Fatwood fail.
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Basically fatwood is created when a coniferous tree is cut down or snapped by high winds and the roots keep producing sap. This then floods the wood with resin creating fatwood.
High stumps are better because more wood is available to process and find the resin laden sections.
You can also get fatwood from the roots but it's slightly harder to process as you've got to dig these up
High stumps are better because more wood is available to process and find the resin laden sections.
You can also get fatwood from the roots but it's slightly harder to process as you've got to dig these up
an easy way to pick up fatwood is Something mentioned by uncle Ray, but cropped another way...
the famous pine notch, where branches meet the trunk of a Fallen resinous. i use to cut it with chainsaw, but i guess it can be done a more bushcraftic way with axe and saw...
the famous pine notch, where branches meet the trunk of a Fallen resinous. i use to cut it with chainsaw, but i guess it can be done a more bushcraftic way with axe and saw...
as you are in a pine area it's also time to check for some resin, old injuried tree will bleed and resine will cure as its getting down, on the trunk.
pick it using bare hand and a hatchet to pry off as it's a bit hard to do sometimes.
put into a old can and get a fire started to make it melt,and have an easy storage instead of powdering your whole bag.
then you have for little effort your old timer epoxy , can be used also to make survival matches (piece of cloth wrapped around the match, and dipped in hot resin by the bottom leaving red part clean)
and so on...
pick it using bare hand and a hatchet to pry off as it's a bit hard to do sometimes.
put into a old can and get a fire started to make it melt,and have an easy storage instead of powdering your whole bag.
then you have for little effort your old timer epoxy , can be used also to make survival matches (piece of cloth wrapped around the match, and dipped in hot resin by the bottom leaving red part clean)
and so on...
As said above, go for the joint of a branch with the trunk on a needle-tree. Worked fine for me so far. I usually go for any trees that have been blown over. Alternatively, on those that have been harvested, sometimes the branches are left and you can, again, look for the section that would usually join the trunk.
Hi mate I also live in Berkshire, I was out buy the lookout in Bracknell the other day and found myself plenty of fat wood.
If you need help spotting it just give me a shout buddy.
I've found the easiest way to find it is to look for fallen trees that are lying on the ground and have decomposed to the point where the wood is soft and will fall apart under foot. Kick out any branch stubs that are showing and they will easily pull out of the mush - the crotch where it meets the trunk is usually all fatwood. Bring it home, split it down and leave it to dry a little and then I store it in a quality street tub. I find this method is more successful than the tree stump method.
Hope this helps,
Phil
Hope this helps,
Phil
I collected some recently from a dead branch in a live tree, there was still some fatwood left on the tree so it wasn't damaged.
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that's how I get my fatwood,too...
I don't use much so the small amount I get from a dead branch on a living tree is enough for my needs-- I just cut one off close to the trunk until I find one full of fatwood( normally I get one @first try now....)
I have a few basalm pines where I live, i know if you pop the blisters on the trunk you get plenty of liquid resin. But I have never investigated the wood of the tree itself. Considering it gives its resin so freely does anyone know if the wood inside is resin rich as is fatwood?
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