Made some Birch Oil

[Dreadhead]

Hey folks,

So I'm house sitting at the moment and find it near impossible to get into 'the zone' to get my work done so decided to have a crack at something I've wanted to do for years: make some birch oil/tar. My original goal was to make tar, as I want to use it to tar the bottom of my viking turnshoes as I believe it may have very well been used for this historically.




I collected a load of birch bark from fallen birch trees, and sourced some cake tins. Punctured a hole in the bottom of the tins and filled them with the bark.





Dug a hole in the earth and set two sweetcorn cans in (a little shorter and squatter than regular bean/soup can)




The bark tins were placed flush over the corn cans, and the edges sealed with dirt/ash.




I made a fire in between the cans, and slowly built it up over both tins and left it burning for around 4/5 hours. This is to heat the bark without burning it, allowing the natural oils to flow into the bottom of the tins and flows through the punctured hole into the containers underneath.






Once it had burned down, I removed the tins from the fire and voila, birch oil! I poured it all together and had ended up with almost a full corn cans worth.








However, I wanted to turn this into tar, so I buried the can in the hot coals and had it bubbling away for well over an hour but still no tar! For some reason I just couldn't get it to reduce into tar, so I just poured the hot oil into a small glass jar for storage whilst I decide whether to just keep it as oil for waterproofing my boots ot decide to have another go at boiling it down for tar though with this much oil I don't think I'll end up with much.

Overall, it was fun doing something 'bushcrafty' for a change and learning from it. Thanks for reading

 

[forrestdweller]

... no birches around here to give it a try-- and my only attempt of making birch tar more then ten years ago had the lid popping of the can when i started the fire....

 

[The Cumbrian]

Nice one Hamish.

Does it smell like regular tar?

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Toddy]

Tidy done

Right then, there are three 'oils' that I know of from Birch.
One is the very modern essential oil, that is steam distilled from buds and leaves.
The second is the tarry substance that Hamish has made, often called tar, often called oil. That's dry distillation in a crude form and is similar to the older commercial process.
The third is the refined oils from that runny tar that makes two qualities of oil. One is used in leather tanning (and I think was the one used for preserving metal work in the past too, not positive about that, don't quote me on it until someone who deals with rifles from a couple of centuries ago comes along and joins the discussion) and the remainder is used as fuel oil.
Not sure how they refine it though.
Steam distillation in the past was really confined to small alembics yet we know of Russian leather making using it from the medieval period at least.
Maybe one of the Eastern Europeans might know ?

Russian leather, some of the Moroccan leather, etc., was made using the birch oil after tanning. To keep leather supple the oil was sometimes mixed with animal fat, very purified animal fat, the refined fat from suet and the like, or mixed with whale oil.

Links for further reading….please add as you come across, but this one kicks it off

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...rch oil, leather tanning, manufacture&f=false

M

 

[Dreadhead]

Tidy done

Right then, there are three 'oils' that I know of from Birch.
One is the very modern essential oil, that is steam distilled from buds and leaves.
The second is the tarry substance that Hamish has made, often called tar, often called oil. That's dry distillation in a crude form and is similar to the older commercial process.
The third is the refined oils from that runny tar that makes two qualities of oil. One is used in leather tanning (and I think was the one used for preserving metal work in the past too, not positive about that, don't quote me on it until someone who deals with rifles from a couple of centuries ago comes along and joins the discussion) and the remainder is used as fuel oil.
Not sure how they refine it though.
Steam distillation in the past was really confined to small alembics yet we know of Russian leather making using it from the medieval period at least.
Maybe one of the Eastern Europeans might know ?

Russian leather, some of the Moroccan leather, etc., was made using the birch oil after tanning. To keep leather supple the oil was sometimes mixed with animal fat, very purified animal fat, the refined fat from suet and the like, or mixed with whale oil.

Links for further reading….please add as you come across, but this one kicks it off

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...rch oil, leather tanning, manufacture&f=false

M

Wow thanks for sharing that Toddy, fascinating reading! I'm going to test this oil out on my turnshoes and see how it holds up. I'd love to make more and turn it all into thick tar but i doubt I'll have the time for it this year unless we do it at a meet or something

 

[Toddy]

You know the lard that gets sold in supermarkets ? it's just clarified pig fat. It was usually eaten in the past, so wouldn't have been wasted on making fine leather for shoes when whale oil came by the barrel load, but I think I'd maybe try mixing a little of that with the tar you've made, since we can't get whale oil now, and try it on a scrap of leather.
You don't want greasy, or sticky, you do want preserved and supple and waterproofed.
I think it's a judgement call to be honest
I know I managed to mix the two and get a kind of dark brown cream that rubbed in well to leather. It's really a kind of dubbin.
Folks say that dubbin rots stitches though; I think that's only true if the stitches are damp to begin with and the wet is preserved in them by the dubbin…..and linen is strong damp, while cotton goes kind of mildewy pdq, and most modern thread is cotton, iimmc ?

Interesting to hear how you get on with it Hamish
Eric Methven might well be the fellow to ask about stuff like this. Right up his street.

M

 

[Janne]

In Sweden, Birch Tar/Oil impregnated leather was called Ryss Läder ( Russian Leather). I think it was impregnated with a very refined, clear form of the tar.

The perfume Imperial Leather stems from the smell this leather had.

 

[Dreadhead]

You know the lard that gets sold in supermarkets ? it's just clarified pig fat. It was usually eaten in the past, so wouldn't have been wasted on making fine leather for shoes when whale oil came by the barrel load, but I think I'd maybe try mixing a little of that with the tar you've made, since we can't get whale oil now, and try it on a scrap of leather.
You don't want greasy, or sticky, you do want preserved and supple and waterproofed.
I think it's a judgement call to be honest
I know I managed to mix the two and get a kind of dark brown cream that rubbed in well to leather. It's really a kind of dubbin.
Folks say that dubbin rots stitches though; I think that's only true if the stitches are damp to begin with and the wet is preserved in them by the dubbin…..and linen is strong damp, while cotton goes kind of mildewy pdq, and most modern thread is cotton, iimmc ?

Interesting to hear how you get on with it Hamish
Eric Methven might well be the fellow to ask about stuff like this. Right up his street.

M

ooo now that is a good idea! would certainly just be fun to experiment with. My original thought behind the tar was that it aswell as waterproofing the soles/seams, it may also help with grip as you know how slippy turnshoes are. But as I can't seem to reduce it into a thick tar, I'd be better off just making a leathercare cream as you suggest. In regards to stitching, I use artificial sinew for turnshoes to stop any rotting issues as they get wet so often anyway. Eric will most likely know!

 

[Dreadhead]

In Sweden, Birch Tar/Oil impregnated leather was called Ryss Läder ( Russian Leather). I think it was impregnated with a very refined, clear form of the tar.

The perfume Imperial Leather stems from the smell this leather had.

That's interesting, I'll see if I can do some research on that thanks

 

[Janne]

Wood tar has ben used in scandinavia for many things.
Tar shampoo and soap - good for fleas and nits, Acne and Psoriasis
Tar sweets - good for chest ailments
Tar mixed with fat - excellent anti mozzie and gnat protection

We used tar to harden the wood skis we used while I served.

 

[dewi]

Looks like you've had some fun with that... reminds me very much of the Norwegians making the pine tar from the bogged stumps.

You might want to have a look at your camera lense though Hamish... it appears to have a dark soot around the edge which is coming out in all your pictures

 

[Toddy]

Melt beeswax and brush it onto gently warmed leather and it not only waterproofs it but it makes it not slippy Hamish.

Reenactors used to put courrans into a really, really (meringue temp) low oven with a bit of beeswax inside them. It slowly melted and spread and soaked in. Top of the radiator works well too in Winter. Personally I cheate and mixed the wax with some fat or oil first and then do it. Much easier to rub in a cream but the beeswax stops the worst of the slippiness.

Don't cook the leather for those who don't work with it often, it'll make it brick hard !!

M

 

[Dreadhead]

Melt beeswax and brush it onto gently warmed leather and it not only waterproofs it but it makes it not slippy Hamish.

Reenactors used to put courrans into a really, really (meringue temp) low oven with a bit of beeswax inside them. It slowly melted and spread and soaked in. Top of the radiator works well too in Winter. Personally I cheate and mixed the wax with some fat or oil first and then do it. Much easier to rub in a cream but the beeswax stops the worst of the slippiness.

Don't cook the leather for those who don't work with it often, it'll make it brick hard !!

M

that's what i've been doing so far and it works quite nicely but needs re-doing after each outing. I was thinking the tar would last a bit longer and be good at filling in loose seams and whatnot. Though I could also try making some pine pitch and try that?

 

[Toddy]

See if it works ? I want to know too
I hate sodden wet courrans

How did the native Americans of the Pacific North West, where it's sodden wet like here, waterproof their mocassins ?

M

 

[beezer]

looks like we need to go on a foraging day hamish. i know plenty of places to get birch bark and old rotten stumps. let me know if or when you want to go.

 

[Mesquite]

Nicely done

Only thing you ought to do next time is used an unlined tin for your oil receptacle. You can see that the one you used had a plastic lining which could contaminate the birch oil you're making which might not do you any good if you use it for anything you put on your skin.

Either use an unlined one in the future or burn it off prior to making the oil.

 

[Tengu]

Now that is interesting.

How would it turn out if you used birch sticks instead of just bark?

(I have little access to birch here, sadly.)

 

[Toddy]

It works if you stuff your tin tightly with birch twigs….stack them up like straws. There's a lot of bark wrapped around all those twigs

M

 

[bushwacker bob]

See if it works ? I want to know too
I hate sodden wet courrans

How did the native Americans of the Pacific North West, where it's sodden wet like here, waterproof their mocassins ?

M

Bear fat, but thats harder to find than whale fat in Scotland.

 

[Dreadhead]

looks like we need to go on a foraging day hamish. i know plenty of places to get birch bark and old rotten stumps. let me know if or when you want to go.

sounds like a plan mate!

Nicely done

Only thing you ought to do next time is used an unlined tin for your oil receptacle. You can see that the one you used had a plastic lining which could contaminate the birch oil you're making which might not do you any good if you use it for anything you put on your skin.

Either use an unlined one in the future or burn it off prior to making the oil.

Sound advice Steve, I did notice whilst trying to reduce the oil into tar that the lining from the can was coming free, had to keep scooping the scrum out. Lesson learned

It works if you stuff your tin tightly with birch twigs….stack them up like straws. There's a lot of bark wrapped around all those twigs

M

i bet that's a lot quicker to scavenge than spending half a day halking through the woods in search of dead birks