Uses for Pine Sap

[Curdog]

Take chunks of pine or other conifer resin and place in a bag of loose weave, mesh like material or fine wire screening. I use a drain screen. Place in a large tin can, fill with water, and boil. PURE (or nearly so) resin will come to the top, leaving the trash in the screen or bag. Collect with an improvised spatula made from wood. It will leave a messy, hard to remove residue on good kitchen utensills.

Place the collected blobs of resin on a surface that you do not care about and can be discardes- wax paper or the lid to a plastic food container is a good choice. Again, this is a sticky mess! It should be about the color of honey or peanut brittle. It is not nearly as tasty however...

Take short plant fibers and mix into the goo- a piece of hemp cord minced into 1/4 inch long sections works well. So does a bit of old, weathered deer poop. Use a disposable tool to mix the materials, much will adhere to this and it may be used as a great fire starter. This will turn the resin into a thick blob that is reinforced with strong fibers.

Apply thickly- it works as much like caulk as it does glue- kinda like Gorilla Glue. The fact that the resin was never heated past 212F means it will not become nearly as brittle as stuff processed by heating with an open flame.

This can be saved for later use by dipping clean sticks into it multiple times- much like making a candle. These pitch sticks are then allowed to cool, and they can be carried for field repairs or other projects, like mounting stone blades or points, waterproofing containers, or even securing lashings. Portable and practical are good features!

[RangerRick]

While at Fort Bragg, I learned to get Pine Sap off your cars paint, use rubbing alcohol.
RangerRick

[Snow Walker]

It may not be medicine, but since we are talking about pine sap it also makes a very good glue.

Melt it down with crushed dry animal scat (I have used rabbit and deer droppings) and ashes. You have to play with the mixture to get the consistancy you want but it does work. Let what you don't use harden on a stick and pack it up to take with you.

[Oatmealer]

I posted one of these elsewhere on the forum already but I will add a couple of more today. The best pine to use is white pine due to the better taste when used in the
mouth.

1. Use a small ball of raw sap on a sore tooth to relieve the pain. Will also cure
halitosis.

2. Steep the green needles about 30 minutes for a vitamin C rich tea. If you put too
many needles in the water it will taste pretty bad. Also try to use the needles from
fir trees that have the shorter needles like the ones on a Christmas tree. These
have a better taste and have a higher vitamin C contact.

3. You can make a passable soap as well. Use any kind of fat(melted of course),
ashes, and pine sap(get it really soft). Mixture ratio is around 50% ashes, 30-35%
pine sap, and 15-20% fat. These percentages are approximate of course. It
depends upon the viscosity of the melted fat and sap, the type of ashes and
other variables. Experiment with your ingredients until you find the right ones
for what you have on hand.

4. The anti-bacterial properties are very good as well. You can use it after you soften
it as a salve to put on a cut.

5. I have been told that the sap from the needles is also good for chapped lips and
dry skin but I have never tried it.

I have tried each of of these things, with the exception of number 5, over the years so can vouch for the veracity of how well they work. I wouldn't want to use them all the time but would if I had to.

Look to the post elsewhere in the forum to find the uses others have posted for pine sap.

I made a tea from my Christmas tree this year, it actually has an almost hot lemonade type flavor. It was very satisfying alone, however I experimented a bit. I added honey and fresh ground black pepper to one batch and that one was my favorite. It had just the right amount of sweetness and honey flavor, and for some reason the ground black pepper complimented the lemon-type flavor. I was a very pleasent beverage. Cleaned out the sinuses to boot.

[PT945]

To go along with pine sap the easiest way to get it off of your hands or other things is with mayonaise.

Did not know that. Will have to test that out.

[ntwbn]

These are great ideas.

To go along with pine sap the easiest way to get it off of your hands or other things is with mayonaise.

[maric]

You can also eat the inner pine bark

http://www.ehow.com/how_5895597_prepare-pine-bark.html

Very cool link Hminus. I was a Blue Devil myself 3/504 pir. All the way. Sgt (Mr.) Maric

[hminus]

You can also eat the inner pine bark

http://www.ehow.com/how_5895597_prepare-pine-bark.html

[maric]

Thanks! Theres tons of pines around here! Ill have to try those!

[Oscar Wilde]

Appreciate the info CB ....

O.W.

[cbprice797]

I posted one of these elsewhere on the forum already but I will add a couple of more today. The best pine to use is white pine due to the better taste when used in the
mouth.

1. Use a small ball of raw sap on a sore tooth to relieve the pain. Will also cure
halitosis.

2. Steep the green needles about 30 minutes for a vitamin C rich tea. If you put too
many needles in the water it will taste pretty bad. Also try to use the needles from
fir trees that have the shorter needles like the ones on a Christmas tree. These
have a better taste and have a higher vitamin C contact.

3. You can make a passable soap as well. Use any kind of fat(melted of course),
ashes, and pine sap(get it really soft). Mixture ratio is around 50% ashes, 30-35%
pine sap, and 15-20% fat. These percentages are approximate of course. It
depends upon the viscosity of the melted fat and sap, the type of ashes and
other variables. Experiment with your ingredients until you find the right ones
for what you have on hand.

4. The anti-bacterial properties are very good as well. You can use it after you soften
it as a salve to put on a cut.

5. I have been told that the sap from the needles is also good for chapped lips and
dry skin but I have never tried it.

I have tried each of of these things, with the exception of number 5, over the years so can vouch for the veracity of how well they work. I wouldn't want to use them all the time but would if I had to.

Look to the post elsewhere in the forum to find the uses others have posted for pine sap.