help needed for lining of leather tankards and bottles

[Scoffham]

Hey all

I'm looking for a material to line my leather tankards and bottles with. I currently use beeswax, but ive found that a couple of friends who ive made tankards for have managed to dissolve some of the wax with things such as coke, and the tankards have developed slight leaks.

I had a leather tankard brought for me years ago, which is lined with a black glossy substance,which i presume is some sort of pitch. This is still going strong..even with the slitching that has fallen away! I've even drank hot liquids from it!

Ideally im looking for a substance which can be applied relatively easily, can withstand spirits and coke, ideally hot liquids, is a suitable colour, is durable and foodsafe. Im not so worried about it being authentic.

Can anyone help me out with a material and supplier?

thankyou in advance!

 

[Asa Samuel]

Don't know much about it but I have a story about that black glossy stuff. Soemone I know left his leather tandard in the sun in his car and it melted and all went on one side, he ended up using a hot spoon to smear it round the other side again Just keep the stuff away from heat for a prolonged period of time and it's good stuff.

 

[launditch1]

The stuff you need is called 'brewer's pitch'
http://www.traditionalmaterials.co.uk/html/substances.php

 

[Scoffham]

Cheers launditch.. I found that site a while ago,,, and order some just as your post came in... has anyone worked with brewers pitch before? is it similar to working with wax?

I was also wondering about food safe expoxy resins or silicon or thermoplastics... google hasn't really helped much!

 

[Klenchblaize]

Hardly traditional and I should check if the product gives off any toxins when exposed to fluids but this (http://www.plastidip.co.uk/index2.cfm), available in black or brown, could be an option. It will certainly create a leak-proof barrier and once cured and bonded to the leather you'll basically have a moulded plastic cup within a cup/tankard.

Cheers

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

what about using a mixture of Pine/Spruce resin, charcoal and beeswax (3:2:1) which produces a natural glue which is abit tar like.

or Brich Tar/Russian oil -
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.php/DIY/Birch-Tar-How-to-collect-it.html