Post by beaudro on Oct 10, 2008 19:55:43 GMT -5
I thought i would stop ranting and start a topic on something constructive. My trip to Critters rendezvous was great. I finally got to meet the buckskin Billy in person, and he's a great fellow re-enactor and freind. Also a great braintanner.
I learned one thing on my trip. Even when the weather says clear skies, don't run off without your oil cloth. After a long drive home I spent hours drying out a buffalo hide.
I gave my last good one away the weekend before. They can be a valuable piece of equipment.
For those that have no idea what i'm talking about... An oilcloth has been around for many years. It's simply an oiled cloth, the plastic tarp of the early days. It's mentioned in the trade lists of the mountain men, and earlier on many longhunters would use it.
The word Tarpaulin , we call it tarp today, comes from the french work "paulin" meaning cloth, and tar. Tarred Paulin, or tarred cloth was an oilcloth. Coal tar oil was the media used to make it. Oil cloths came in many different colors, as it was made at home using linseed oil, drying agents, and pigment colors. A few shops made them with stripes and all colors. Much military was issued oilcloths in regimental colors.
To make an oil cloth, start with a good canvas cloth, linen and hemp can be used and be very period correct. The idea is to make a water proof fabric, so start with a tight close weave in your fabric. A blanket roll is easy to start with, then move on to a tent.
Barn Red is a common color, Black can be documented easy as well. The trick is in the concoction you choose.
Many have been made in our modern times by using boiled linseed oil and a number of drying agents.
boiled linseed oil will stay gummy alone, although it already has a polymerization dryer added to it,, often benzene, it will stay tacky and sticky for a long time. You will want to add paint thinner, turpentine or other drying agents to it.
If you choose raw linseed oil, you must add even more drying agents to it. Japan dryers, oil based paint thinners, but it will take plenty of it.
Here's something i did recently. After coming home from the Critter rendezvous I went straight to the shop to make another oilcloth. This time, i followed advice from another re-enactor. He told me to use regular CHEAP oil based paint.
Why would I want to use paint? i'm suppose to be Period Correct. I read the label... oil base paint containing linseed oil, and turpentine.... plus pigment.
So it's the same dang thing I was cooking up before, only cheaper. Not all the oil base paints on the shelf were made with linseed oil, but i finally found the few that are.
I painted two tarps, one with the oil based paint , another with a cheaper latex paint. In 24 hours I could not tell the difference and they both look great and i'm ready to use them. Before this i might have to wait a few weeks for my home made concoction to dry and not be sticky.
to sum it up, why buy all the chemicals, oils, pigments, just buy a gallon of cheap oil base paint,, or latex! and be done with it.
I learned one thing on my trip. Even when the weather says clear skies, don't run off without your oil cloth. After a long drive home I spent hours drying out a buffalo hide.
I gave my last good one away the weekend before. They can be a valuable piece of equipment.
For those that have no idea what i'm talking about... An oilcloth has been around for many years. It's simply an oiled cloth, the plastic tarp of the early days. It's mentioned in the trade lists of the mountain men, and earlier on many longhunters would use it.
The word Tarpaulin , we call it tarp today, comes from the french work "paulin" meaning cloth, and tar. Tarred Paulin, or tarred cloth was an oilcloth. Coal tar oil was the media used to make it. Oil cloths came in many different colors, as it was made at home using linseed oil, drying agents, and pigment colors. A few shops made them with stripes and all colors. Much military was issued oilcloths in regimental colors.
To make an oil cloth, start with a good canvas cloth, linen and hemp can be used and be very period correct. The idea is to make a water proof fabric, so start with a tight close weave in your fabric. A blanket roll is easy to start with, then move on to a tent.
Barn Red is a common color, Black can be documented easy as well. The trick is in the concoction you choose.
Many have been made in our modern times by using boiled linseed oil and a number of drying agents.
boiled linseed oil will stay gummy alone, although it already has a polymerization dryer added to it,, often benzene, it will stay tacky and sticky for a long time. You will want to add paint thinner, turpentine or other drying agents to it.
If you choose raw linseed oil, you must add even more drying agents to it. Japan dryers, oil based paint thinners, but it will take plenty of it.
Here's something i did recently. After coming home from the Critter rendezvous I went straight to the shop to make another oilcloth. This time, i followed advice from another re-enactor. He told me to use regular CHEAP oil based paint.
Why would I want to use paint? i'm suppose to be Period Correct. I read the label... oil base paint containing linseed oil, and turpentine.... plus pigment.
So it's the same dang thing I was cooking up before, only cheaper. Not all the oil base paints on the shelf were made with linseed oil, but i finally found the few that are.
I painted two tarps, one with the oil based paint , another with a cheaper latex paint. In 24 hours I could not tell the difference and they both look great and i'm ready to use them. Before this i might have to wait a few weeks for my home made concoction to dry and not be sticky.
to sum it up, why buy all the chemicals, oils, pigments, just buy a gallon of cheap oil base paint,, or latex! and be done with it.