Making Oil From Birch Bark
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- This is a description on how to make Birch Bark Oil from......Birch Bark. I show how to harvest the bark and how and what to do to make the oil. At the end is a few tips for uses of this remarkable natural oil.
The high oil content in birch bark is why it is used instead of tar paper even today. One interesting application is where masonry meets carpentry. Say where the stone walls of a cathedral marry with the timber roof trusses. A layer of bich bark is used there as an insulating interface. Or a traditionally built wooden bridge where the wooden beams meet the stone foundation. Even today when they renovate such structures they opt for birch bark intead of more modern alternatives. Amazing how our forefathers figured out that for this application you should use this but for that application use more favourably that. You are doing a wonderful job in keeping such traditions alive and even improving on them.
clean steel gallon cans with lids can be found at any automotive paint stores. in pints,quarts and gallon sizes with lids. clean steel with no liners
+Bradley Campbell That's a good tip. Thanks
very welcome. i appreciate your videos, you seem like a very laid back guy and i enjoy the way you share the knowledge.
Okay Son I'm on my way ?
Great video as always, what I like the most is that you show how to make stuff on ur own not just buy it prepared. This is what i called real bushcraft, not gearcraft like you can see in many others YT channels. Keep up great work, greetings from Poland
Lonnie, I realize this is an older video, but I just now was able to watch it. THANK YOU for demonstrating and teaching how to do this. We are covered by Birch here where I live, and the highway department just cuts them down and grinds them up. Plus, we have a lot of wind storms, and there are always tons and tons of blow downs. Getting bark will not be a problem. Now I have just learned me another useful skill. Thank you for doing these, I, for one, am eternally grateful to you and your lovely wife for all the work you have done to teach us.
I use my birch bark oil as an ingredient in my DIY leather dressing/preservative. I also use the oil as a protectant for my carbon steel knives. I also have heard that it is one ingredient among two that is used in Siberia for an insect repellent. I have tried it by itself and the mosquitoes here were not the least bit impressed. Good luck with your oil extraction if you try it.
If there are Birch trees in Juneau, I haven't found them and I've lived here for 20 years.
Hmmmm ..... So... Birch bark oil comes from birches ... Sunflower oil from sunflowers ... Olive oil from olives , etc... etc....
I just tried to find a video to learn how they make Baby oil , but couldn't find any... It's probably too gruesome I guess ... ;o)
Martin lololol, you are bad. :o)
Martin LOL I died reading that
+Dutch Prepper baby oil is made in china from the bad babies no one wants
+Christopher Sanch lol oh that is bad :o). Actually it is all too close to the truth. We have some neighbors who adopted a tiny little baby chinese girl. They went to China to get her. She is now graduated from High school and is going to college. Very pretty lady and very intelligent as well she's a very special person. They are killing babies there in China by the thousands.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival -- Coincidentally , just last month, China announced to phase out their "one child policy". Let's hope things will change over there.
good for skin conditions - excema, psoriasis ,lubricant, glue - thanks for the tips
This could be used to produce Pine tar (turpentine) also. the method has been used on a larger scale to produce the turpentine for use on ship hulls, fences and such. The byproduct is charcoal. If used on Bitch bark I guess you end up with some pretty useful tinder cloth like material.
Sounds interesting. Haven’t tried yet.
Great video. You have a way of teaching that is calm and patient. Cute pup too
Bridgette Brown Thank you Bridgette. Me and my "cute pup" enjoy sharing this stuff with you as well as others.
Thanks for this, Lonnie. Some time ago, I watched a video by RUclips's MCQBushcraft in which he explained that he carried rendered goose fat to protect his knives from rust, for leather preservative, etc. However, he's in the UK and doesn't have to worry much about scent or predators. Since then, I've wondered about a North American alternative, and here we have one!
Yes I use my birch bark oil for both of those uses that you mentioned. For a leather preservative however, I add the BB oil to Neets foot oil, beeswax and caribou tallow.
There isn't enough scent from the caribou tallow to attract animals? Also, I've heard of "fixin' wax," but I think your mixture sounds like it has different ingredients.
And while I (sort of) hate to add to what must be a growing list of future videos for you to do, maybe you could do one about your leather preservative? I did a quick search on your channel, but didn't find one. I'd love to learn more about how you do that--what kinds of leather you use it on, ratios of ingredients, how it's mixed, etc.
Keep up the awesome work, and Merry Christmas to you and Connie and that Big Black Bear of a dog of yours!
I first saw birch oil yesterday in a Russian documentary on siberian woodsmen/hunters. One guy uses it as mosquito repel and another made tar to cure his dug out canoe. Had to learn how to make!
Great video, funny, there I was on a prephappy site, watching videos on lamps, and number 7 was you!! After watching that, I followed the youtube link to find the how to on oil collection. Thank you sir...see you sunday and Merry Christmas if I miss you
I just wanted to know if you could use bark from dead trees.
And that information was the first I got.
Haha.
Nice.
Thanks.
technically the tree he used was fallen, not dead
Love your videos, love the beard and love Buck the dog! Keep putting this knowledge out there, I soak it up like a sponge!
Three things: It's funny what turns out to be of extreme interest to people in youtube videos--probably a little bit different for everyone, but for me it was you slicing/peeling off the birchbark from the log. I don't recall seeing a close-up specific demo/example of exactly how that is done. It also triggered a strong memory from my childhood of periodically receiving mail from relatives who lived in northern Minnesota that consisted of letters written on birch-bark. They would cut off a postcard-sized "page", write on it, stick a stamp on it, and mail it to us. Finally, your knife. This was a perfect example of potentially what kind of job a "survival" knife might be put to, and therefore what the characteristics of such a knife should be, so that it performs the task well without breaking, bending, or becoming damaged. There, I think that's 3 things. lol Thanks.
That's new to me, I have never heard of that, it's good to know.
I like your videos, I learn a lot of new things. I have always been a bit of a hunter, trapper and fisherman, but you need to have know how to survive. A lot of things I learn ( if I could remember them ) would save my life.
Watching videos like yours really open my eyes to danger and safety of nature. I often said I was born a hundred years to late, if I had been born in the early 1800 then I would be living this life every day.
Thanks for the full explanation on birch oil. I wasn't quite sure what it was. We don't have a lot of birch in Arizona and those are pretty much water birch, which may or may not produce a good oil. So I may have to buy the oil or find a substitute bark if one is available nearby. I'll see if any of the local tribes have bark related traditions.
Lonnie, what an excellent video. I see you and Buck and the end of the video and I miss him. I'm sure you do too. Take care my friend.
I was walking through the house this morning with the lights out and saw a dark lump on the floor and immediate thought it was Buck before remembering that he is no longer with us and has been gone quite a while now. Incidentally the lump was a duffel bag that was used on a trip we just came back from. For a split second I was reminded of our faithful companion of yesteryears.
Thank you for a great video 👍
Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪
I enjoy your videos, you talk just the right amount and are honest when things don't go to plan.I didn't know about birch oil. I suppose most cans are plastic lined nowadays?
birch oil and peanut butter sandwich. Tasty.
Amazing Lonnie. Thanks for sharing and teaching us.
I don't think I'll ever have a need to do that but it's good to have the knowledge ! and your videos are entertaining !
I use the oil to make my own leather preservative for my boots and gloves. I also use the oil for helping to keep my carbon steel knife blades from rusting.
Well, I just saw another video of yours and you demonstrated how to make a birch oil lamp. I guess you answered my question in another video. Thanks. I'm going to try that next time camping.
Been lookin for a how to "maintain knives in the bush video" guess this is the answer I have search for ...
Pretty good use of a empty Tin!
I'll make some of this oil.
Thanks for the info,
Clark
Man you have all kinds of tricks. Kind of reminds me of making char cloth. It's a shame you get so little for your effort but if you don't have anything else going on what the hell, sit back and relax, have some coffee and lunch, take a nap and before you know it old Jed's a millionaire. I've been checking out videos on tapping the birch trees which is how I came across this one. We don't have birch trees nearly that big here in NJ but I have a hunch where I can find a bunch of them so we'll see what happens. Video well done, have a good day. Mike
Awesome video pal I’ll be trying this on my Chanel, loads of birch in the uk where I live 👍👍
These are the vids i love to see from FRBAS. This method that you. have shown me i use quite often for the same purpose. My BK needs oil to stop from rusting. Great work lonnie.
In north Georgia, the old generation had specific rocks (really large) throughout the community with grooves. They filled big iron pots with pine, turned them upside down over the grooved stones and used clay to seal the edges. Fire was built over the pot and pitch would cook out, flow down the groove into buckets.
+Eric Hollifield I had not thought of using grooved rocks to direct the flow. Sounds like it would work great.
+Eric Hollifield I had not thought of using grooved rocks to direct the flow. Sounds like it would work great.
I like you showing how to make birch oil I will try this I live in Canada thank you
+Donnie McCarthy Good luck Donnie on making the bark oil. Hope it turns out well for you. I carry a tiny vile with me all the time to oil my carbon steel knife blade
Looks like a Boy Scout popcorn tin. Nice.
As usual , Great knowledge .. Thank You My Friend.
So basically your treating it like you make char cloth? Except the hole is on the bottom so it drains and you don’t want the gases to escape?? I learned something from this! Good video Lonnie I appreciate how you home make things and not buy. Without you that’s lost knowledge forever gone. The thing about knowledge is I can carry as heavy load as I want. It doesn’t weigh anything!
Yes your understanding of the video is correct.
Birch can be tinctured into a beautiful oil that’s really helpful topically for deep pain
"Tincture" is an alcohol extract. Alcohol extracts are not suitable for making an "oil" since they are water based. So I guess I am not understanding your statement but am very curious about it. Can you tell me how you go about making the "oil". Are you putting the bark into another oil such as olive oil to make an oil infusion? I have made muscle and joint salves for pain using herbals such as poplar leaf buds (balm of Giliad), willow bark and several herbs The combination seemed to be quite effective according to those who used it.
There was a show where someone used it as fuel for a torch. Worked pretty good.
Lucas de ridder How about my video called Primitive Birch Bark Oil Lamp
One of your older ones but very interesting. Like the idea of not using lined tins. God knows what's in that stuff!!! Always good vids Lonnie.
A J Taylor That oil is really pretty interesting stuff. The Siberians traditionally mixed it with fish oil to use as an insect repellent. I have tried it alone and it does not deter our vicious Alaskan mosquitoes at all. I use it in my leather dressing and also to coat my carbon steel knife blades to keep from rusting.
***** Lonnie if you get the chance watch a documentary (now on netflix and other places called Happy People a Year In the Taiga (www.imdb.com/title/tt1683876/ In this movie they make birch oil by the barrel!!! No guff, they pour it on everything including the dogs. It's a great watch and may even give you guys up in Alaska some ideas!!! Thanks my friend.
A J Taylor Yes I have seen that video before and really enjoyed it. There were several things in that video that I found very interesting for sure
Good vid Lonnie.
I lived in Willow for decades and would like to suggest you post a vid showing the folks how to use the inner red bark for tanning hides. We used to spend time tanning one moose hide a year, for the cabin, carpet using the red bark.
Have a cup of joe for me the next time your in Talkeetna / Willow.
I just happened to be through Willow very recently. But alas I did not have any cups of coffee. Sorry. :o) I personally do not have any experience with preserving leather with barks. Our cabin floor gets mighty chilly when the temps are in the negative range and a moose hide would definitely feel good then.
would a pressure cooker work? Also, the betulin that is an active ingredient in birch bark and Chaga, is being studied actively as a very powerful anti-cancer agent. How pure do you think is the oil that you have? I have cancer and so I am curious...
Such a great tip. I assume this method is also good for harvesting camphor oil. There are two huge camphor trees in my back yard. The twigs from fallen branches are extremely aromatic.
The method displayed here is extremely crude. The better way to extract medicinal plant oils is through using a distiller designed for essential oil distillation.
Would think it would be an excellent accelerant for making fire starters . Have to check our river birches down here and see if they work as well. Thanks
Yes the oil is flammable.
I love this!! thank you for sharing this with us. I have been infusing calendula for my eczema but I need to try this
Katie Kaos You are welcome Katie. I do not have eczema so don't personally know about this but have you considered or tried Colloidal silver? I have read that it may be helpful. Good luck with your quest for health.
Another good one. Thank you!
yes good video . your videos are the best . you know what your talking abount. and you put it over very good on the videos
Interesting video , thank you for taking the time to make it
Joey Diaz i
Hi! Good presentation! Thanks!
It is an excellent waterproofer for leather boots and axe handles.
I use the birch bark oil as one of several components in my home made leather dressing. I also use the BBO as a rust proofing for my edc carbon steel knives.
Interesting &vGreat video as always from you ..it`s good to know..Thx for sharing! Greeting from western Canada! :-)
Really appreciate your video, so many thanks to you for helping us retrieve old knowledge. Many thanks for your work and for teaching us a really useful skill. Is the wood preservative aspect from the oil stage or the tar stage?
The thinner oil will penetrate wood easier than thicker tar
never tried it before, nice lesson.Thanks
I would suggest redistilling it without burning wood under it. It can dissolve some carciongens from the sotting flame of the wood
First time seeing this video. it's an old one. I imagine one can harvest spruse pitch / pine resin the same kind of way? Just stuff the paint can with fatwood. You think this might work? Also. If you turn the can around and poke the hole in the lid of the can and have the bottom sticking up, I don't think you'll have the problem of the lid comming off.
Yes if your wood was fatwood rich in resin then this method would extract much of that.
7 years and still replying to comments incredible
I try to always answer all questions and welcome all folks who let me know that they are new to teh channel. I also like to "heart" all positive comments as a way to let folks know that I am reading each and every comment and appreciate them.
Muy bueno el vídeo
Really liked your video. Ive tried this process on my channel with 5 different variations.never with such good results. Sonce i represent the viking age with my crafts i do on my channel, birchtree tar is essential for many things. Happy new year
Just sent a link to your video who may be interested in making this oil. Thanks for sharing.
Very informative video.
You van prevent the lid from coming off by putting the hole in the lid and turn it upside down. You also don't want the fire to get too hot.
Very cool! Can't wait to try it....
it in its thick state was used on ship hulls
That is awesome! I wish i had birch in my area so i could try that out.
+EDC Adventures The oil is pretty useful stuff. I use it to keep my carbon steel knife blade from rusting and I also mix it with caribou tallow to use as a leather preservative and water resistance for my boots and gloves. In Siberiea it is supposedly used as a mosquito repellent when added to fish or other oil. I have used it straight and it did not deter the mosquitoes here in South Central Alaska. Perhaps if it was mixed with an oil it might work better.
Seems like it would be great to use on my Condor Basic Bushcraft. I had nt heard about the mosquito repellent. There is some plant we grow in our back yard that is supposed to be like a natural one. smells like the store bought repellent. No deet though.
Lonnie, I also went 2 hours on mine...way too long... it gets hard after it cools...more like 45 min to an hour max....it stays softer that way and is not brittle when it cools...
Your fire was evidently considerably hotter than the fires I use as my oil does not get hard or even very thick.
I agree...I have to cut back on my fire... thanks, Gary
Traditionally you can paint half-timbered, timbered wood wall constructions as a natural protection. It will do it job for decades!.
Björn Mundt That makes a lot of sense since the bark of the tree lasts much longer than the wood when a birch tree is laying on the ground. I also use the oil as a leather preservative when mixed with caribou tallow and neets foot oil
***** I live here in Germany and we have all over Europe many medieval houses with timber frame construction. The timber is open to the outside,every weather can hit it The timber is traditionally black/dark and the wood last very long.
One example: please search for pictures of the city of Wernigerode.
Björn Mundt Very beautiful city. Interesting
***** Have you seen the timber painted black? I'm sure it is a kind of the oil, you have made a video about.
Many Technics get lost when a craftsman/artisan dies, because they often never told secrets to the next generation. Sad.
Björn Mundt I agree, much basic technology has been lost with the passing of those who have gone before us.
I just always learn so much! Thanks!
Very nice work, Lonnie! I'm glad that you let us all know (@10:00 mins. into the video) down here in the lower 48 about Lowe's being a national chain in the US. And all! )We know the air quality is pretty bad down in the Lower 48. But heck, we didn't realize it was affecting our IQ that bad. The Lower 48 must be a reference to our intelligence level. I guess? Oh well, I want to convert my truck to bio-diesel now. And try running it with some that birch oil you're holding, in your hand. Seriously, God bless both you and Connie!, from the Lower 48! )
+Stephen O'Brien Up here we also at times refer to the "Lower 48" by the term "down in America". You have to admit that we are a bit set apart geographically from the rest of the other 48 states. :o) My referring to Lowes as a national chain was to give a bit of brief explanation to the international viewers. I have subscribers from over 150 different countries. May all you folks down there in America have a good week. :o) Take care and God bless.
I’ve done the same but my oil is very thick. Is that because of the heat of the fire ? Do you have an idea?
If your oil is thicker than normal then i would guess that you left yours in the fire for longer than needed. Next time maybe try ending the heat source sooner an see if that helps.
Far North Bushcraft And Survival how long would you recommend? I had it in about 2,5 hours
I burn my fires for no longer than two hours as I said in the video. That is plenty and I could probably get away with even less.
Wow, you Birch bark is pretty thick there. It is because of the colder climate. Here in south of UK it is less than half that thickness.
Lonnie, you tell us to use only dead birch tree's barks, but would a birch that has been dead for a year or longer work or does it must be freshly dead?
It depends on party on the weather there. How much hot sun, how much rain, etc. A birch that had only been dead for a year most likely will all have a lot of oil in the bark. If you will notice, when a birch dies, the bark lasts longer than the wood
Hi Lonnie. Thank you for this demonstration. I think it's pretty cool. It seems very similar to making charcloth except that with this the hole is in the bottom and with charcloth the hole is in the side, an you're capturing the stuff that comes out the hole instead of burning it off. Is what's left in the can good for anything?
I have another question, concerning chagga. I recently found some fungus on a couple of birch trees. One was very dark, hard, and it looked like the tree had been blasted. On the other, the fungus was rather large (about the size of the palm of your hand) to smallish, but they we're whitish (like button mushrooms). A friend of mine and I want to know if they're both chagga (or one, or none), what they're good for (other than starting a fire), and how to prepare it.
Thank you for any insight you can offer
I have several videos showing chaga in nature hopefully by watching them you will be able to see whether what you found is chaga or not.
Chaga - From Tree To Tea
ruclips.net/video/jnvWOUYm6dI/видео.html
Finding, preparing and using chaga for fire
ruclips.net/video/FieMPZqLjI4/видео.html
Identifying Natural Fire tinders
ruclips.net/video/9q3Awt1BYx0/видео.html
I don't remember but I think the portion of this video where I discuss chaga is near the latter half.
This should be taught in school
Definitely. In most schools you don't even learn how to survive in the current system (how to get a job, pay bills etc) and much less how to survive on your own in nature. We are lucky to have internet
We home schooled our 4 boys so many of our classes were done in the wild. I find it remarkable that most state govt oppose & even outlaw it, yet now with the China flu these same state schools are shutting down & leaving no other option.
Rick Marosi way to be ahead of the curve my friend. I have no kids but I’m gonna consider that. I already was considering it with the mass shootings but this is another reason to.
A paint can with a tiny hole at the bottom and a sealed lid would certainly “pop” with mildly explosive results. I speak from experience.
My experience has been different than yours. A paint can has proven excellent. I may have had several holes in the bottom though but don't recall now.
Awesome video
Bushcraft Heroes Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video.
I made my 1st batch and now all I need is a place to finish making more.
Smells like it burnt but it works.
Now all I need is to find out how I store it throw out the year's?
🦉
I still have some of this oil that I produced years ago in this video. I store it in glass jars and it is still perfectly fine. I use it both in my homemade leather dressing as well as use it as an anti-rust coating for my carbon steel knives that I carry.
Wonder how an old pressure cooker would work. Thanks for sharing.
I do not know. Might be worth a try. You are welcome and thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing... really interesting and useful info!!))
thank you so much for this tutorial!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you! Any recommendations for across fetching videos?
I'm sorry but I do not understand the question.
Thats something ive never tried but need to
Could this be used for oil lamps? I'm trying to find some alternatives I could make in the wild but so far my only option is fat, only problem with fat is it turns solid as it cools
This does "wick" but tends to burn dirty. See the video below for a bushcrafted lamp that I did.
Primitive Birch Bark Oil Lamp
ruclips.net/video/fbtMmDQBmTQ/видео.html
Hi Lonnie, another great video! Do you use white birch (paper birch) or yellow birch? I couldn't tell because of the snow. We've got both varieties here in Northern Ontario and I'd love to give this a try. Thanks!
Yes, we have the paper birch here.
Thanks Lonnie, You have very good , informative videos. Keep up the good works. Respect.......Seven Thunders///////
Really great video, thank you.
Thanks, but what can we do with that oil? Did not understand you since the airplane was flying while you talked.
I personally use the birch bark oil in my leather preservative as well as a carbon steel protectant to reduce chances of rust occurring on my carbon steel knife blades.
@@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival Thank you
Can the bark left over be used as punk wood is with flint and steel?
No. It seems like it should be good for flint and steel use but the pieces I have tried does not seem to be useful for that.
1st Ive seen of this and I'm always looking. good vid. kinda surprised it has so few views don't let it bother you and keep you from making more.. I sup because this vid was something different on you tube.
Would birch oil be good to waterproof leather, as in moccasins?
sweet little trick
always love your vids, and shared :-knowledge
Wonder if it would be good as a protectant for high carbon tools and knives to prevent rust?
Absolutely. That is what I use it for. I rub a drop on my high carbon steel Mora knife frequently. I also add it too my homemade leather treatment.
Would this oil have the birch scent? Could it be used for a birch scent in soap making? Or is there another process for that
Prepared this way, the oil does not have the aroma you are seeking. It smells strongly of smokey campfire.
I am wondering if you could fill a jar with small bits of bark and then cover the bark with a high alcohol content vodka and let sit for a couple months. Strain the bark out, return the alcohol to the bottle and then let sit in a freezer. Perhaps the oil might separate and thicken enough to separate from the alcohol somehow.
How is it for fire starting? I am guessing it would be great...
Yes it lights well.
Primitive Birch Bark Oil Lamp
ruclips.net/video/fbtMmDQBmTQ/видео.html
So what do you use the rest of the wood from the birch tree for? anything?
+Carson Fredrick Birch is the best wood we have in Alaska for firewood. It has the highest BTU's per cord than any other wood we have here. I understand that birsh has been used traditionally for making dog sleds but I have no first hand experience of that.
cant wait to try it!
Thank you for this amazing video. Can you re-use the cans? What is the percentage you can use it in skin care products?
+Agatha Cassidy Yes the cans can be re-used. This is an old video now. I now use a one gallon paint can that I bought empty new. The paint cans are much much more heavy duty and will last longer. The problem with paint cans though are that they are plastic lined. I had to burn the lining out before I could use it. Someone recently made a comment on this video informing my and others that you can get unlined one gallon paint cans from automotive paint stores. I have not followed that up to verify that or not. You can use the oil at any ratio. I have put it on an open wound on my skin straight without dilution. I have also attempted to smear it on straight on my face as an mosquito repellent that is supposedly used in Siberia. It did not work. lol It is used in a soap for it's benefits to the skin. I encourage you to do a web search for the key words (clinical trial "birch bark oil") or something similar to learn what it has been proven medically to do. It would be difficult to state a standard potency ratio for skin care products. You would just have to experiment to arrive at a ratio that is as low as you can go but still gives good dependable results. You may not be aware though that when the oil is prepared in this fasion it is VERY aromatic with a wood smoke smell. This aroma may not be the most appealing to folks in the cities in a public setting.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Thank you that is very helpful. I was wondering if there is another method of extraction that doesn't use such a high temperature.
Would you be able to do this with clay containers, like in a primitive survival situation or would they break under the heat?
***** Yes you could do this with clay vessels. I have dug natural native clay out of the ground and after drying, crumbling, sifting and rewetting it, I have then formed it into a vessel and fired the vessel under a campfire. If one carefully heats up the clay vessels slowly and evenly, they handle the heat and then should work to extract the birch bark oil
***** Good stuff. Thanks for answering :)
what did you put in the tin with the birch bark? Just water or are you basically turning it into charcoal or something?
I put nothing in the can other than birch bark. The process heats the bark hot enough that the oil is driven out of the bark and runs down the can and collects in the bottom of the bark can to drip through the hole in the bottom of the can into the collection can below.
You have to poke a hole in the top of the can so then the gases can escape without pushing the lid of.
I want the gas as well as the oil to escape out the bottom and not the top so that perhaps more distillates may condense and collect in the bottom reservoir rather than escape out into the outside air.
there is a fragrance called Aventus by Creed ingredient is birch. You mentioned "you don't want to put this on your skin." Is the fragrance made by using this oil?
I have no idea what is in the fragrance you mention. The fragrance that is emitted from this is very "smokey". It smells like a smokey fire. I have put this on my skin as an attempt at a mosquito repellent and also as a wound healer & wound pain reducer. It is considered safe to apply to skin.
Thanks for the answer. I am very satisfied with the way you answer me. Keep up the good works!
I don't intend on taking it internally, but is it food safe as a finish like linseed oil or walnut? In case I wanted to use it on wooden bowls or such. Does it cure or polymerize over time?
My guess is that it is food safe but I do not know that for sure. I do know that the bark can be used for making tea so the natural assumption would be that the oil from the bark should be edible as well. The thing about the oil that might cause some concern though might be that it could be *MUCH* more concentrated than using just the plain bark for a tea. There could be concentrations of chemicals that would place it in a more toxic level. I just do not know. I would think it would be an excellent wood preservative and if I am not mistaken I think that it was used for such in some locations. I do know that it was used for a leather dressing/ preservative. I myself use it for that in a mixture along with several other ingredients. The oil can be boiled on down and is used as an adhesive so I am guessing that it would cure to a dryer type finish on wood. It is VERY dark in color however and would definitely affect the color of the project you are using it on.
Does anyone know if this would be a good way to create the oil to use in a beard oil?