Pine Tar as a finish

When I was a kid I used to watch my great grandfather make pine tar. He used this as a preservative on axe handles, canoe paddles, and snowshoes, Insect repellant,and soap. All of which he made himself. I am wondering if it was also used in gun making.

A knife maker friend from Argentina used a mixture of pine pitch and bee's wax as a finish for his knife handles. He claimed it was pretty tough stuff once dried..

Twice.

Coal tar is mentioned in Recreating the American Longrifle as being used as a stain. So maybe? :idunno:
Woody

Pine tar and then bees wax over it. 5-6 years ago Ron Elhert had a beaut of a Jaeger at Friendship that was finished this way. Of course all of Ron's work is awesome, but I thought this an unusual finish. The stock will be very blond colored as the pine tar doesn't put hardly any color into the wood. I didn't get a chance to talk to him about it, so don't know if it was real pine pitch or some store bought gunk they sell now for roofing repairs.

Keith Lisle

Gary Brumfield was explaining to me at the show in Williamsburg, VA last year about using tar for a stain but I don't remember him mentioning it as a finish. Hopefully he'll see this thread and fill in the gaps in my memory!

Interesting idea. I have no idea on the provenance, but can see the utility. My one concern would be hardening or coating it to keep it from getting tacky when warm. I hate the thought of leaving a great big patch of my beard stuck to the cheek piece on a hot day! :shocked2:

Idle speculation on my part, but I'd be very interested in hearing the results if you try it. Here on the coast, various tars were really common sealers and preservatives on ships.

it soaked into the wood. You wipe off the excess its not sticky.

I once made a finish of mixing Turpentine and beeswax. Made a double boiler, heated and mixed the two. I had to apply it while still warm and scrape and rub off the excess. I carried the gun for a year and sold it, no complaints about it. :hmm: I may have to do that again on a future build.

Not sure if you could use a straight pitch or if it would be better added with beeswax??

I was pondering that finish for my next build should there be one. I've done 20 or so pine tar finishes on Finnish rifles when I was collecting them. I used SWIX brand pine tar (ski shops or online). Strip the wood with citrus stripper, rub in the PT with the little brass brush or old toothbrush, let sit a day or two, use turp damp rag to remove excess, repeat as desired. When thoroughly dry, coat with 1/3 mix (turpentine, beeswax and linseed oil) and buff. NO original finish Finnish rifles were touched, only those Finnish rifles that had been altered by Bubba and his close cousin Goober. :thumbsup:

PS on the occaision you may aquire a finnish rifle and it has a campfire scent about it, guess what that is?

I use a mix of coal tar, pine tar, soot and raw linseed oil on all my guns. When I rub it into the wood it gives a medium dark golden-red glow. I do the final rubbings with teak oil and this gives a mirrorlike finish.

See the boat soup recipe here: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=173

The beeswax/turpentine blend makes an excellent wood finish. Buffed well, the wax polymerizes and makes a very tough and easily repaired finish.