Can u get turp's from leyladi tree's?? pine tar??

[mr dazzler]

Recently a quite large leylandi "tree" (or one very similar) uprooted itself and I just cut it up and dug the roots out it will one day become a tripod base for a table. But I digress. What I wanted to ask was could you make a useful turp's/resin type thing from the offcut's and logs; I am thinking of the Ray mear's episode in Sweden where they made pine tar. Could it work. Theres so much resin in the logs its oozing and running out from the snedding scar's, way too gooey and messy to saw or otherwise work. Seems like a natural resource is going to waste. Has any one any ideas or tip's.I definately wont be using the logs for kinderling especially in light of recent events in our village

 

[Mirius]

I can't help, but that resin is the reason that I cut Leylandi back in about February when that sticky sap is down. During the year it's really hard to cut because the resin binds the saw blade - but do it in winter and it's as easy as you like.

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, no reason why that shouldn't work. As for the practicalities of doing it, all I know is that you need to heat the wood in the absence of oxygen...

 

[SOAR]

You could try, nothing ventured nothing gained, I've never heard of it but worth a go.
Let us know how you get on.

Simon.

 

[mr dazzler]

Thanks lad's
I think I'll need a fire proof airtight container If I remember the Ray mears episode correctly, did he seal the box with clay or something? Do you get charcoal as a by product?
cheers Jonathan

 

[Mirius]

Yes, you do get charcoal as a result. I'm not sure that it was entirely airtight since after all there is a drain in the bottom to allow the tar to drip out.

 

[mr dazzler]

Hi mirius,
I just saw a diagram of a swedish peasant tar kiln that was shaped like an up side down cone (sharp end down) and made of poles earth and sods, it had a little drain at the bottom. BUT woe is me, I forgot they used pine roots traditionally and in Ray's film also, I have one large leylande root thats it. Dont know if branche's will work?

 

[Mirius]

The guy who was demonstrating to Ray reckoned that when he did it on an industrial scale they did it in long trenches. Roots have a concentration of the tar as I understand it, but I think it's more a case of using an otherwise discarded part of the tree. Of course if they cut the trees in winter when the sap is down, perhaps it concentrates in the roots?

 

[mr dazzler]

So branches might work after all then? these ones are slopping with resin
Now you mention it the diagram I saw could of been a cross sectin through a up side down wedge shape above a trench, rather than a round cone? Home made "leylandei tar" might be nice to use on the umiak

 

[ForgeCorvus]

You can make stockholm tar* from any resinous tree and when its made on a large scale whole trees can go into the retorts (OK, whole trees chopped into smaller bits), they used to use the roots and any stunted or twisted trees (ones you couldn't get decent spars from).

What you need is an oil can (a 5 gallon size) and a peice of pipe (with a stop-cock in the end if possible, a plug will work).

You cut the top off the can just below the shoulder, you'll then need to bend the top edge of the body of the can in so the top fits over it (like a dustbin), this needs to be as tight as possible you need a fairly good seal.

Next you need to fit the pipe into the bottom corner of the can, if its steel you can weld it (just about, the can is very thin) if its copper you can use one of those things for fitting overflows into watertanks (B&Q)

Stick your retort on some bricks and tip it so the outlet is at the lowest point, load it up with wood stick the lid back on (but leave the cap off for now) , build a fire around the can and light up.
You are basically charcoal burning, so stick the cap back on when the smoke changes
I don't know if you can tap the tar off during the burn or if you have to wait untill after.
You can use the charcoal to fire the next burn.

* AKA wood tar

 

[Davy Stephenson]

The roots and small braches are the best parts to use because they have the biggest surface area and are where the process begins, most trees have about the same bulk
un derground as they do above it,

You can tap the X flowum when the tree is starting to run in the spring to get the resin, but its a long draw out process and its not the the same stuff you get from the anerobic process, the quickest way and the most destructive is going to kill what ever living entity your going to use, this is why Ray used dead roots etc,

I suppose it could be a handy thing to know if your ever in need of a limited quantity for your own use, but there are better alternatives available for doing the same thing today,

What wasn't mentioned on the program was just how destructive a passtime it really is, there is many times the waste from what you actually get back I'm afraid.

Davy.

 

[mr dazzler]

I suppose it could be a handy thing to know if your ever in need of a limited quantity for your own use, but there are better alternatives available for doing the same thing today,

What wasn't mentioned on the program was just how destructive a passtime it really is, there is many times the waste from what you actually get back I'm afraid.

Davy.

Thanks for the comments. I'm well aware of alternatives, I make my own paints and stains from oil and so on. But I was just seeing if I could find a way to find a use for an otherwise crappy garden shrub which had upriooted itself in a gale and would get sent to the tip (too gammy even for kinderling) a domestic form of of pine tar EG protection on the frame of a skin boat.

Do you know Barney? I lived there and used to work at William Smith's. Fished and canoed/kayakked in the Tees, Grouse beating on Bowes moor, hay timing and pigeon shooting round Westwick, clays up at Mickleton quarry, pistols and rifles at Richmond (back in the mid 70's in a club on gallowfield Estate) and also Stainton army camp. My My Dad was secatary of the Teesdale gun club for a while, I earned cartridge money doing the trap. Is Paul Crompton still in business selling shotgun's? Not a bad area if you like sheep Stan Richardson (long since retired and deceased farmer from near Stainton) was the BEST boss I ever worked for, totally honest, fair and paid good money in return for honest hard work. I genuinely miss him to this day.