Nice test! It's not very common to use 100% beeswax for waterproofing because it can be very stiff. Most recipes use 10% beeswax and 90% paraffin wax. I personally prefer around 20% beeswax, 70% paraffin wax and 10% vaseline (this is really just a mix of mineral oil and paraffin wax but cheaper and easier to get in the UK than pure mineral oil). The mineral oil component really helps to soften the final mix once cooled. Also worth noting that the ratio may change depending on climate - in very cold climates the wax will be firmer so you may need to increase the percentage of oil.
Thank you. If you liked this, I can also recommend the follow-up video Experimenting with Oilskin, where I try out more mixtures. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AhoBblWk-H0.html
It is often suggested first washing the cloth in hot water, allow to dry. This will cause the hot wet fabric to swell closing gaps in the weave. When it is dry it will have a tighter weave helping with water proofing of choice. Using wax may not be a good choice, one reason is when cold it will crack and sluff off exposing the cloth. For that reason they originally used whale/fish oil and linseed oil on the cloth, as in the name Oilcloth or Oilskin. Yes, one can use wax such as paraffin, however it should always be melted into the fabric, still when cool or cold waxed cotton is more stiff than Oilcloth and Oilskin, and less breathable.
Lanolin is a good natural choice for wool as, I'm guessing you know, it is a byproduct from wool fleeces and certainly helps sheep keep dry and a shearers hand soft as a baby's bum. I had a woolly hat that was lanolin treated and it stayed waterproof for years... till I lost it on a boozy day trip to Blackpool. Guessing here, but an occasional wipe over with lanolin and putting in the airing cupboard for a few days and the lanolin should just soak in and keep it good.
That’s actually what moms do with wool diaper overpants… it’s a simple system‘ you take some soaking material like cotton on the baby’s butt so it soaked up the pee and over that you place a knitted or woven diaper of wool to prevent anything from soaking through… this wooldiaper has to be resoaked with a bit of the wool grease lanolin mixed with water and a detergent…. What the lanolin does is simple, it gives the woolfiber the natural grease back that it would get from the sheeps skin and that helps for water to repell easier without loosing its ability to hold water without feeling wet. I want to make some tests on a wool Anorakfabric to apply lanolin only from the outside somehow….
That is the content of this very video. Summary: If you add any wax, it becomes solid when cold. Alcohol can be used as thinner, so you put less wax/oil mixture into the fabric. But when combined with heat, alcohol is not necessary otherwise.
@@larpwright I think this person is suggesting mixing oil together with wax to give a more pliable final product. I've not tried it personally but I know a lot of people find it works well. Although I've also heard that over long periods linseed oil can cause the fibres in the fabric to break down.
