[David R]

Hi all, thanks for all the answers and advice, I confess a certain suprise at how many people have noticed my post.
I am holding the epoxy route in reserve , I know it works and is a relatively simple solution to the problem, and so is there as plan B. The reasons I am playing around with the traditional resins are, it is fun, it is practical research on how this was done in the past, it is reversable, it is how this was done on this weapon originaly.
I am sorry that my own experience so far has put someone off going this route themselves. Bear in mind, I have not been put off further attempts ...yet. But perhaps there is a lesson here that this sort of thing is not as easy as it often seems to be.
Next step is to see if I can "rescue" the second batch, I am thinking of using real turpentine to dissolve the blackened mess and see if I can recover something usefull. This weekend I will be off round Leeds hunting up some shellac and/or rosin. Alas, Pete the Pong no longer deals much with the incense and resins and so cannoy get me the lac.
I will keep posting my results, including my fails, for the entertainment and information of all here.