I think one of the Foxfire books has an article on making pitch...
From what I can remember they took a good amount of "fat pine" thats pine that contains alot of sap.
Here in Tennessee it would be yellow pine.
Split it into slivers and kindling sized sticks. They then took a large rock and carved a trough into it for the pitch to run down. The slivers were jammed into a large cast iron pot...I would think a capped off piece of well casing would work if it were large enough.
Turned the whole mess upside down. Sealed off the pot with mud except for the trough. They placed a catch pan below the rock and let the sap run into it.
I am assuming this would be done in the heat of summer or with the aid of some sort of, heat a small fire somewhere on the rock but not directly in contact with the pot ...
Thats the way large ammounts of pitch was rendered.
After its collected it still needs to be cleaned...
This would mean heating it to get the ash, dirt, critters, or what have you that has collected in the sap.
I belive the artical said something to the effect of skimming it while it was hot...Because the stuff would come to the top. Sometimes this stuff escapes me. I have forgotten more than I think I'll ever remember.
***THIS STUFF IS HORRIBLE WHEN HOT... USE CAUTION***
Its like natural napalm....
Small ammounts of pitch can be collected nearly the same way you would collect maple syrup.
When you cut the tree sap will form to seal the wound...
The hardened sap over a pine tree is pitch.
collect it in a can or something and heat it...
When it cools roll it into a ball...
Native Americans would dust it lightly with white ash from the fire to keep it from being so sticky. This was done for storage.
Hope I could be of some use...
Most of my information was obtained from FOXFIRE, and a book on primative skills called WOODSMOKE
Hawk

Leave it up to me to write an essay. LOL
I didnt know you could buy the stuff
Hawk

Pine resin is easily collected and manipulated.  Basically, it is the result of the tree trying to heal itself (so some native American tribes would hit pines with large batons to encourage the overproduction of resin).  You can collect it either from under the bark of the tree, or in dried form, on the outside.  You just chip a bit off, put it on a flat section of a wide stick niear a fire, and let it melt.  Then add either wood ash or beeswax, to plasticise it.  Otherwise the resin is too brittle for most purposes.  Make sure, when heating the resin and adding the ash, that the parts you want to glue are nearby and ready to assemble, because otherwise you would have to heat the resin again, and that can spoil it.
  Basically this is a summary of what other people have said - it is very easy, natural glue.  I use it for a lot of things, because I can't use hide glue or others like it.

I've heard a lot about pitch being used for burning-arrow attacks.   Also for dropping from castle-walls.   

Except.... they would stick to the pouch.  Not good.  A burning, sticky ball in your sling.  Could ruin your day.

That stuff is sticky...when burning it will stick.
Ever heard of pine tar ???
They used pitch to seal boats too. Saw on Mythbusters where they used flax fibers and pitch to seal a primative boat.
Versitile stuff.
Btw anybody ever hear of an exploding pine cone ???
Saw somewhere that they will explode when covered in pitch and put in a fire.
Hawk

hmm now wouldent the force of the throw rip the pitch right out of the sling any way? shure there would be some left over but leather does not burn that easey and i guess i would have that bucket handy.

good thing slings are cheap and easy to make. who cares if it burns up. just get it off you finger first then stop caring.