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Pine pitch-HELP

G

Gretch Flo

Joined
Jun 9, 2004
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Location
Haslett, Michigan
Having computer problems and evidently this didn't get thru yesterday.
I got ahold of a large white pine burl (last fall it was over 300#) and they cut it down to managible size this spring and then I cut it up a couple of months ago. The cap made a nice green turned plate with minimal pitch problems except for sanding. It feels good. The next 4 pieces made a mess of the band saw (15 minutes to clean it up after each piece), and chips sticking to my shoes necessitating brush and awl treatment to the bottom of shoes anytime I wanted to leave the shop.
I rough turned 3-4 more pieces, and after alcohol treatment, returned one 11"x3" bowl. It turned ok, sanded with clogging, but looks nice.Alot of brown "pitchy" figure. It has been a week and it still feels gummy in spite of 2 applications of acetone. The turpentine smell is slowly abating.
Help!!! What to do? 😱 Gretch
 
Haven't turned any pine with a lot of pitch but I have sealed knots in cabinetry with shellac. maybe a thin coat of shellac will do it.
 
[font=&quot]Those pitch burls will keep percolating pitch, worse when they are exposed to heat. They and the stumps from the old white make good fire starting sticks, burn like a torch. John has a good idea with the shellac as that is what is done to seal the knots before painting to keep the knot from appearing through the finish.[/font]
 
I do a lot of bull pine limb burls and it is the same, use the lacquer one coat finish , set a while sand w/400 grt , coat , sit, sand, coat,sit. I usuall do this about oh 4to 6 or 7 times.....using poly wipe on or spray deft. first time I bake em at 200 degress 4 to 6 hrs , hurry up sand , bake, sand, bake,lot of work for pine, especally stuff still green. i have over 30 to process for gifts sooooo my electric bill will be high for a while.good luck. they make neat minature bells , boxes etc.
 
Gretch said:
I rough turned 3-4 more pieces, and after alcohol treatment, returned one 11"x3" bowl. It turned ok, sanded with clogging, but looks nice.Alot of brown "pitchy" figure. It has been a week and it still feels gummy in spite of 2 applications of acetone. The turpentine smell is slowly abating.
Help!!! What to do? 😱 Gretch
Click to expand...

Use mineral spirits to thin and disperse the pitch. Oil (WD40,Olive, Light Mineral)your bandsaw blade before and during use by rotating the blade backward and using a dampened rag or a brass flux brush for the burned stuff. Wipe your tools periodically while turning to avoid buildup and hardening on the heel of the bevel. Scars the surface when you lower the heel for the final peels, and really burns the turner.

Tradition "sets" the resin for a couple hours at 180 F, but smart uses shellac over even resin set wood. Shellac won't dissolve in turps or resin, though a good hot day can still push up enough to burst through a shellac seal. Acetone evaporates so fast it doesn't give you the pickup time you can get with mineral spirits. It is, however, miscible with water, which makes one wonder why the alkies don't use it instead of alcohol. If higher vapor presure solutes "dried" wood faster, acetone should do dandy.
 
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