Treating canvas

S

STIHL

Joined
Aug 12, 1999
Messages
427
A friend gave me a brand new 10x12 canvas tarp to cover my jeep when it rains.He told me to allow it to dry befor folding because it will dry rot?He also said it will be water proof as long as you dont touch the dry side while its raining.
I`d like to have the water bead up like it would a poly tarp.Could I treat one side with parafin or even bees wax?

Help me stay dry

Jay
 
Read somewhere to mix 3 cups soybean oil with 1 1/2 cups turpentine. Paint on and let dry. Reapply after a year or two of hard use or outdoor exposure. Never done it though

3M also makes a good waterproofing for canvas, you might find it at a boating supply company
 
A very old woodsy recipe is 1/3 boiled linseed oil 1/3 turpentine and 1/3 beeswax . You melt the beeswax in a double boiler then add the other ingredients away from the heat source. You would probably need at least 2 lbs of beeswax and likely more , cheapest place to get it is from a friendly beekeeper.

There are commercial canvas waterproofings of course.

And yes canvas will mildew if stored damp so dry it out fully then store in a dry heated place.

I prefer a good canvas tarp over a synthetic one as it has a bit of weight to it , and is more resistant to the wayward spark from the campfire.
 
Mix 1/2 double-boiled paraffin and 1/2 kerosene. Paint onto tarp until saturated. Lay out in hot sun for a day. It'll be stiff as a board, but will soften as you bend it and use it.

We did this on a two-week wagon train trip I was on and it worked beautifully. And I bet that it's cheaper than using beeswax or linseed oil.
 
That last recipe sounds easy.My wife makes candles and I have plenty of kerosene in the garage ;)

But how long will the last recipe "last for" compare to the rest of em?
Thanks,
Jay
 
No $hit!was the canvas stiff after aplying?How soft is it now?
Also......was it just plain old thompson water seal?I know they make all kinds of different sealers now.
 
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