Stockholm tar or other pine tar onto the insides of a wooden boat just to make it smell right. Also keep a ball or tarred marline in one's ditty bag. This is the tar referred to in speaking of a "tarry sailor lad."

[Tristan]

[QUOTE=Donn;
Lookit that nice row of Memphis Net & Twine tarred seine twine.

Great stuff.[/QUOTE]

Damn Donn, Whoops, I mean George, you got a nice serving mallet, marline, and other goodies. You probably got more stuff than you need. I'll send you my snail mail address and you can send me the extra. :D :D :D

[Donn]

Oh my! What a good idea! The MN&T twine isn't as sticky as I like for lashing bamboo, but I'll bet a soak in pine tar would fix that.

[Thorne]

See this recent thread for similar info on Stockholm Tar -

http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=50986

There is quite a difference in the two tars, both in availability and content.

[dmede]

Ok, here's a question for you... I keep reading about how great Pine Tar smells but the pine tar Ive been using (below) makes me gag if I get too big a whif. Does trhe smell vary by producer? Is it the Stolkholm Tar that smells great? What gives?

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/woeimages/00001963.jpg


Never mind, just read the posts linked in Thornes reply above.

[ken connors]

JD Homemade Varnish Recipe: An Old Down East Deck Coating Formula

Used on wooden decks for schooners, fishing boats, and porch decks. Makes for an amber finish. To customize the mixture, add more pine tar for a darker color or add less for a lighter color. Allow more drying time for the darker mixture.

Turpentine 1 qt
Boiled Linseed Oil 1 qt
Pine Tar 1/2 pt
Japan Drier 1/2 pt

* Covers approximately 100 square feet

[Ken Leap]

Here is a tidbit on pine tar. I just bought some wax and varnish from Solvent-Free Paint

www.solventfreepaint.com/pine-tar.htm

after a very pleasant and informative discussion with Soren Ericksson. I initially contacted the company to buy a glazing compound for my glass and steel sculptures and then had a lengthy discussion about oils, varnishes, and waxes for boats (and sculptures). The product line is very intriguing. Lots of history behind the approach, no solvents, great performance, pleasant to use, etc. I am now reconsidering how I am going to finish my boat. Soren told me he attended one of the WoodenBoat festivals and got a good response to his product. Soren said that there is not much discussion about boat applications on the website because of its limited market, but he is quite interested in this application. He said that linseed oil/pine tar got a bad name because most of what has been available in the US was full of protein (20-30% protein). This protein leads to mildew. Mildew-resistant chemicals are added to many products, but in time, these chemicals lose their effectiveness and mildew eventually appears. Soren says that the protein is REMOVED from his product, so the long-term resistance to mildew is superior or not an issue.

Just paraphrasing Soren here; I don't know beans about pine tar.

Ken

[Stephen]

I use pine tar from "American Rope and Tar".
http://www.tarsmell.com/Images/logo.jpg

Here's the address:
http://www.tarsmell.com/

They call it "The Real Stuff" - authentic stockholm tar.
http://www.tarsmell.com/Images/tar_thumb.jpg
Smells good.
Nice and thick.
And you can buy it online.
I coated the inside of Carlotta's hull (planking and frames) with two coats of "boat soup". I mixed - approximatley - 1/3 turps, 2/3 linseed oil, a healthy dollop of pine tar and a couple tablespoons of Japan Dryer. I heated the concoction before applying.

[bluefish22]

He appreciated the mellow aroma and lingering afterburn. Much smoother than the contents of the other Mason jars. The mix left his teeth with the deep amber glow of a well used sixereen. We all thought it a great improvement.

[Tom Jackson]

Most of the brands of "pine tar" sold for veterinarian uses (including Bickmore) are of the asphaltic type, which does not have the sought-after properties of true Stockholm tar. The odor is very different, with a definite asphalt scent, and I believe its handling properties are very different as well. Stockholm tar isn't just good for its smell, it's a very useful substance.

Good, true pine tar sources in the U.S., at the small-quantity retail level, include the "tarsmell.com" source cited above in California, the Wooden Boat Foundation chandlery in Port Townsend, and R&W in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

[dmede]

Most of the brands of "pine tar" sold for veterinarian uses (including Bickmore) are of the asphaltic type, which does not have the sought-after properties of true Stockholm tar. The odor is very different...

I'll attest to that. Bikmore PT makes me cough. I thought you guys were nuts when ever anybody mentioned the great smell of PT.

As an aside regarding "boat soup". Some of the places selling true Stockholm Pine Tar listed above have a recipe thats very similar except they use equal parts PT, Turps & BLO where as most boat soup recipes list much smaller portions of PT.

[Donn]

Bickmore is the brand I got from Jamestown Distributors. I think it smells fine, but I've never sampled stockholm tar.

[Bob Smalser]

Bickmore is the brand I got from Jamestown Distributors. I think it smells fine, but I've never sampled stockholm tar.

It's all made from distilled sap, and I find it all works the same.

The difference is the local stuff is made by sweaty guys in Southern pine forests instead of blond Valkeries in flimsy clothing.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/The_Valkyrie%27s_Vigil.jpg/300px-The_Valkyrie%27s_Vigil.jpg

[Donn]

ROFL! If she was included with the fancy stuff, I'd be a buyer.

[Dave Fleming]

http://www.solventfreepaint.com/pine-tar.htm#pigment


I wasn't here.:p

[dmede]

http://www.solventfreepaint.com/pine-tar.htm#pigment


I wasn't here.:p

wait wait wait... not so fast, I got a question for ya!

Do you feel that the smell is the only appreciable difference between the two, or is there more to it?

[Tristan]

Damn man, smell is EVERYTHING! Why do you think those "tarry sailor lads" were able to bed so many fair maidens! Stockholm tar! I keep an open can under my bed and another in the boat I'm building.

[Thorne]

Try **this** Maytie!

http://www.tarsmell.com/Images/seagoer_soap.jpg SeaGoer Genuine Pine Tar Soap

Our own, all natural hand made soap, made with our genuine kiln burnt pine tar.
This soap lathers in both fresh and salt water and has the wonderful fragrance of Stockholm tar.
SPECIAL! Get 3 bars for $10. (reg. $4/bar)
We accept payment by Credit Card or PayPal.
1 Bar for $4
https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif SPECIAL :: 3 Bars for $10!
https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif http://www.tarsmell.com/Images/seagoer_cream.jpg Special $6.50/can
https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif Genuine SeaGoer Hand Cream

Our own, all natural hand cream, made with genuine kiln burnt pine tar and hemp oil.
Nothing else like it, it soothes dry or irritated skin on land and sea. Also relieves bug bites. A little goes a long way, and it has the wonderful fragrance of Stockholm tar.
SPECIAL! $6.50 (Reg $7.95)

[Donn]

This is cheaper:

http://www.hmmarine.com/images/boatsoap.gif

[JC 72]

I've been using the American Rope and Tar product. I asked Bill Rickman, a.k.a. "Uncle Billy" his recipe. I mixed 1 qt. boiled linseed oil, 1 qt. turpintine, 2cups pine tar, and 2Tlbs. japan drier.He warned to go light on the last, or it can cause hard brittle drying. The thwarts in the boat are DF, painted. After stripping, they will get this stuff, same for the floors. It takes several days to dry enough to sit on, But I love that smell. The guys at the fire house are split on smell. The Capt. don't like it, but the Hoseman waxs poetical about good cigars, fine scotch, and camp fires.
I also checked out the solvent free paint site Ken. I'm going to give it a try on the house, and then the boat. John