PINE TAR

[steadybrook]

Anybody got any good suggestions for using pintar around wooden boats?

[Ian McColgin]

I've used if for slushing a solid (as in a trimmed tree) mast both to protect the wood (varnish can't take the abuse) and keep the hoops moving.

Also if you've galvi rigging that you've already (or will soon) worm, parcel and serve full length, regular slushing with turps-old varnish-pine tar mix is a good thing.

Also good for mixing with a touch of camphor and spattering discretely on some clothing so you get that old salt smell to go with the cute cap and pipe before hitting the bars . . .

[Dave Hadfield]

I use it most often as a screw lubricant -- it's very good for this purpose.

It also is used in making a "boat sauce", of linseed oil, pine tar, turpentine and japan drier for treating raw wood that you don't want a more elaborate finish on. It's also good on natural-fiber ropes, once a year or so.

If you use rope-strapped, wooden blocks, it's an easy way to recondition them in the off-season -- you just drop the block and strap and sheave in a bucket of the stuff, let it soak for a week, then scrub the exposed wood portions with a nylon pad and hang it all up to dry.

Tarred nylon (bought at commercial fishing supply places like "Redden Net and Twine" in Vancouver) is very useful for seizings and whippings. It comes in many different grades -- all useful. The tar tends to disappear after a year or so, exposing the white nylon cord, and if you don't want to re-do the siezing, you can certainly re-tar it (though it takes a few days of sunlight to skin-over).

[Dave Hadfield]

Oh! I see Ian beat me to it.

He's right, it smells neat.

But your moniker refers to a saddlery: pine tar sold for equine use usually has medications and other oils added in, right? It smells different, that's for sure.

The wood probably doesn't mind....

[TimothyB]

American Rope And Tar (http://www.tarsmell.com/) has pine tar and a few other goodies that you might need.

--T