On a couple of occations I've been so lucky to find sap in wounds of cherry trees. Last time I found several substantial, hardened lumps. They seem to
occur on all prunus species around here, tough very rarely and usually in small amounts. Those big lumps I found were black on the outside, but ember coloured
on the inside. It felt like rubber and the fresher pieces were very sticky, but with more integrity than pine or spruce pitch.
I tried heating these things up, thinking that they would make excellent glue. I found that heating cherry pitch will only make it brittle and not melt it like with spruce or pine pitch. However, a light boil makes it like jelly until it dries again. I used it to glue a biface into an antler handle and unlike spruce pitch, which I usually employ, it already feels like it's fused together. Almost like superglue. I think that the bond will furter strenghten over the next weeks as it dries out totally, so I'm going to leave it for a week or so before using it.
The disadvantage I see with this pitch over spruce pitch is that it is slightly water soluable, so I'll probably coat a layer of spruce pitch and fat over it.
I have never heard of cherry pitch being employed for anything before. But I assure you, it's well worth a try!
I tried heating these things up, thinking that they would make excellent glue. I found that heating cherry pitch will only make it brittle and not melt it like with spruce or pine pitch. However, a light boil makes it like jelly until it dries again. I used it to glue a biface into an antler handle and unlike spruce pitch, which I usually employ, it already feels like it's fused together. Almost like superglue. I think that the bond will furter strenghten over the next weeks as it dries out totally, so I'm going to leave it for a week or so before using it.
The disadvantage I see with this pitch over spruce pitch is that it is slightly water soluable, so I'll probably coat a layer of spruce pitch and fat over it.
I have never heard of cherry pitch being employed for anything before. But I assure you, it's well worth a try!
