Natural glue

[Janne]

Soon I will embark to try and recreate a flint knife ( made by an eminent Norwegian flint knapper) with a wooden handle.

My plan is to try and fix the blade in the handle using a natural glue, then wrap it once dry/set with wet rawhide ( soaked dog chew )
Has anybody tried to do a strong, waterproof glue from tree resin or plants?

I have many coconut trees in my garden, and some nuts get an amber looking seepage from ( I guess) insect or other damage.
Hard when dry.

Then I have some pine resin I collected in Norway.

I am not sure what to do. How do you melt/ soften resin? Heat? Boiling?

 

[snappingturtle]

I think you boil it Janne and add some charcoal or ash to make it less brittle.

 

[Billy-o]

You could make some pitch. I wonder if you could figure out a way of doing it on the barbecue

 

[Broch]

The way I have seen pine resin used (but not tried myself to be honest) is to put it on a stone near the fire then, as it softens, mix in the powdered charcoal with a stick. The 'glue' is then applied to the subject and the stone returned to the fire to keep it workable.

 

[Robson Valley]

I think Broch's paleo suggestion is great.
Piece of thick slate on the BBQ as a heater and a stick to stir and apply it with.

Pine resin has volatile compounds that you can smell as they evaporate.
I'll guess the fresher the better as I see when I prune big lower branches on my spruce trees.
So sticky.gummy/gooey that it literally drips down the bark.

Put one small pot inside a bigger pot that's got boiling water = a double boiler we call it.
The resin in the small pot should melt. A little artist's genuine turpentine might help.

I have a couple of blocks of bow rosin, a dried version, that I got from a violinist.
Like rocks. Should take more than a few drops of turpentine to soften that material.

Hafting: All the blades that I see in the Pacific Northwest have been surface hafted in a shallow groove
then wrapped with thin wet(?) sinew. I can't see but there might be some pine pitch under the wraps.

 

[Bishop]

The melting temperature for natural resin is quite low. You can get away with using a chopped down beer can as a melting pot gently waving it over a direct heat with a lot of care. However because it's so tacky (like treacle) using a large flat stone is safer as the stone will stay put when you try scooping some up onto a dabbing stick to use.

Pine pitch also tends to be fairly brittle though some people do mention adding plant fibres as a way to increase strength. From limited personal experience the stuff tends to work best in compression. Try not to think of it as glue in the modern sense like epoxy but rather more like chewing gum that goes hard. It will fill gaps and hold small items in place but not hold them rock solid securely.

Another strong contender would Casein glue aka Cheese glue.
Milk, vinegar and slaked lime, waterproof and exceptionally tough when it sets hard.

 

[Janne]

The charcoal, does it make it ’tougher’?

I understand plant fibers would make it into a composite, like GRP.

 

[Robson Valley]

I'd expect partial pyrolysis of the plant fiber in the charcoal.
Fine chopped cordage fibers should be linger.

Thanks Bishop. Nice description.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

We used to use cloth bag or old thin material - I don't know what you call it but like 'dish cloth' material. Put pine resin in that and put in hot water and heat until it goes like thick soup, then squeeze out into container - ours was birch bark one. Squeezing it out of the bag gets rid of all the bark and other stuff which isn't resin.

 

[Janne]

Yrs, cordage fiber. I hsve some fibers I made from Silver Thatch palm I thought I would use gor sewing but did not use as they are to stiff.
Thanks all of you!

 

[Dreadhead]

I can't help with the glue, but following this with interest! is the blade by any chance by kutschera? his work is amazing

 

[Janne]

Yes it is. I need to contact him, some silver needs to cross his hands........

The blade is awesome. I have used ( for fun) slivers of flint I have broken off larger stones, but the blade he has made is a (very sharp) dream.
I still have it in Norway,I could not take it as I only had frozed fishboxes as checked in luggage but son is going there next month to relax and he will take it home.

It needs to be hafted, I tried to cut with it bare, but as we know, the laws of physics can not be disregarded.
What I mean is I did indeed cut meat. Cow on one side of blade, human on the other side.

 

[Janne]

Regarding the glue, I could of course use a modern one, but that would be like using Vinyl when restoring a RR.......

For the handle I will use a local hardwood. Black Mangrove or Seagrape. A branch of suitable size and form, so I do not have to do to much shaping.

 

[Broch]

Photos please when done Janne - I like the sound of that.

 

[Janne]

I can email you them I can take with my phone, as I do not have the means to do it on this ( any) forum.
That is why I never post photos here.

 

[Broch]

I can email you them I can take with my phone, as I do not have the means to do it on this ( any) forum.
That is why I never post photos here.

I'm sure we've had this conversation before Janne but full members can upload pictures directly into the thread without a host (but oddly not in threads on the full members' forum ?!!?)

However, when you've got them PM me please and I'll send you an email address

 

[Janne]

I am afraid that if I become a Full Member, I will discover there is a thread which discusses collecting money to send a Russian guy to bump me off....

 

[Broch]

I am afraid that if I become a Full Member, I will discover there is a thread which discusses collecting money to send a Russian guy to bump me off....

That thread is long gone; it only got about 300 positive responses

 

[Janne]

Money raised, Russkie contacted, thread closed........
Understand.

I will take pictures of the stages in my attempt too.
Once I am done I will try to source a Bronze blade.

 

[Buckshot]

we often add some beeswax to the mix to make it slightly less brittle