How to make a Glue Stick

[PatrickM]

Glue Stick Tutorial



There are a few ways of producing a glue stick, this is but one. There are also other ingredients you can use to make the pitch. Experiment yourselves it's good fun.



Cut a piece of elder and remove bark and pith, this will leave you with a hollow tube. Cut two small hazel plugs to fit.

Grind down some charcoal with a rounded stone.

Ideally the charcoal should be reduced to a fine powder.

Gather up some pine resin using coltsfoot instead of your pockets!

Place flat rock on the fire stones, once warmed add the resin. (Be careful in your selection of rock as they might explode) My favourite rock had a bowl shape hammered out of it but it grew legs on a course last year and went walkabout.

Once the resin starts to melt down scrape it into a heap and add a little beeswax. Any impurities should be scraped to one side.

Now add some charcoal powder and mix.

Gather and push into elder tube.

Make enough pitch to fill chamber and cap it with the other plug. It's a great way of carrying the pitch in your kit bag.

When you need to use it simply heat over the fire and spread.

 

[shadow57]

Excellant description and great photos John

 

[Grooveski]

Looks much tidier to carry about than regular pitch sticks, thanks for the tip.

Neat point too, is that bone?

 

[jdlenton]

Nice very nice
I'm Going to a big pine forest on the west coast of France next week and was going to make a load of pitch sticks it now looks like i'll be taking some elder tubes with me too
I have to say your craft skills are amazing what are you going to show us next Patrick

James

 

[eraaij]

Most excellent and very original!

Thanks for sharing,
-Emile

 

[Tor helge]

An excellent idea. Much better than just adding it to a small twig like I do. Easier to spread and much cleaner to carry.
Very good tutorial.


Tor

 

[BorderReiver]

Excellent tutorial,thankyou.

 

[bloodline]

that is REAL bushcraft thanks for taking the time to show us

 

[Fire Starter]

that is REAL bushcraft thanks for taking the time to show us

Bushcraft - Survival .........who cares it works!

 

[~Dan~]

very nicly done patrick i am going to have to try it out once i get my hands on some more pine resin

 

[jack pearce]

in the last couple of pics you can clearly see a knife on a rock.what sort of lnife is it?i like the look of it...

 

[PatrickM]

in the last couple of pics you can clearly see a knife on a rock.what sort of lnife is it?i like the look of it...

Thanks Jack - it's a "Backwoods" knife, ie one I made to suit my own needs!!!

 

[bilko]

There is clearly no end to your talents.
Whats next?...How to make a cow!
Very impressive work!

 

[directdrive]

Patrick: You are a terrific craftsman. Your work is superb. Had a question though. Why is it necessary to add charcoal to the pine rosin? Wouldn't it work without it? Please provide more tutorials and pics as I can't get enough of them.....Bruce

 

[moduser]

Pine resin is a brittle almost glassy substance, the charcoal changes the properties of the resin (I don't understand the chemistry) so it's no longer brittle.

 

[storm]

great originality! i'll try that this weekend...

 

[Indi]

:You_Rock_

 

[Hi Lander]

Thanks for the idea it is vey good :You_Rock_

 

[Ralph]

I don't really want to sound like an idiot but how do you get the pith out of the elder?

 

[stovie]

I don't really want to sound like an idiot but how do you get the pith out of the elder?

Tell him just because he's elder it doesn't mean he's wiser

Oh! sorry. You said get the pith out, not take the pith....

Use a long pointy thing like a wire coathanger