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Pine resin what to look for?

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stuckinthemud:
A quick internet search shows lots of forms of pine resin, some even mixed with bees wax.  What should I look for as an ingredient for the wax, verdigris and pine resin fletch wrap used on war bow arrows?

Pat B:
When I'm making pitch glue I look for hard, brittle pine pitch, usually found on damaged pine trees(other conifers too). If it is not hard, brittle pitch you will need to cook out the turps or it will take forever to dry. To that pitch I melt in bees wax to reduce the brittleness and finely ground charcoal to add body to the pitch glue. I don't have a specific recipe. I usually cook the pitch to melt it add a little bees wax and let it cool then check the consistency. Then I remelt it and add enough charcoal to add body to the mixture.
 Instead of bees wax you can use other plant or animal oils(fat) and instead of charcoal you can use fine saw dust or dried rabbit or deer poop which is basically the undigested roughage, just be sure it's dried out well.
 Also with the pitch I make a simple varnish by dissolving hard, brittle pitch in alcohol. I use this on sinew arrow wraps and have coated arrow shafts with it. With the hard brittle pitch you get a smooth, non-sticky coating. If the pitch is not hard and brittle it will be sticky until the turps evaporate of which takes a long time. True varnish has a small amount of oil added.
 I've never used verdigris so I can comment on that.

bownarra:
The verdigris is just an insecticide no other function.

AndrewS:
I use Collophonium.

For stringwax I use 95% beeswax and 5% collophonium (+  a few drops of oliveoil)

For glueing I use 85 - 90 % Collophomium, 10 - 15 % beeswax and a few drops of oil.
You have to heat the hard piece of glue and after cooling down it is hard again.
Please don't heat with a flame, 'cause the collophonium is burning very fast...

Pat B:
I'd never heard of colophonium so I looked it up. Sounds like the hard, brittle I use but it is what's left over after the volatile oils are artificially removed. Where do you get the colophonium, Andrew?

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