sails in the 17th and 18th century were treated much the same way so that they would "hold the wind". I also remember that a 50/50 mixture paraffin (Gulf Paraffin that our mothers would seal up jelly and jam with) and Bees Wax was some times added to the mineral sprites and boiled linseed oil. This was then heated to the melting point of the waxes. since this combination is highly flammable its best to do outdoors and away from any structure. Also its best done in very warm weather, where the sun will help "cure" and dry the wax. I don't remember the exact formula sorry
Been looking at doing this as a project. You actually answered one of the main issues I was having...finding a 10x10 canvas painters tarp. Thanks brother and keep up the great work.
Mate a big thanks for going to all that trouble to actually show us how it's done step by step. I'm looking at a tarp for camping and I'm thinking that an oil skin would be a good idea. Thanks to you I can have a crack at doing one for myself. Take care.
The old classic coalcracker , sweet ! You have came a long way in a short time . Love your videos, new and old . Thanks for the videos ,you give so much good info . Love to watch and like always, can’t wait for the next videos . Good job coalcracker!
I’ve been wanting a good oilskin tarp for awhile. So, I started researching how to make one myself. Anyplace that sells them tend to price them ridiculously high. I found several people teaching methods for making oilskin tarps, but your the only one I’ve come across suggesting the addition of iron oxide. Not only does it fill in the gaps, but dyes it, too......bonus! Fantastic method. 👍
Doesn't need to be iron oxide, any earth pigment will do just fine. The cheapest way to get it is from places selling material, molds etc to concrete ornament or slab makers. It is way cheaper than paint or art stores and comes in many colors that you can mix and match to get the color you want. If you work in patches you could do a pretty effective camo pattern
Thank you for sharing this recipe and technique! I'll be using this a lot. It rains a LOT here in the Olympic Peninsula area, and nothing is waterproof! But water repellent is another story.
It was 7.5lbs before I painted it. I just weighed it and it's 21lbs. Heavy for sure. I wouldn't carry this on a scout or if I did it would be the shelter for at least 2-3 guys. More of a base camp type setup for sure.
That seems odd when the total weight of all ingredients and tarp is less than that. 7.5 tarp +5 oxide leaving 9lbs for mineral spirits and linseed oil.
Hey Dan, and friends! I recently started an oilcloth tarp and learned some good points. This can get pretty expensive pretty fast... I decided to go with a 10oz. 12x15 painters drop cloth as the base. Mostly to have extra fabric for future projects. I am now finished with one side of the tarp and used 1 gallon of boiled linseed oil, 1 gallon of mineral spirits, and 5 pounds of iron oxide. It has gotten pretty expensive at this point, but I have to see this money pit- I mean, project, through! At one point in the video, Dan talks about how he's not sure if it's a good idea to leave it out in the rain while it is still curing... DO NOT leave it out! Ended up having to re-paint a section because all of the linseed oil washed out! Good luck! It's a beautiful tarp that I hope will last a very long time
That's strange. I recently painted two rags, one with pure (un boiled) linseed oil, one with a linseed-beeswax mixture. Both were subjected to pretty heavy rain while hanging out to dry and they haven't washed out at all.
Thank you for this excellent video. It is highly educational. Great information and instruction! This is the first time I have heard about the iron oxide. I need to do this. Again, Thank you for this video.
If you stretch the tarp out on a frame, before 'painting' it with your mixture, it will make it easier to lay it on the canvas, and once done, leave it to dry. Some stretch their canvas tarp out on a wooden fence, and yes, better done in temperatures over 50 F. Be advised that oilcloth is extremely flammable, so keep it AWAY from your campfires.
An 8 x4 plywood board with a plastic sheet cover on it would make the job way easier. You have a good solid backing and you can really scrub it in well with a fairly stiff brush. I used to do this on wax tarps and it really pays to keep the wax hot, preheat the cloth scrub it in and finish off by burnishing in any surface wax as it cools using a pad of leather or canvas. I would think the same principles might work well for oil finishes too.
What you need to add is three tubes of cheep silicone tubes to make it last forever for ten bucks more !!! Another great video for the tool box !!! You could drop the rust iron ore and add the three tubes of clear silicone instead to keep it at 30 bucks ! Try it it works on umbrella tents jean coats and they are then waterproof too !!!
Hey man loved the vid, instructional and informal, great tarp, might have to try this DIY project, especially here in the north island of New Zealand, we get alot of torrential downpours in the bush and i was looking for a DIY Oilskin tarp project because it would cost me too much to import one from the states or canada. Thanks again mate.
I use cotton bed sheets. Much lighter and still work. I’ve never had water soak through but I’ve had pools of water for extended times with no seepage.
I'm wondering about polyester as a lightweight option for long backpacking. Cotton is generally bad news for the weight and other reasons. I know that tent material is typically nylon, but that has drawbacks which I personally dislike (does not accommodate repairs well, degrades when exposed to sunshine, highly flamable). High tech fabrics are super expensive and also have a few similar defects as nylon. I know that polyester is neither super durable nor naturally very water repellant, but it is affordable, strong enough and it can be repaired with basic hand sewing, sew in a pinch (ha ha) it can be useful even after a wind/storm/accident starts to shred one's shelter. Complete watertightness is not a top priority for me, as it falls well below things like versatility.
@@hjjhm3140 I used a king and a queen. The queen is just enough for one person taco style or a plow shelter. They can also be used to wrap your gear and tie to a pack frame. More than one use.
Just wondering? I’m new to bush craft. Could you not mix up the linseed oil/mineral oil/rust solution in a 5 gallon bucket, and dunk the whole entire tarp in there making sure that all the surfaces get the solution on there and then hang it up to dry. Or is painting it on the best way? Your oil skin and tarp look fantastic by the way.
Both methods work well, do whichever is preferable for you. Painting avoids too much contact with the mixture and means its already hung up for drying, but doing it in the bucket is more space efficient and doesn't require ruining a brush.
dunking is easier for a lot of projects; coats, hats, tents, bags, etc.-things that have lots of sewing or overlapping, strange shapes, or just too big to feasibly paint. dunk, wring, hang- but the the cure time can be substantial comparatively.
I did the dunking thing and first of all it seems to take far to much liquid and parts are just oversaturated. I did a cap and a shirt in this manner. The cap turned out finde but the shirt is a bit stiff in places. I would not do it on stuff that you want to move in a lot but i guess tarps, ponchos and hats is fine.
Why not just use oil paint? The recipe is very similar to any type of oil paint you can just change the color of the pigment. For what it is worth I have experimented with a painters tarp and painted it with white latex primer. Latex being a type of rubber. I let it dry, It dried in one day and it has stayed water proof after nine days of constant rain. It does seem to deteriorate the cloth, it's cheap, if not free, not flammable, no oily smell , rags or feel. Seems to work very well so far . Thoughts?
thanks for the tip about strong alcohol in lieu of mineral spirits - I wonder what proof booze I'd need I want to to know how you did your stitching and reinforcements. I see you folded your loops on themself and them sewed both sides to the bottom of the tarp. I wonder how you patched reinforcement on the tie-outs and around the perimeter of the tarp or if you sewed on some material around the perimeter hem. . Im making a bedsheet tarp and using light polyester webbing around the perimeter and reinforcing with spare bedsheet material. I am mixing beeswax with paraffin 50/50, and melting it in with the linseed oil and thinner. Hopefully it wont be too firm or heavy.
Found this in the Coalcracker vault. Great instructional video! Going to give this a try at the end of the month. How did you do the tie outs in the middle of the tarp?
Fellow Pennsylvanian here, enjoying your channel quite a bit. A friend and I are interested in taking a course. Also, that hat is badass. Did you make it yourself? If not, may I ask where you got it?
Got a 9x12 drop cloth have already used up all my iron oxide(5lbs) and I’m not quite 3/4 way done with one side. Hopefully if I buy more my tarp will be useful and not drip water everywhere. Have already dropped about $75 on this project, hoping for the best
Oilcloth and Painted Accouterments by Jack Cox “Painting” was a 1800’s method of waterproofing cloth for such items as knapsacks, haversacks, belts, cartridge boxes and ground cloths. Properly done, the fabric does become very waterproof, but retains its flexibility. There are many different recipes for both "period accurate" oilcloth and for a modern version that looks the same, but without some of the problems of the 1850's recipe. The paint is generally applied over cotton drill or linen canvas. The instructions below discuss the making of ground cloths, but the same procedure applies to all painted goods. Modern Recipe: While this recipe is obviously not authentic, it produces the same look and feel as the original methods. The final product looks, feels and wears as close to the original as most of us can approximate today. However, you need to make a decision as to whether you want to "fake it" with a modern approximation when a good period recipe is available. Materials: Method: Wallpaper sizing. Get it pre-mixed and ready to use. Flat black or semi-gloss interior latex paint *** Boiled linseed oil Mineral spirits paint thinner Japan dryer (All of these materials are available at any good paint store) 1. Using a roller, paint both sides of the cloth with the wallpaper sizing and let it dry. It should take an hour or less. The sizing will prevent the paint from soaking the cloth, and it will give it some "tooth" for paint adhesion. 2. Using a roller, paint one side of the cloth with the black latex paint. Let it dry overnight. 3. Mix 2 parts of mineral spirits with 1 part boiled linseed oil. Add Japan dryer. Use 1 oz. (2 tablespoons) per pint of paint. 4. With a brush, paint the sized side of the cloth with the linseed oil mix. Let it dry. This may take several days, depending on temperature and humidity. It's NOT wise to let it dry in the house. 5. Paint on two additional coats of the linseed oil mix. Let it dry between coats. *** There is a variation of this recipe that works very well also. Instead of using plain latex paint, mix 2 parts of latex paint with one part of boiled linseed oil. Stir it thoroughly, then follow the instructions above.
I did this with a painters drop cloth as well. I used too light of a canvas though, so when I was done there were little pin holes all over the place. And it's still real heavy. I was pretty pissed cause I spent a lot of time sewing in proper reinforced tie outs, and it's basically useless. Oh well, live and learn.
Howdy partner. Is there any reason why that canvas can't be soaked in a 5-gallon bucket versus painting it on? Wouldnt soaking the canvas thoroughly in a 5-gallon bucket thoroughly penetrate the fibers versus painting it on? I reckon the only downfall is more dry time but I would think one would achieve a higher penetration rate which would therefore make a more waterproof tarp? Thank you for the excellent video sir
How about using a 5 gallon bucket and dumping the whole tarp in and using a plunger to mix it all up? Or dipping half and then half and hang up to dry on a ridge line? Appreciate your information
Hello Dan. Great work, keep it up!! I'm going to start oilskin tarp project (two of them) with some heavy duty cotton canvas I bought. Much discussions on some channels on sudden ignition and burning alive. Ohhh my! You have not mentioned anything about it? Was wonder if it only ignites/burns from a rag or can a paint brush or any other items that have been in contact with the linseed suddenly ignite? Would hate to see my entire cotton canvas (9' x 12') burst into flames while drying in the sun on my deck or fence. New to linseed oil, so kind of scary!! Thanks for any information.
Alcohol will evaporate , boiled linseed oil would withstand higher temperature point before igniting than pure linseed . Dan might back me up on this assumption and believe this recipe is safe according to how close the camp fire flame and size is set to the tarp setups.
Is there any disadvantage to tying out the 4 corners, and paint it like with a roller, like you would paint a wall? May be alot quicker, and much easier.
Tru dat brother you have put out some great content since 2015 . I have a heavy painters tarp that I want to do this to . Thanks Ill give it a try . Is it a once and done thing or do you need to retreat every third year or so ?
I was wondering two things: How do you wash it first? Will a washing machine be able to hold fabrics that big, or do you wash it in like a bathtub? And, does the iron oxide come off and stain other things? In other words, if you bridged ups against it in a white shirt, does the brown stain the shirt? Will it make your knife rust if you had them both in a pack? Thanks!
I just jammed it in a washing machine lol. The iron oxide does set up but after time I had some of it start to run off especially when the Tarp was in the rain for days . Hope that helps
Natural materials like cotton will rot and break after one season. The threading is most likely polyester or nylon. Nylon will stretch a little, which can be useful with stretchy fabrics. Polyester will not stretch. I use polyester, outdoor, heavy duty thread for my bedsheet tarps and gear. An even better idea is fishing line or dental floss - much tougher
Your tarp turned out great. The color looks really good. I have done linseed oil and mineral spirits before but I left out the iron oxide. I think I will definitely try again with that ingredient. Any place best for ordering that?
@@PlayaSinNombre While true indeed, I don't think it's as vulnerable to fire as a typical nylon tent. It wont melt. One way to think of it is cooking oil which we use all the time right next to an open flame on gas kitchen stoves, but if the temperature gets too high (direct flame on you french fry) then it begins to burn, but you can put it out. With nylon gear (tents, raingear, etc.) Even a few sparks from the fire will put holes in your stuff or worse.
I've been looking for a good stainless steel canteen/water bottle that I can use for boiling water. Everything I see these days is double walled insulated that can't be heated over fire. What system do you use?
I made a cowboy bedroll out of painters tarps want to water proof it but heard using linseed oil and turpintine will break down the tarp anyone hear or know for sure?
Looked arround for cotton drop cloths, various weights as low as 6oz to 12oz Would 6 oz be fuctional as well as light weight? Wondering what advise you might have. Awesome video, by the way.
+calgary nanach The minimum canvas weight I've seen recommended for oilcloth aka oilskin is the 10 oz. size, due to the more open weave of the smaller ounce sizes. I've washed/dried mine & just need the dye. Am thinking of the liquid charcoal color, item # 18759 @ Lowe's. Will that fill in the remaining holes as the iron oxide supposedly does?
I've seen other methods that don't use the iron oxide where the cloth is submerged into the solution and worked until thoroughly saturated. That method also works with oilcloth recipes using waxes (2 parts paraffin/beeswax, 1 part linseed oil, 1 part mineral spirits), but either way (wax/no wax) this method will take longer to dry/cure. If using a wax recipe, you'll also need to heat the dried/cured cloth with an iron, blowdryer, or heat gun to evenly disperse the wax and allow it to completely permeate the fibers, then hang the cloth to dry and cure again.
Would it not be easier to have a big tub and mix it all up at once, and then dunk/soak the fabric it in the tub? You will get every knook and Granny 😂 That saves time and gets it done as good/or better as painting it on?
No need as it’s already waterproof; adding wax is just adding weight. That said there’re other oilskin recipes which I’ve heard of that use melted wax as an ingredient.
Why paint it on? Why not just mix it in a pail and put the fabric in it. With rubber gloves on you can make sure it's saturated. Ring it out gently and this will force it into the weave. Then hang to let it cure and dry and turn it every hour or so as well.
Hey man, I’ve got all the ingredients, 1 gallon of each and 5 lbs of magic dust 😉, do you think I could submerge my cloth in the solution, mix it well, then hang it ? Thanks for this great recipe and awesome channel! Great place to learn all things outdoors ❤️
Great video. I made a tarp out of quality pond łiner. Fitted some eyelets big and heavy. It will last 25 years and is completely wind and water proof. Being rubber it flexes. No need for bungees. Bulky heavy but genius !
