Cherry Gum - the tree sap kind
Anyone pruning a cherry, plum or apricot tree this spring?
I need some of the gum that would exude eventually after you cut into your tree.
Cut down to the cambium layer, not too far. It's a white, soft-looking layer. Depending on the time of year, you'll see sap withing a month. Branches pruned near the main trunk will yield a lot of sap. It flows at a glacial pace and forms tears. scrape those and put then with a small amount of distilled water. When you have a sufficient quantity, warm the liquid slightly, allow the foreign matter to separate, pour it through a filter paper and Voila! you have cherry gum. For long storage, allow it to dry and reconstitute it with water. (from the Cennini forum)
Why do I need this type of gum over the more available kinds? Well according to my research (that site is from an Estonian university and shows you the IR spectra of cherry gum... nifty):
Cherry Gum is from the cherry, mahaleb-cherry, apricot and plum trees. It swells in water. Cherry Gum may be emulsified with fatty oils and balsams. It gives great transparency to color. When added to an egg or casein emulsion, it gives a brilliant, enamel-like effect. It is mentioned as a painting medium in some treatises, particularly of northern origin and probably had occasional use as late as the XIX century.
I want it to make fake amber. How much of it do I need? Well as much as possible. And of course, I will find a way to compensate you for your trouble.
I need some of the gum that would exude eventually after you cut into your tree.
Cut down to the cambium layer, not too far. It's a white, soft-looking layer. Depending on the time of year, you'll see sap withing a month. Branches pruned near the main trunk will yield a lot of sap. It flows at a glacial pace and forms tears. scrape those and put then with a small amount of distilled water. When you have a sufficient quantity, warm the liquid slightly, allow the foreign matter to separate, pour it through a filter paper and Voila! you have cherry gum. For long storage, allow it to dry and reconstitute it with water. (from the Cennini forum)
Why do I need this type of gum over the more available kinds? Well according to my research (that site is from an Estonian university and shows you the IR spectra of cherry gum... nifty):
Cherry Gum is from the cherry, mahaleb-cherry, apricot and plum trees. It swells in water. Cherry Gum may be emulsified with fatty oils and balsams. It gives great transparency to color. When added to an egg or casein emulsion, it gives a brilliant, enamel-like effect. It is mentioned as a painting medium in some treatises, particularly of northern origin and probably had occasional use as late as the XIX century.
I want it to make fake amber. How much of it do I need? Well as much as possible. And of course, I will find a way to compensate you for your trouble.