The Resin for the Season

The first step I need to take (to make pine pitch) is collecting pine resin. This can be harvested from any pine tree where a branch was broken or bark has been scratched away. It builds up into big old crystals and sap. Sticky fingers woo!

Lucky for me i have a good leaky tree by my window!
I've collected about 2/3 of a soup can's worth so far. Attempting to use the wedge method for collecting more. I cut a triangle in the side of the tree and wedged a piece of wood below so that the sap builds up on the peg.





Step 2 will be determining what kind of filler i want to use for hardening it. The filler determines the flexibility or hardness of the pitch. First I will be trying Powdered stone as I -hope- to use it to repair my busted potter's wheel!

It begins...

I am on a mission to learn the basics of viking crafts from the lowest of low forms on up, much like the old days. Through trial and error maybe it will make something new and spiffy!

First mission is pottery and pitch! I started by making a hand powered wheel based off an ancient potter's wheel design.

I worked great! Until a tragic Drunken Pottery accident that broke the frame. Clearly I need heavier materials.

So now I must work with coil and pinch pot methods while glue dries on things.

The lamps are based on artifacts from or pre-dating the viking era. The vikings did not use glazes. So I am burnishing these guys inside and out.
Lamps in the old days were simple disposable light sources. often a simple unglazed saucer with a pinch at the end for the wick.

They are NOT oil lamps however! I will be using animal fat like the old days. I'm pretty sure if you used oil in these lamps they'd just explode lol.

The clay is from natural deposits found in a cliff face by the lake.


While I build additional wheels, I will be learning how to make pine pitch using shells to cook it down. If I do it right, I can repair my wheel with Pitch epoxy! That will show it.

To the river I go for stone to grind into powder!