Diy Waterproofing fabric?

[cbrdave]

Watched a youtube video earlier, guy literally uses a tube of standard silicone sealant and what looked like paint thinners to completely waterproof a cotton bed sheet!.
Reckons it will totally Waterproof any fabric including boots and bags.
Anyone tried it?, Anyone used anything similar?
Might have a go for a giggle and see how I get on.

 

[gra_farmer]

I used to be a sheep farmer, with the fleeces of a Sussex ewes, which at the time were getting 10p per fleece. I decided to throw them all into a large copper bath, and boiled them for a few hours, the lanolin was released and collected, did about 30 fleeces and got quite a bit.

I then removed the fleeces from the water, added the collected lanolin back, melted it in and mixed as best I could, I then got cotton sheets, old canvas tarps, jacket used for beating, and dipped them in the water, getting a nice even coat of lanolin and left to dry.....smelt a bit sheepy, but perfectly water proof of years and years.

Most importantly 'Zero' chemicals, safe for all.

The shearing trousers used to stand up by themselves, to give you an idea of how greasey and thick lanolin can get.

I've got to do it again at some point

 

[Jay131]

That seems brilliant! Another project! Can we buy Naptha in the UK?
Thanks for sharing.

 

[cbrdave]

That seems brilliant! Another project! Can we buy Naptha in the UK?
Thanks for sharing.

I thought it was a cracking idea, like you say good project, not sure about naptha but found another guy from uk using silicone and white spirit, he coated a nap sack he had made, I've messaged him to see if it made the bag smell at all.

 

[Jay131]

White spirit would surely reek for a long time. I might have some at work - If so I could try it tomorrow. Quick search suggests lighter fluid is the UK equivalent to Naptha - which I also have at work (but would cost a fortune to cover a tarp). Maybe Xylene solvent? I also have some Jotun thinners No.7 which might also work.
Ventilation and face mask required for the morning!!

 

[BigMonster]

Watched a youtube video earlier, guy literally uses a tube of standard silicone sealant and what looked like paint thinners to completely waterproof a cotton bed sheet!.
Reckons it will totally Waterproof any fabric including boots and bags.
Anyone tried it?, Anyone used anything similar?
Might have a go for a giggle and see how I get on.

Those were the early days of ultra light world. Now when silnylon is widely available (in US at least) there is no need. But that's how MYOG trends started. That's how they used to make silnylon tarps.

 

[forrestdweller]

thanks for this video!
waterproofing items is of importance when living in a rainforest, so now i've another idea for my project list not sure if naphta (or a substitute) is available in central america (as hardware stores here suck imho) but as soon as my limited budget allows i'll find out....

 

[TLM]

In Mid American rainforest you might find carnauba wax useful for making things water repellant, it is very efficient at that. Apparently used by mixing it with a softer wax like beeswax and then used to coat things.

 

[Tony]

That seems brilliant! Another project! Can we buy Naptha in the UK?
Thanks for sharing.

you can but it's quite pricey
might be better experimenting with an alternative

 

[cbrdave]

White spirit would surely reek for a long time. I might have some at work - If so I could try it tomorrow. Quick search suggests lighter fluid is the UK equivalent to Naptha - which I also have at work (but would cost a fortune to cover a tarp). Maybe Xylene solvent? I also have some Jotun thinners No.7 which might also work.
Ventilation and face mask required for the morning!!

I have the white spirit but no silicone, let me know how you get on please bud, quite interested as i want to proof my day pack but dont want to spend a fortune on any gucci stuff, if it doesn't stink i'll have a crack at sone clothing too.
Just heard back from the uk youtube guy who used white spirit, say's it doesn't smell once it dries, apparently it is still waterproof after a uear and has been soaked a few times with no water ingress.

 

[Bishop]

Have made smaller items such as dry-bags and gaiters out of cotton sheet with silicone/white spirit waterproofing in the past and it works really well. They weigh a little more than Silnylon but definitely more durable.

 

[EdS]

Not every environmentally friendly....

Basically turns it into a cotton backed silicon sheet.

Boiled linseed can be used to waterproof the yarn - obviously not block the pores like the above

 

[Wayland]

For "Naptha" read Lighter Fluid / Coleman Fuel / Panel Wipe / Clutch and Brake Cleaner.

Getting cheaper usually in that order.

 

[Yorkshire Viking]

I tell @cbrdave , this site has spooky ways, I watch the same video last night nighthawk something or other and thought the same thing I'll have a bash at that myself I've got chills at the mo lol....

 

[cbrdave]

I tell @cbrdave , this site has spooky ways, I watch the same video last night nighthawk something or other and thought the same thing I'll have a bash at that myself I've got chills at the mo lol....

Ooh, spooky, I find the trouble with youtube and myself is i end up with so many projects and i buy stuff to do them and then i find another video and get distracted.

 

[oldtimer]

My wife, an artist, uses an odourless mineral spirit which she gets from an art supplies company to thin oil paints instead of white spirit. This may solve the smell problem.

 

[Yorkshire Viking]

Same here not enough time in the day mate.

 

[Tvividr]

A more environmental friendly way of waterproofing (than the silicone sealant), is the old Norwegian and Swedish way of waterproofing canvas tents, tarps and anoraks:

Dilute 1 kg of green soap in 10 litres of water, and soak the canvas in the solution for 45 minutes or at least until the canvas is fully soaked.
Take the canvas from the soap solution, wring out the water as much as possible, and put it into another solution of 1 kg of Alum dissolved into 10 litres of hot water. Let the solution cool, before using it.
Let the canvas saturate in the new solution for at least half an hour, before wringing it out and rinse it in clean cold water two times (new clean water the second time). Then let it dry, and it should now be pretty resistant to water.

Now….green soap… I do not know the proper English word or brand name for this kind of soap. It is actually golden yellow in colour, and not green. It is a natural soap made from fat and caustic potash. In Scandinavia it is called grønnsåpe, and in German Schmierseifen, or Grüne Seife.

 

[Mesquite]

That seems brilliant! Another project! Can we buy Naptha in the UK?
Thanks for sharing.

Clutch and brake cleaner is a good alternative, it's around £15 for 5 ltrs

It's what a lot of stove folks use instead of Colmans fuel aka naptha

 

[Bishop]

One of the less explored ideas with DIY waterproofing is that silicone can be found in some fifty colours besides bathroom white & industrial black so creating a custom camo tarp becomes a very tempting option.