Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Allyn T on March 27, 2020, 06:44:39 pm
-
If I wanted to make a water proofer for a bow with deer tallow and pine resin would that work pretty well?
-
It might be a better leather dressing. If you heat the bow first enough to absorb the warmed mixture. it would probably repel water pretty good. Probably a finish you'll have to replenish often, though.
-
Might try equal parts pine tar, real turpentine, boiled linseed oil, (a native finish) and the deer fat. The first mix was a canoe sealer, adding some deer fat might make it softer, and more penetrating, but as Pat said both the bow and the finish need to be warm. I have used the base mixture on lodgepoles successfully, but it needs to be reapplied about every season. Do a lot of testing to get what you like. A spoon finish of 4:1,or 3:2 beeswax and flaxseed oil might also work. Again test to see what you like.
Hawkdancer
-
Thank you, I'm ok with applying it often I just want to try something old school in the future. I saved my tallow just for this reason
-
About 10 years ago a friend was rendering some deer tallow on his back deck. Someone knocked over the pot of hot oil on the deck. Even today water beads up on that one spot on his deck when it rains. Using hot(not too hot) tallow on a warmed wood surface should give you enough penetration to repel water. After it cools be sure to wipe off the excess or it will collect dirt and attract animals.
-
Awesome! Thanks Pat, I'll def try it now
-
Bear fat and beeswax is one recipe I know. It works very well, reapply maybe once a season. Warm the wood well and it'll soak in-do this til it won't take any more.
It works in the super-damp Southeastern forests. I'm looking forward to testing if it works here in the actual swamps. Getting bear fat-that's the hard part.
-
Edward,
What ratios? And is the fat rendered? I would think almost any rendered fat could be used.
Hawkdancer
-
I'm not sure what Pop's ratio was, but I have had broad success with even a 1:1 ratio. More fat penetrates better. More wax waterproofs better. Just fat works too, but has to be reapplied much more often.
And yeah, rendered fat. I'm sure you could do it with non-rendered fat, but I'm not very sure it would be pleasant.
Lard or deer tallow work too. Bear might be traditional, but their numbers aren't what they were.
-
I rendered a lot of deer tallow this year and it works way better than tallow alone in all my projects and won't go rancid like tallow alone will.
Not sure it is as good as bear[never had any bear] but good stuff non the less. I feel sure you could heat the bow a little and rub it in alone and it would work fine. :)
Pappy
-
+1 and it is a good idea for penetration reasons when ever applying any type finish to a bow to warm the bow before hand to a fresh lightly sanded surface reducing any oxidation on the surface before hand.
A side track subject but....PS....Long ago I used rendered deer tallow to make hand dipped beeswax and tallow candles.Think it was 1 to 4 ratio weight wise.Tallow to beeswax.9" long overall.They will burn longer the stronger the ratio of bees wax.Burned a good 12 hours a piece.They smell like honey while burning.
-
Pappy you used beeswax with the tallow? Edward I'll have to play around with it and try different ratios and combinations. I don't have much tallow to start with but I'll save more this coming season
-
I rendered a lot of deer tallow this year and it works way better than tallow alone in all my projects and won't go rancid like tallow alone will.
Not sure it is as good as bear[never had any bear] but good stuff non the less. I feel sure you could heat the bow a little and rub it in alone and it would work fine. :)
Pappy
My neighbor down the mountain killed a Montana state record black bear (560 pounds). I helped dress and process it for him and walked away with almost 80 pounds of bear fat (two five gallon buckets full) that rendered down into about 4 gallons of oil. If I knew how to ship it, I'd send ya some. By the way, it makes the best biscuits you can imagine!
-
You can for finish or on it's on. I use bees wax and pine pitch with raw tallow[or rendered] when making pine pitch glue but have never used pine pitch in my finish. I Think some do though. :) you just have to mess around with it till you get what you like, it's not like it will hurt a bow just some works better than others. :)
Pappy
-
What's the difference between rendered tallow and raw tallow? I heated the hard fat in a pan and poured the liquid through some panty hose and stored it in a vacuum bag
-
I've made leather dressing from rendered beef fat(deer would work too), bees wax and pine pitch(basically like Montana Pitch Blend). Not sure of the ratios but it would be easy enough to figure it out. You want it to be a paste consistency.
-
So my tallow cooled hard at room temp, does the was keep it from hardening up?
-
Yes, the tallow and bees wax keeps it from hardening up.
I make pitch glue also with hard, brittle pitch(same for leather dressing), beeswax(or tallow) and finely ground charcoal(or dried rabbit or deer dung instead). The beeswax softens the hard pitch and the charcoal(or dung) adds body. If you don't use hard, brittle pitch the dressing or pitch glue will remain tacky. Different ratios for each application.
-
Allyn,
I think it is a matter of word usage, but fat is usually considered raw. Beef fat is often called tallow when raw, or rendered, pork fat is called lard when rendered, beef fat becomes tallow when rendered; but I reserve the right to mix up my terms. There was quite a thread on the topic about a year ago, including cooking and purifying methods. I believe JW said you can get a very white tallow by boiling it in water, but start heating them at the same time! I would suggest doing it outdoors!
Hawkdancer
-
If your using tallow for water proofing wouldn't boiling it in water defeat the purpose?
-
The pure fat will float to the top and the impurities will sink. Let it cool and scoop the fat off the top.
-
I don’t have any deer tallow but I do mix my own tendered bacon grease and pine pitch primitive finish and heated into a mulberry bow. I accidentally left it outside in my truck bed for a whole day and night during a rain storm. After I realized it I went out and just saw beads of water all over it. Strung it up and shot it a few times with no more gained set. I always heat it in real well over a fire. Really soaks in there. I finished it with some paste wax.
-
Pat that is genius!
Aznboi, that gives me a strong case to go forward with it