DIY greenland style wax for waterproofing stuff

[MrEd]

^^^ wow i got mine off the bay ages ago for about 3.50 lol

and i think oil cloth is made with boiled linseed oil so similar concept but different way of going about it.

go easy with your application of wax, i perhaps have put one to many layers on mine it gonna take a few months of boing dragged through bushes, rained on and left in the sun to calm it down a bit lol

 

[sticks65]

Well i got on with it last night and here is the result.

My pack was a little worse for waer so i gave it a good clean up but couldn't get rid of all the marks on it.

I did 180g of paraffin wax and 20g of pure bees wax,i used a glass bowl in a pan of water and sponged it on,let it dry and used the hairdryer to even it out,i gave it two coats.

I had to make a smaller second batch to do the gas mask bag.

Im very pleased with how it turned out,i like how dark it has gone.

Swedish backpack.

Swedish gas mask bag.

I also have a little of the wax mix left over.

 

[w00dsmoke]

Interesting thread. I made a large batch of greenland wax but differently from this method. I melted a large block of pure beeswax and took it off the heat and added liquid parafin to it and agitated the whole mix before pouring into moulds and containers.

I found that if you added more wax you ended up with a harder product. I was happier when mine was the consistency of a hard paste. It was easier to apply and worked in very well without the hairdryer! I'm fairly certain it's not going to be the best stuff to have around a campfire pmsl ;-P
Toddy if you are reading this I promised you some to try out. I'll need to get it over to you.

 

[MrEd]

thats cool with the pack, wow you used loads!! 200g i have stacks of mine left!

well good job anyway, glad it helped someone

 

[sticks65]

thats cool with the pack, wow you used loads!! 200g i have stacks of mine left!

well good job anyway, glad it helped someone

Yep i think i kind of got a little carried away but it was on the big pack,i think the pack looks great,a little stiff maybe but im sure with use it will supple up.

You was a great help,thank you very much:You_Rock_

 

[bikebum1975]

Thanks for the info I have been looking for a way to wax a saddlebag I am goinng to make from cotton Denim for my bicycle this sounds like it's gonna work good for me.

 

[Zingmo]

Great post Mr Ed. I have some beeswax candles I picked up at Aldi & I was wondering why you went for the 90% paraffin to 10% beeswax mix? Would more beeswax make it more flexible? Why not use just beeswax?

I have considered the Linseed oil option to make "oilcloth" but I am concerned that it might spontaneously combust! ( Ooh! I have just thought of a suggestion for Mr Fenna!)

Z

 

[MrEd]

i just read loads on the internet about waxing cloth and the contents of waterproofing wax. the general gist seemed to be 90%ish and 10%ish mix but it doesnt have to be exact. i guess the trade off is having a block thats soft enough to rub onto cloth yet have a low enough melting point to melt in easy but not soften in the sun Vs a block thats to hard/soft etc to use

i guess the paraffin is for the waterproofing and the beeswax to soften and raise the melting point but im only guessing.....

i have some spare i might try a 50/50 mix.

another point is beeswax is more expensive than cheap as chips paraffin wax maybe?

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

i have been inspired, and am planning on applying to my winter snow smock project, thread is on here somewhere in what i plan to do. but i can't wait and am doing the matching trousers tonight just to have a practise. will let you know how i got on. cheers for one of the best threads and ideas on here!!!

 

[MrEd]

I still have this bag, and havent had to recoat it and its still waterproof 4 years later

 

[S.C.M.]

well this has come back up at just the right time! I'm going to make a bag for biking to Uni and the shops- the last one is too small! (and I rebel against the idea of buying one)
My last one was half-waterproofed with this method or similar (possibly an oil/wax/turps mix) and is great, but small and black. The new one will be bright green

 

[Zingmo]

One lesson I learned was to use paraffin wax from a kit, not old candles. Why? Because candles have stearin added to make them harder and raise the melting point. Which is not helpful when you are trying to rub it into canvas. I bought some Greenland wax to compare and realised why my mix was so much harder to apply.

Z

 

[Dave]

Thanks for posting this Mr Ed.

I've just made up a batch using a 15% beeswax/ 85% paraffinwax mix.

I'll use it for a numbr of canvas packs, my tilley T3 hat, and fallraven barents pro trousers. I normally use a heat gun, on a low setting to apply the store bought stuff.

 

[Boucaneer]

A handy tip to know when making canvas roof shingle/strips.
I shall use it for my roof of a beach shack in Kerala.
I may just use candle wax, the tougher the better.

It's gotta be better than the cheap plastic tarp up there at the moment.

Cheers, just gotta find some old canvas and some wax now.

Do you know how long this waterproofing lasts for?

Thank.

 

[Boucaneer]

I'll find out in a few weeks, but would anyone here think it would be alright to heavily candle wax old bedsheets for a good water resistant layer?

I may even cover my roof with a double layer of heavily waxed bedsheets and stitched on a chicken wire frame/former.

Any opinions about this water resistant cotton roof system?

Thanks.


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[Tengu]

It wont be comfortable in bed, thats for sure.

 

[mrcharly]

It won't make a good water-resistant layer and won't last long.

Canvas for waterproofing is really heavy thick stuff. Bedsheets are a very lightweight fabric by comparison.

 

[Boucaneer]

Dear mrcharly,

Sorry to question this,

I know that tighter weave helps with water resistant properties, but does the thickness of the material matter?

I was going to put a very thick layers of wax into and on the both surfaces of the bed sheets.

Of course I know that the bed sheet cotton is much thinner than the canvas material but just enquiring as to the properties of heavily wax proofed thin cotton.

I wondered if anyone may of had experience with this material?

My main thinking is how can the thickness of a material affect the water resistant properties?

Surely the thickness will only affect the durability of the material and wear and tear of a garment.

As the bed sheets are just sitting there in place not being moved whilst sewn to a chicken wire former/frame I would of thought the thickness would of not mattered.

Of course the tightness of the weave would pay a factor.

So for example, if it was a less tight and loser weave fabric, with enough wax impregnated into the material then I would of thought that it would of been as water resistant as the wax itself.

Could anyone confirm or offer any explanation of this please?

I do apologise for the questioning, just to under stand the principles of it.

Thanks.


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[johntarmac]

Heat and UV damage are probably 2 good reasons why I never saw a waxed cotton roof while living in the tropics.
While possible, whether or not it's practical or durable is another matter entirely.

As for the density of the weave, even the chicken wire would be waterproof if you could get enough wax to fill the spaces.

 

[Boucaneer]

Lol. Ah that will save me on a few quid on bedsheets then.

I didn't know the U.V breaks down the wax proofing.

If you don't mind, can I ask what problems the heat may cause?

It's only for the monsoon period, and I have an old plastic tarp up there at the moment and coconut leaf thatching will have to be completely replaced every two years.

Whereas I thought I could just recoat and seal the wax proof sealing on the cotton sheeting once a year with an applier on a stick.

I plan on making long horizontal strips of sheeting the entire width of the roof, a bit similar to shingles, but entire length sections.

So just to confirm, UV will be a problem.

And what problems will the heat cause please?

Thanks johntarmac.


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