Pine Tar + Water Discount = ?

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If you thing x = a good idea, you have an F!

So, today I made another Pine Tar. This time I thought I'd go with 15% PT but, to counteract the softness, I'll reduce the water.

What a Pine Tar and water discount actually equals is pain and mess and hardship. This thing literally went from trace to solid in no time at all. I had to cut chunks out from the bucket like it's a butter - pouring in to the mould was just a dream.

My main worry is that the lye water didn't disperse well enough. It most likely did, but when it goes solid so quickly it's a little bit freaky.

Moral of the story? Just say no to water discounts with Pine Tar!
 
What was your lye solution %, Gent? I normally use a 33% lye solution -- "full water" is about 28% lye solution. I blend my soft oils and the PT in one bowl. I mix my hard oils and room temperature lye in a second bowl. When the mix in the second bowl is reliably emulsified, I then add the soft oils and PT mixture and hand stir the mess together. I get a good mix that way. After the PT hits the lye, I sometimes get 5 minutes, but usually more like 30-60 seconds. It can be tricky, but I'm not sure a "full water" lye solution would really change that much.

I'm sad to hear about your troubles....
 
It was low - 2:1, max.

I melted my oils in a pan, apart from the PT which was just sitting in my big mixing bucket. Mixed the lye and left it all to cool down. Oils in to the PT and mixed, then lye in to the mix and mixed some more.

I always get scared and use my SB, which just makes it worse
 
I'm not home but think I mixed my oils and lye and than pin tar. Hand mixing or bumps of stick blender.
 
"...I always get scared and use my SB, which just makes it worse ..."

Naughty, naughty boy! ;-)

Although I'm the pot calling the kettle black.

Even though I don't SB after the lye meets the PT, I can't resist one last stir 'round with the spatula. That gets me in trouble every time. Once I THINK the batter is thickening, that IS the TIME to POUR. Immediately. No "one more stir just in case". Grrrrr. :lolno:
 
009-pine-tar-2-lr.jpg


Here it is - the darkness itself! Those spikey bits and the holes in the middle are where I was putting something more solid than play-doh in to my moulds!
 
Many of you make pine tar soap; other than acne what else is it good for? Once it cures is it a firm bar? Or does it get mushy?
 
I busted out laughing when I saw those bars. The tops are hilarious! They look very sci-fi or maybe medieval, or maybe both. I think you could shave with a few of those edges.

What brand of PT did you use? I use Bickmore at 15% and mine are not this dark. Mine are more chocolate colored but I really like the dark dark brown you got. Mine gelled as well. I'm jealous.

I hope you don't mind that I laughed at your unintended fancy tops. I really do like them but I can't say I would want to scrub with them.
 
No, I am not offended in the slightest - I posted that one on purpose, just to show what I had to go through. When I moulded up, it was like firm butter - could spoon it out of the bucket, but in chunks!

I use an English brand of Stockholm Pine Tar - Gold Label it's called. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CF09YOG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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