Waterproofing Canvas

[Chaffa Hosa]

I am working on getting some simple gear together to made the fall rondy my new club puts on.
I bought two 6'x9' 10 ounce canvas dropcloths yesterday to experiment with. I have washed them 2 times in hot water and dried them hoping to tighten the weave some. I will then treat the fabric with Thompsons waterseal and see how it works

Anyone do this before

[Dryball]

Jerry, I've heard that TWS has caused problems sometimes...I don't remember what but even the company recommends against using it for canvas.

Ned

[Steven9851]

If you don't mind black canvas you can get a bucket of roofing tar and a spakeling knife. Warm up the tar so that it will spread evanly then spread it on your canvas or heat up your tar until it reliqifies then dip the canvas in it hang it up to cool and dry.  WARNING hot tar causes nasty burns.  Be EXTREAMLY CARFULL.

[Dryball]

Bet that would have an interesting smell!  ::) Unfortunately, my closest rendezvous requires white or off white only.

Ned

[FrankG]

Boiled Linseed Oil is used to help repel water . Be sure and leave it set up outside long enough to cure or you will have spontaneous combustion if you put it away before it is fully cured. If its outside set up and you have hot days it should only take 3-4 days to cure out good .

[Dryball]

Frank, tell me truly. did you have first hand experience with spontaneous combustion? If so...I wanna hear about it!! With photos!

Ned

[FrankG]

No not me ,and I dont want to  I've heard of people using rags to wipe on the BLO then throw them in trash and have them ignite as the oil creates heat when curing out . I always spread my rags out to dry before tossing them.  Dont want the shop to go poof !

[Dryball]

B.L.O. sound's a mite touchy for me!   Know anything else that'll work?

Ned

[FrankG]

I use it all the time . After I'm done I drape my rags that were used to air out and dry and never had a problem . You just have to be aware it can happen , just as with Danish oil or any oil based stains. 
I dont like to gamble 

Many years ago a friend of mine mixed up a concoction of B.L.O. , mineral spirits and beeswax all heated in a double boiler to keep it from igniting and broomed it on to his Baker tent for waterproofing . Took qite a while to cure out but did in fact waterproof it .

[Chaffa Hosa]

Well I'm beginning to think I should have bought a tent instead of making one
I have close to a hundred bucks in this one already

[Oldnamvet]

http://www.essortment.com/home/waterproofcanva_sdfg.htm

This seems easy enough.

[Ironwood]

 Ned,  I have had some direct experience with spontaneous combustion.  The filters in the paint booths, of the company  I worked for, were replaced every Friday morning.  The old filters, covered with overspray, were placed in a 55 gallon barrel out behind the paint house.  The filters more than filled the barrel and had to be sort of packed down to stay in the barrel.  Not long after the filters were placed in the barrel they began to smoke.  A short time later they burst into flame.  Since then I've been very careful with anything used in painting or that contains any type of mineral sprites, gasoline, or petroleum sprites.  I'm sure that is what TWS is concerned with.  A tent treated with TWS and packed away shortly after might very well spontaneously combust.   

[old salt]

Yes I would buy a tent and pay the extra for flame retardant canvas. I know you are trying to get by  as cheaply as possible but trying  to  water poof canvas with 90% of the suggestions given here you are going to end up living inside of a candle  and most of the national parks and forest are getting to where if you don't have proof that if is fire retardant  they will not let you set up   BEEN THERE
The old salt

[halfstock]

If I were you I would use canvac, no matter what else is said you might even be better off useing canvas that has been treated with fire retardent and labeled as such, but remember this that it really is only for the government mentally defeciant because after about 2- rains the fire retardant is gone anyway.
Halfstock

[Sinnanatha]

Used barn red, oil based paint for my sleeping roll, shelter tarp, and haversak.  Been pretty water repellent, good authentic color.  Spent some time rubbing on the finished product with a softball-sized stone to soften it up a little bit. Works for me, for almost ten years.   Megwetch, Sinnanatha