Linseed oil, boiled or otherwise, is largely made of fatty acids. It dries in much the same sense that concrete dries - that is, it doesn't actually dry, it undergoes a chemical reaction that turns it from a liquid into a solid. The fatty acids in the oil polymerize into what is essentially a plastic. That polymerization is going to happen faster in open air and with exposure to sunlight (think UV.) I suspect that that is the major difference between your two pieces. The first took a really long time to polymerize, so the fibers were exposed to fatty acids for a long time and started to decompose. The second polymerized much more quickly, so the fibers were exposed to fatty acids for less time. Water should not dissolve any significant amount of these acids.
@@trollmcclure1884 That only happens to large piles of rags such as might be produced in an old furniture factory, and only for the time period of active curing.
@@TheDuckofDoom. Actually, spontaneous combustion of rags does not require large piles of rags. It can happen with only a very few, small rags as well. Don't ask how I know.
@@michaelyates4236 I can guess. My father lost a truck once when a helper threw a bag of rags into the back instead of the metal bucket they were supposed to go in.
Fun episode. Don't confuse drying and curing. The fabric may feel dry as a skin forms over the oil, but because the oil is applied fairly thick, it will take some time to cure. Oils are actually best when applied in very thin coats and built up slowly. I would suggest running water over both sides to dilute any acidity.
I simply cannot get enough of this channel. My absolute favorite thing about all of this, is that it illustrates the very important fact that people from the past were not dumb, neither were they simpletons, they were ingenious and hardy individuals that did so much with what little they had.
Maybe they had to be smarter than we are today; their lives depended on it. Today we have calculators, computers, indoor heating and Canada Goose down winter coats, no need to think about survival anymore. That knowledge is slowly drying up.
People do survive, to this day, on very simple means. Besides the point that We all stand on the shoulder of giants. what are y’all even bickering about? no one is successful solo and new ideas, materials, and science has made many more thrives than survivors. People back then… did what they had to do and got excited about new things. No reason to talk down on the advancements since then as we comment on our electronics. The single greatest life/extended in history was water treatment lmao, silly peons died for millennia due to such a basic process. nvm, they were products of their time. like us all. carry on you great internet warriors. -dictated from my smartphone
This series reminds me alot of my grandparents. They were fairly wealthy but they grew up on farms (grandma) and in logging and fishing (grandpa) and my grandpa later became an engineer. They'd build stuff like this all the time.
My grandmother started keeping house as a bride in Oklahoma during the Depression. She told me that she got a new oil cloth tablecloth once a year. Thanks for the memories.
This concoction is still used when restoring/preserving pre-depression homes in FL. It's mainly used on exterior decorative woodwork and has better rot resistance than modern paints. Nature reclaims it's timber in quick fashion down here, but homes that have been maintained the old fashion way have stood the test of time.
One of the things people in previous centuries did to reduce the chance of a fire catching their oilcloth ground tarps on fire was to make sure it was covered over by a wool blanket. Wool does not burn very well; it might smolder and char briefly, but it extinguishes itself in most cases, and almost never produces a sustainable flame. Sparks and cinders from the fire would land on the wool and extinguish themselves, unable to stay lit because the only viable fuel was whatever they brought with them. Additional protection came in knowing which kinds of wood to burn, and which NOT to burn. (Chestnut can make nice fence rails, but if you burn it, it will explode and cast out a lot of glowing cinders, for example.)
Excellent comment. In a day and age where all lighting was flame based these people would have had an excellent knowledge of wood types and their characteristics that we give no thought to today. Best wood for cooking, best for heating, best for use at night at bed time ect. I wonder how much knowledge we have lost that was common knowledge in times gone by. I have an old Primus liquid fueled camp stove that was my great great grandfathers, and I could not get it to light, until my old man told me I had to heat up the top of it first by burning spirits on it to allow the fuel to vaporise. Our modern way of living is more convenient, but we will never know how much we have truly lost.
Love how this dude just speaks while he works. You get the feel that he's so comfortable with his work and audience. :) Lots of love Mr. Townsends from the Caribbean! Always entertained by your videos and informed!
My brother and I made our own "tincloth" over-clothes with canvas, oil, beeswax, and turpentine. Its incredible! the clothes are tough as nails and some of the most breathable waterproof matierial ive ever seen. Tincloth is similar to oil-cloth but its got some wax in it. it was called so due to how it becomes stiff in cold weather.
I love coverings like this, because you can make a primitive wood sled and carry many rolls of coverings/blankets as bedrolls in the sled, with all of your belongings wrapped inside. doubles as shelter and storage.
I grew up doing this every summer to our canvas tents. Simple thing to do. Yes we would let it dry on the tent then spray the tent with the garden hose . The tents lasted three generations. The spraying the tent with water bit was I was told by my father who learned it from his great Grandfather a vital step. So yes the water after it dries out is vital as it letting the tent or whatever it is dry out before folding it up and putting it away vital. If it rained on the last day of camping we would take the tents out and set them up in the yard when we got back home and it was no longer raining and leave them in the sun to dry a few more days.
A few things: If you turn your frame from time to time while working, you can keep working at optimal height. Good day to wear an apron, Jon. Might you be going through a Jackson Pollack period anytime soon? Also, linen is known to be a very strong but brittle fabric. Those who laundered household linens in previous years knew that after all the tedious ironing of linen table cloths (linen is a great wrinkler, these days they are known as "status wrinkles" in clothing), they would roll the ironed cloth for storage instead of folding it. If you know your linen and take care of it, it can last for generations.
The exact same recipe is still in use to paint wooden houses in Sweden today. Makes for a lovely colour, and is applied with a brush that's half the size of a broom on the unplaned outer side of the planks covering the timber log structure of the walls. Also many thanks to @RickSanchezC137 for his intelligent remarks on alternate oils.
In Scandinavia the mixtures tend to have a lot birch or Stockholm tar oil. It is very long lasting, does not really dry but soaks slowly into the wood giving a really good protective barrier
Enjoy your channel..you are correct about the rags being self combustible. I'm a 2nd generation restorer, we always soaked the rags in a bucket of water for a couple of days, before placing them in any trash can. Once we did exterior beam restoration and one of our helper got the mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine on his socks. When he awoke the next morning the socks were smoldering where he had left them the night before...Heads up when using this mixture!
On a slightly related note, I have been experimenting with coating linen squares to make food coverings at our encampments. I used beeswax and jojoba oil. I've not quite got the right ratios but I'm getting closer to creating what I hope can be used like plastic wrap. They can be wiped down and re-used, plus they can be molded to shape around a bowl or cup.
That is probably Because calcium carbonate is very alkaline, and if the reason the other one is breaking down is due to acidity in the oil then that stands to reason that the calcium carbonate would counter that and leave you with a longer lasting oil cloth. Infact I made that hypothesis about the calcium carbonate version lasting longer based on him saying that the oil is acidic and might eat the cloth over time and your comment confirmed my hypothesis.
Cancelling out Ph costs pennies, surely there is a decent scientific paper on this? That is the point of science - to give you predictions within the scope of action (i.e. will tell you what will happen on most occasions);
Great video, as usual. I've been making oilcloth for some time. For the first project, I made a canvas poncho and applied straight linseed oil to it. It took a long time to dry, but after over twenty years was still shedding water and no weakening. My tarp experiences, using the LSO, turpentine and pigment recipes result in a product as you described; great performance, short lifespan. I can get anywhere from three to five years of hard groundcloth/tarp usage before the weakening gets too bad. You beat me by a couple weeks on the video. I had one in the works on the very subject. LOL Once again, terrific job on all of your videos.
Did you use raw linseed for that first one, or what? Have you tried using more neutral pigments? Maybe an experiment with no turpentine but with pigment or something? Would be really interesting to find out what causes the degradation
Wizard Kagdan the first project was only straight boiled LSO without pigment. It produced a dark yellow, water repellant garment that lasted years. I will see if I still have it, if so, I will show it in my own video. I need to make a new tarp anyway, and was going to try only LSO and pigment this time around. The mixtures of LSO and turpentine or mineral spirits have proven to give the results as Mr. Townsend mentioned.
I'm going to start making either wax or linseed covered bags, because I am tired of plastic. Even linoleum has fallen out of vogue and today is often mixed with vinyl - another petrol based product.
These vids always remind me of field trips in school in the 70s, I'm 57 currently(body says older), anyway trips in northern NJ which had a lotta 18th century traffic. My late mother always pushed us to learn 3 new things every day, your ch helps make that possible daily to weekly, keep up the good work. Knowing where we have been helps understand where we are now.
There are THREE Drying Oils, of those three, only boiled linseed oil (BLO) has issues with spontaneous combustion. Tung oil and walnut oil don’t have that issue. ---------- When making oilcloth I use wax (bees and paraffin in equal parts) melted in walnut oil, an equal amount to the total of wax, then painted on the cloth. After it cools heat again to insure coverage using a heat gun (on a low setting). Test with a water hose and touch up as necessary. 1 part bees wax 1 part paraffin wax 2 parts oil Honestly, everyone who uses similar ingredients uses different percentages, experiment and stick with what works best for you. And have fun with it.
I'd like to share with you one other drying oil. Soybean oil. I spray it on wood for an oil finish and after several weeks it seriously does dry out! It's incredibly cheap compared to the others. Maybe not for everybody but an oil finish is an oil finish on certain outdoor wooden things. I spray it on my rustic porches. It really makes the grain pop out just like an oil finish should.
I've heard the exact percentages depends on locality and weather conditions (warmer areas require a slightly different mix) but most of the Northern half of the US have similar enough weather that they all use the same mix but the south half of the US might need to adjust the mixture to account for the hotter humid weather. My area is extremely acidic due to all the cedar trees, pine trees, acidic soil, and salty air (near the coast at least) so I'd probably have to adjust the mixture a bit.
Really interested in your suggestions for alternatives to linseed. I want to make a waterproof/wipeable curtain in the kitchen to go in front of open storage cupboards. Would the paraffin still make the fabric combustible? Being a kitchen I want the fabric to be cleanable and wipeable but also safe. I thought making my own oilcloth would be both greener and prettier than buying pvc!
I am a traditional Pipe Maker here in North Carolina. I mix my own shellac. So I can imagine what that smells like 😂😂😂 glad you just showed me that. Thanks!!
use beeswax in the boiled linseed oil heat CAREFULLY till well blended...then apply and over time one must re wax the cloth just like you must put more oil in a car also leave open-air area do not let it dry in you home
Beeswax can be used for water proofing and protecting lots of items. I use a mixture of beeswax and lemon oil on old gunstocks that leaves a waterproof low luster finish. The same works well on preserving old iron . Or just dissolve bees wax in kerosene for a metal coating. Apply the mixture very warm and as it cools, the kerosene evoporates out and leaves a fine wax coating which repels moisture and gives a nice low luster finish.
The first recipe I found online the man used linseed and toilet wax rings to make the mix. I plan on trying it out to make my dropcloth awning cover more durable. We shall see.
A similar technique is still used today to make traditional canvas sails, commonly called "Tanbark" Sails. The recipes I've seen add tallow or beeswax to help stabilize the cloth.
Based on my own experience re-oiling oilskin, I recommend using naptha gas. It dries off very fast and leaves no residual smell. Well ventilated and wear rubber gloves.
I wonder if rotting is just something people back then as now have to accept as the downside of oil cloth. From the days of doing oil painting I remember that priming a canvass (rabbitskin glue and whiting) was not just necessary for a light background but to stop the linseed oil from coming into direct contact with the canvass, which was supposed to cause it to rot. As someone mentioned in the comments, maybe using whiting will somewhat neutralise the acid of the oil. Maybe use it for the first coat as in painting, if colour is still desired (priming like a canvass with rabbitskin glue is not suitable as the glue is a little on the brittle side). There is also such a thing as sun thickened linseed oil, i.e. it is left in the sun to partially oxidise (which is what causes the skin to form), so you have a thicker, quicker drying medium for painting. That could maybe reduce some of the need for boiled oil. Another thing is that anything with iron in it, like mordants, dyes or pigments, will rot fabric quicker. I had first hand dramatic evidence of it when I spilled some rusty water on my trousers and didn't wash it out straight away. The fabric where those stains were could be easily torn by hand some time later, whilst the fabric around it was sound. Maybe beeswax paste is the way to go for waterproofing cloth. Those waxed cotton jackets you can still buy today don't seem to disintegrate with time, yet are reasonably waterproof.
What a fascinating comment! I'd like to recruit you for my FB group devoted to this channel and all things 18th c. Please let me know if you would be interested.
It's quite reasonable. But beeswax was quite expensive back in the day - much more than linseed oil, turpentine and some rust i'd imagine. I bet beeswax was used for higher quality, pricey products. While cheap oilcloth was thrown over a stack of wares, used for 2-4 years and then discarded without much regret when it decayed too much. Just like today - we care for our nice, all-weather Goretex jacket, but no one will cry over a torn plastic covering.
As an oil painter who uses paints that contain oil, I usually give a painting about 3 months to be 'dry' (hardened) enough to apply a protective coat of varnish. Thicker layers take longer. So if you're making an oil cloth, I would suggest letting it hang, indoors or outdoors, for at least one month before rolling it up - preferably not folding it because of the creases that will likely end up breaking the oil-based, hardened cover.
I've been wanting to do this project for quite some time, seeing how easy it was has put a fire under me and this weekend I'm finally making the oilcloth tarp I've been wanting. Thank you so much
I love this top to bottom. You always make understand the world around me better with your great clarity. I get a certain thrill too that the edge of technology can be best used to inform us of historical knowledge.
What is the benefit of oil cloth in the modern age compared to a polymer tarpaulin? I assume it would "breathe" easier which my be wanted for some applications
@@andrewlavoie6034 well flexibility also exists with modern waterproof canvas tarps(I would honestly argue their flexibility is greater than oil cloth)
Longer lasting and just look nicer if you are into reenactment or just like it to look that way. I personally go for a sort of inbetween and cover good thick cotton sheets with silicone. People also prefer to use waxed canvas (similar to oil cloth) if using it with a tent stove
Adding a bit of garden lime at the same time as the oxide, may help to neutralise acidity. It will also work as a cloth filler. I am a great believer in oilcloth. All of my wet weather gear is made from oilcloth and it has done me great service. I have an oilcloth lined duster, which doubles as a great bivvy bag/tent for cold wet weather.
Nice video John. Modern boiled linseed oil is "Boiled linseed oil is a combination of raw linseed oil, stand oil (see above), and metallic dryers (catalysts to accelerate drying.) See Wiki article. You could first make your own natural without chemicals by cleaning the raw linseed oil by several washes, bottling it, letting it slowly polymerize on a window sill. Or you can purchase pre-polymerized linseed oil from Tried & True. I've been using it for for 20 years on my woodcarvings and a few pieces of furniture. We (a few people in an international Green Woodworking group) had been having discussions about what is good food safe linseed oil to find out the myths from the reality. Some of us tracked down reliable articles explaining the process. Don Nalezyty started experimenting with making his own. His presentation at Spoonfest in the UK, changed many peoples understanding. There are still a few who will only purchase green, raw linseed oil from a health food store and of course many hucksters are out there will to sell you many inferior concoctions. First a word about Tried & True pre-polymerized linseed oil. Joe Robson started the company in the mid-90's, I had been hearing of the oil and I decided to visit him. He never told me the process, but we danced around the conversation so I could figure the concept out for myself. The stainless steel vat gave me clues. I figured that he started with raw linseed oil, at room temperature, did some serious decanting and/or filtration(?) then ran air or oxygen through the oil until it polymerized to the desired level. (A 1 hour video) th-cam.com/video/H4PSMx_jHK8/w-d-xo.html&frags=pl%2Cwn
As a shortcut, and without the needed supplies like linseed oil, have simply painted latex paint on canvas - with very good results with the exception that had minor flaking after hard usage. Every 4 years or so I would repaint heavily used pieces. *LIKED* the educational video Townsends.
I did this method for a patio cover ^^^ Worked well. Even better, did the same thing with cheap wax toilet rings. Just melted in a can, spread onto canvas, and brushed into the fabric with a stiff brush. Then after that I used a blow dryer to heat up the canvas again briefly and ensure the wax was saturating the canvas deeply. Worked wonderfully as a rain cover.
It seems like there is acidity in excess considering how little iron oxide there is... but I'm surprised he didn't just test it! As long as you have some red cabbage you can make yourself an "backwoods 18th century pH indicator"!
If you have any oily rags after you finish your project, you can spread them out flat on concrete ( like a garage floor for example) until they dry. Balling them up is where the combustion danger comes in.
Linen is made out of plant fibers, wich in turn consist mostly of cellulose. The turpentine used to thin the oil dissolves the cellulose contained in the linen fabric, and in the process makes it brittle, just like the years old piece you showed at the start of the video.
Elijo la roja The damage is done as soon as it is applied. No amount of drying will undo it. Boiled linseed oil by itself will dry just fine. Skip the solvent.
I feel like that's not true at all. If that were the case, the linen would disintegrate before you're even done applying the paint. Furthermore, he shows us in this very video another cloth he made with the same process that hasn't disintegrated at all even after a whole year, so clearly something can be done to help preserve cloth.
@@ValkyrieTiara It isn't. The closest method for actually dissolving cellulose is by making nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate (celluloid). Then, you can dissolve that product in acetone. Hell, turpentine has been used as a diluent thinning oil paints for centuries, on cloth canvases. Cellulose is not soluble in organic solvents. You can affect it by nitrating it, but that just makes it into guncotton/flash paper.
When preparing a canvas for painting, you must create a barrier so the linseed oil will not eat up your canvas! Most painters use rabbit skin glue as a canvas sizing. Then a painted ground is used on top of the sizing. This can be an oil ground or a gesso ground. Never let Linseed oil touch the bare fabric!
I love videos like this. I enjoy having the everyday minutiae explained. I think it brings us so much closer to history. Helps us empathize with people from the past. Thanks!
I've got an old application you may not have herd of . After your oil cloth is covered , cured or during your process mist salt water on . Iron fillings added to repair problem areas filling holes with rust . It worked on screwed iron plumbing for me . Best of ,
In the 50's my grandfather made a canvas garage for his Baby Austin. This was treated with beeswax and linseed originally, but every year on a hot sunny day he would make up a tin bucket of gloop which contained anything meltable or water resisting and this was applied hot. All sorts went in such as beeswax, old candle stubs, pine tar oil, pitch creosote and just about anything else that would dissolve or melt and all was thinned into the desired thickness with [turpentine substitute] No pigments in it, and very little 'science' either. That garage was still standing and in decent shape when he died some 30 years later. Us kids loved 'helping' and got into a right state doing it ..... happy days
Amazing! As a backpacker I'm so spoiled by my modern polyester and synthetic wool. Also linseed oil is pretty fascinating, it's what linoleum is made of.
In the 19th Century, a common waterproofing process was to treat cotton fabric with cuprammonium hydroxide, which would dissolve some of the cellulose in the cotton, causing it to essentially melt together into a plastic layer. It would also leave the fabric a green color, ideal for outdoor use. Copper is an excellent biocide, so the fabric, canvas, or paper thus treated was highly rot-resistant, as well.
When I lived in Maine many years ago, I was told that boiled linseed oil was used to coat wood hulled boats. Copper oxide was used to discourage barnacles and other critters from making their homes in the wood. ( it's a ridiculously expensive paint today and rarely used due to the loss of the art of building wooden boats) This was also used to coat houses but not with the the green coppering. The wood coating turns black after being exposed to the sun. Our mixture didn't have that much paint thinner in it. It was about a 75% boiled linseed and 25% thinner and multiple coats were used and painted on in rapid succession before complete drying. On wood we didn't use pigments like was done with the boats. There was a roof that had a sheeting that was fabric with a coating just like what you put on there and it was a very dark brown, made of canvas and was mostly perished. It was not coated with tar. The house was at least 120 years old and probably closer to 200. The tarp layer was around the edges tacked on with small square cast iron nails. multiple layers of roofing were on the roof ( at least 4) in some places this was actually under the siding of ceder shingle which had to be pulled and re-flashed.
You can get food grade linseed oil (also known as flaxseed/flax oil or Alsi Oil) which is used in Indian cooking and also for seasoning cast iron. So you could try boiling some yourself to get something without the additives used in modern boiled linseed oil. Also for a white pigment replacement for Lead Oxide you could use Titanium Dioxide (also known as Titanium White), it's used in everything from toothpastes to paints.
Interesting! Thanks so much for sharing. Years ago I was finishing a walnut gunstock with boiled linseed oil. A friend came over and said, "That stuff smells...you should get it out of here!" So...I put the rags in a sheet metal shed... In Alabama... In the Summertime... I got home from church, went out to find the shed full of smoke... and the rags...not quite in flames had burning embers! I lost a drill that I had sitting on the rags (partly melted). Lesson learned. Thank the Lord I didn't take a nap!
All these things I would have been enthralled to learn, as a child. Sadly, my mother decided I didn't need to join the girl scouts and I never got to go camping. I did have my own adventures as a child, teaching myself to make shelters out of old corn stalks and snow. My grandmother taught me how to read some of the sign of nature. I still regret never getting any hands on experience. 😥
200years ago you weren't raised as a pansy(snowflake) You either "did or died"! Can you imagine today's youth without the internet! Most would be totally lost. Just like they were conditioned to be! Thank God I was raised on a farm, I don't know all there was to learn from the "Ole Timers"' , but I learned enough to survive. Thank you, to the past generations that past down your knowledge!
@@updownstate if you look closely at an oilskin jacket the first thing you should notice is how finely woven the fabric is(extremely fine).Also known as waxed cotton,oilskins are generally soft and light in weight despite being quite durable and long lasting.The method of waterproofing his tarp will probably work but it's much different than something one would purchase.Oh,and never put it in a washing machine!
Thanks for the video, I really enjoy learning how people lived in the past. I have always felt if you don't learn where you came from, you never know where you are.
I used to paint in oils and this reminded me very much of that - the stretched canvas, the linseed oil and turpentine, and the long drying periods. Making oilcloth would be very intuitive to an oil painter.
My experience in art school was the brittleness of the canvas is proportional to the amount of dryer used. No dryer means the oil is going to take a very long time to get non tacky, but it will stay flexible for a long time. With the dryer it drys faster, but becomes more brittle, especially with exposure and age. While the acid in the oil will eventually make the fabric harden and deteriorate, I wonder if using some soda ash (a.k.a. calcium carbonate) in the mix would neutralize the acidity in the linseed oil and give a longer lasting cloth. BTW Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil or flax oil, is obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant, which is also the source of the fibers for linen.
If anyone wants to make their own boiled linseed oil, you just have to carefully heat up raw linseed oil to about 240°C. It won't dry as fast as the kind with the metallic driers in it, but it will be non-toxic.
Boiling up to 240F actually prevents polymerization. You can purchase Tried & Tire linseed oil which is pre polymerized by running air through it. The oxygen starts the polymerization and thickens the oil.
There are no chemical additives in Tried & True. If you have other information prove it. Any oil capable of polymerization can creates enough heat in the process of polymerizing that if kept in a tight space like a bunch of rags in a corner are likely to spontaneously combust.
John great video! When drying the treated cloth would placing it in direct sun light speed up the process? Also, you are very brave painting that with white pants on!! I would have it all over me, ha! Thanks
It will dry much faster in sunshine. However, the danger of spontaneous combustion, already mentioned, is also greater when the cloth is exposed to the heat of the sun.
The deterioration could also be caused by exposure to ultraviolet light. Natural materials are less prone to this. synthetics generally have poor UV resistance unless they are specially treated by the manufacturer. I have made my version of oilcloth by painting cloth with oil-based paint.
Another reason for the decomposition/breakdown of the fabric might be the metal itself. Iron oxide (and most metal salts/oxides in general) have a very harsh effect on fabric. If you look at historic examples of dyeing and weaving, colors made using iron oxide will almost invariable break down long before the other colors. Its also the reason why historical silk has the tendency to "shatter" - it was often dyed with metallic salts to give it a nice luster (and since silk was sold by the pound, the metal salts also added quite a bit of weight to the final product lol), but the metals would eventually degrade the fibers and cause the fabric to fall apart.
Use a tighter thread count and you don't need to fill the holes. I made a tarp out of a king size cotton flat sheet I had around the house. Sewed some canvas reinforcement on the edges with tie down points and it is now a great light weight rain cover or ground sheet. Better than plastic tarps as it doesn't rustle and make a lot of noise when out camping and trying to sleep. It only took a day to dry on the clothes line on a hot summer day.
As a dyer and ink maker I know that iron oxide will eat through leather and cloth. You can see it in older cloth that was cheaply dyed in multiple colours. The black was often produced with iron oxide and that's the bit thats eaten away. Using beeswax and lanolin in your mix will delay the acid, but not stop it. Adding chalk as well, rather than iron mitigates the acids in the linseed oil
If you could find a brominated pigment it would likely make it a bit more fireproof. Many of the modern heat resistant cloths and plastics have brominated chemical components for that specific reason.
You touched on a few things that need elaboration. The acidity you mentioned can be counteracted by incorporating limestone 'whiting'. There is no reason you can't add both the red iron oxide and some whiting, giving you a lighter color. The drying of the linseed, or any vegetable oil is actually a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air, which converts the oil to a resin causing it to harden. This reaction takes place slowly and does give off heat. If the cloth is stretched out and fully open to the air the heat can easily escape and is not a problem. However, if the cloth is covered, or folded up on itself the heat is held in and the temperature can rise, leading to what we cause 'spontaneous combustion'. The caution we always hear about 'oily rags' is because of this heating. Even animal and fish oil can cause this problem, but not as quickly or as easily as vegetable oils. Big thick brushes can even heat up. My solution to oily rags and oily paper towels, and oily rubber gloves is to place them on the ground spread out with a rock on the corners until they harden. When safely possible I just burn the oily rags, and watch it until it is gone. Thanks for your interesting channel.
I am busy making a shelter of 6m square. Enough space for a bed a chair, small desk and wood burner. I am using 1.2m x 2.4m wire mesh panels which are used for reinforcing cement floors. The mesh is made from 3mm wire so is very flexible. I will then use strips of wood to make the mesh rigid. I have a whole lot of huge linen bedsheets which I will drape over the structure and the staple to the wooden strips. Then I will paint over the sheets with cheap exterior paint to make them waterproof. The whole thing will cost less than 200 bucks and keep me warm and dry during winter.
Thanks for unveiling the mystery of oilcloth (and especially for the safety tips.) I have a piece of furniture upholstered with oil cloth that I was going to repair - the flammability gives me pause. I certainly won't put it in a room with a fireplace or candle!
Like others have said, I would add beeswax to your BLO / Turpentine mixture. Aim for a thick paste consistency. Rub it into the cloth while still very warm and heat it to penetrate the fabric. The result will amaze you. You can experiment with the percentage of wax to get what you want. I love all your videos. You are adorable.
I love how up until around 50 years ago, humans just constantly exposed themselves to lead whether it be in clothing, utensils, shelter, or medication.
@@Spedley_2142 Well it would have to be eaten by us over a period of time and a tolerance for it would build up and those who didn't adapt would die. We would slowly mutated to where our offspring would be able to ignore it. It is how people in high elevations can breathe normally and others would get elevations sickness.
@@johnree6106 Yes, it was a joke reply :) . Lead doesn't really kill you or affect fertility until well beyond reproductive age so any traditional Darwinian evolution wouldn't apply but still, the amount of lead poisoning in modern human civilisation you'd think it would have some effect! :)
I am a cheater, I use outdoor paint from the mis-tint section. Sometimes you get lucky and get a oil based. Add a thinner to that with linseed oil, maybe buy a few other base colors to change up the mis-tint. I redid my canvas hunting tent with it, not indestructible but way more sturdy, and now, TACTICAL. Thanks for showing how to start from scratch. Semper fi sir, you are a national treasure.
I'd enjoy watching a demonstration of just how flammable oil cloth is. Would people back then use these as a firestarter when the oil cloth became damaged in a way that rendered it unusable?
weatherseed I dont see why they wouldn't, but generally they had char cloth available. They probably didnt know about the toxicity (using the lead stuff) either so its likely enough.
Must have missed a comment about placing a real wool blanket on the side nearest the fire. Wool doesn't readily burn and even an ember will burn itself out without doing great damage to the wool or the cloth.
Oh! I love this new tangent, how to make historical items, this is pretty cool. I love learning the cooking style, or the churning of butter, or how the lives of the different members of society was, but this is pretty awesome!! Thanks!!
If you want to test the theory about the weather, wet a small section lightly and test the ph of the water, then after it gets rained on a couple of times repeat the test and see if the ph starts going down.
I am going to use this method to make a carry case for my Savage Model 24c [.22lr over 20ga shotgun] , since it is a breakdown type, I can make a carry case to carry in my truck for the "oh crud, the fecal matter has hit the atmospheric recirculation device] . This channel has given me oh so many ideas for when the worse case things happen. Thank you very much for all that you guys do.
yes oil and turps will eat the cloth. the old master painters would first coat their canvas with rabbit skin glue to "seal" the fibers from the oil boiled linseed oil dries quicker sun thickened/bleached linseed oil dries quicker stand oil is also quick drying
I would suggest using flax instead of line. Flax when it gets slightly wet swells up slightly and closes the pores and becomes waterproof on its own when you have this mixture to flax you won't have the problem that you have with a linen
Had to see what all the fuss was about with oil cloth after hearing about its use for decades. Sure getting it hot would be a horrible plan since both linseed oil and turpentine are very flammable. Great video. Have to try it some day just to see what its like. Thank you.
The video says the stuff went right through to the other side, he said he was done except for the second coat, if needed. I wonder if he would do the second coat, if needed, on the other side?
no, probably not. pine tar was used, but mainly on wooden items that were to be waterproofed (boats, for example). Beeswax was very expensive, so rarely used.
It's the flamable part the precludes me from using oil cloth in my bushcraft. In this day and age we have so many options. It is interesting to contemplate the historic use of oil cloth in bushcraft.
Quick update - We shot this video a little over a week ago and the cloth has completely dried and is ready to be used!
Townsends could you use "vinergaroon" as the dying agent
So how does Nutmeg figure in this?
Think [had to happen one day] Nutmeg would be a great name for a pet.
Hey could you use a base to limit the acid in the paint
When linseed oil drys on cloth it can spontaneous combustion so be very careful.
I don't know that you'd get enough solids with vinegaroon, give it a try and report back?
Linseed oil, boiled or otherwise, is largely made of fatty acids. It dries in much the same sense that concrete dries - that is, it doesn't actually dry, it undergoes a chemical reaction that turns it from a liquid into a solid. The fatty acids in the oil polymerize into what is essentially a plastic. That polymerization is going to happen faster in open air and with exposure to sunlight (think UV.)
I suspect that that is the major difference between your two pieces. The first took a really long time to polymerize, so the fibers were exposed to fatty acids for a long time and started to decompose. The second polymerized much more quickly, so the fibers were exposed to fatty acids for less time. Water should not dissolve any significant amount of these acids.
That was thoroughly informative and helpful, thank you friend!
That sounds pretty logical.
@@trollmcclure1884 That only happens to large piles of rags such as might be produced in an old furniture factory, and only for the time period of active curing.
@@TheDuckofDoom. Actually, spontaneous combustion of rags does not require large piles of rags. It can happen with only a very few, small rags as well. Don't ask how I know.
@@michaelyates4236 I can guess. My father lost a truck once when a helper threw a bag of rags into the back instead of the metal bucket they were supposed to go in.
Fun episode. Don't confuse drying and curing. The fabric may feel dry as a skin forms over the oil, but because the oil is applied fairly thick, it will take some time to cure. Oils are actually best when applied in very thin coats and built up slowly. I would suggest running water over both sides to dilute any acidity.
I simply cannot get enough of this channel. My absolute favorite thing about all of this, is that it illustrates the very important fact that people from the past were not dumb, neither were they simpletons, they were ingenious and hardy individuals that did so much with what little they had.
Maybe they had to be smarter than we are today; their lives depended on it. Today we have calculators, computers, indoor heating and Canada Goose down winter coats, no need to think about survival anymore. That knowledge is slowly drying up.
People before didn't even know how to use the Internet. Pretty dumb if you ask me.
@@Broken_robot1986 People today will never be able to survive on their own. Pretty dumb if you ask me.
People do survive, to this day, on very simple means. Besides the point that We all stand on the shoulder of giants.
what are y’all even bickering about? no one is successful solo and new ideas, materials, and science has made many more thrives than survivors.
People back then… did what they had to do and got excited about new things. No reason to talk down on the advancements since then as we comment on our electronics. The single greatest life/extended in history was water treatment lmao, silly peons died for millennia due to such a basic process. nvm, they were products of their time. like us all.
carry on you great internet warriors. -dictated from my smartphone
I always enjoy the cooking episodes, but I am loving the addition of what I would call, "Craftsman episodes".
shadowspy81 yes please
18th Century Crafting with Jas Townsend & Son
This series reminds me alot of my grandparents. They were fairly wealthy but they grew up on farms (grandma) and in logging and fishing (grandpa) and my grandpa later became an engineer. They'd build stuff like this all the time.
Arthas Menethil My Granddad was the same, great old bugger was he, RIP Bert! ;)
I would love to know more about that kitchen I always see him cooking in, especially that stove.
My grandmother started keeping house as a bride in Oklahoma during the Depression. She told me that she got a new oil cloth tablecloth once a year. Thanks for the memories.
My first thought when I saw the iron oxide: That's a lot of nutmeg.
Lolz
Skyldyel grinding it was Ivy's summer job!
Plot twist: all nutmeg that has been used for cooking was actually iron oxide
That's a Malcolm X amount of nutmeg.
I thought it was a pile of rust... wait...
This concoction is still used when restoring/preserving pre-depression homes in FL. It's mainly used on exterior decorative woodwork and has better rot resistance than modern paints. Nature reclaims it's timber in quick fashion down here, but homes that have been maintained the old fashion way have stood the test of time.
Good to know, thanks.
Same in our french region. We prepared our timber this way, preserves our wooden beams beautifully.
One of the things people in previous centuries did to reduce the chance of a fire catching their oilcloth ground tarps on fire was to make sure it was covered over by a wool blanket. Wool does not burn very well; it might smolder and char briefly, but it extinguishes itself in most cases, and almost never produces a sustainable flame. Sparks and cinders from the fire would land on the wool and extinguish themselves, unable to stay lit because the only viable fuel was whatever they brought with them. Additional protection came in knowing which kinds of wood to burn, and which NOT to burn. (Chestnut can make nice fence rails, but if you burn it, it will explode and cast out a lot of glowing cinders, for example.)
ladyofthemasque hi there may I add this in the comments on the Woodlandsurvival.com Facebook page? This is a great post!
Certainly!
I DID NOT know that. How interesting to learn a new thing from the old days. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent comment. In a day and age where all lighting was flame based these people would have had an excellent knowledge of wood types and their characteristics that we give no thought to today. Best wood for cooking, best for heating, best for use at night at bed time ect. I wonder how much knowledge we have lost that was common knowledge in times gone by. I have an old Primus liquid fueled camp stove that was my great great grandfathers, and I could not get it to light, until my old man told me I had to heat up the top of it first by burning spirits on it to allow the fuel to vaporise. Our modern way of living is more convenient, but we will never know how much we have truly lost.
Wool is amazing! It keeps you warm even when soaking wet.
Love how this dude just speaks while he works. You get the feel that he's so comfortable with his work and audience. :)
Lots of love Mr. Townsends from the Caribbean! Always entertained by your videos and informed!
My brother and I made our own "tincloth" over-clothes with canvas, oil, beeswax, and turpentine. Its incredible! the clothes are tough as nails and some of the most breathable waterproof matierial ive ever seen. Tincloth is similar to oil-cloth but its got some wax in it. it was called so due to how it becomes stiff in cold weather.
I saw one such apron on Amazon.
Do you melt the wax and mix everything? What type of oil did you use?
@@rhondagraves5983I would like to know that too
I love coverings like this, because you can make a primitive wood sled and carry many rolls of coverings/blankets as bedrolls in the sled, with all of your belongings wrapped inside. doubles as shelter and storage.
I grew up doing this every summer to our canvas tents. Simple thing to do. Yes we would let it dry on the tent then spray the tent with the garden hose . The tents lasted three generations. The spraying the tent with water bit was I was told by my father who learned it from his great Grandfather a vital step. So yes the water after it dries out is vital as it letting the tent or whatever it is dry out before folding it up and putting it away vital. If it rained on the last day of camping we would take the tents out and set them up in the yard when we got back home and it was no longer raining and leave them in the sun to dry a few more days.
A few things: If you turn your frame from time to time while working, you can keep working at optimal height. Good day to wear an apron, Jon. Might you be going through a Jackson Pollack period anytime soon? Also, linen is known to be a very strong but brittle fabric. Those who laundered household linens in previous years knew that after all the tedious ironing of linen table cloths (linen is a great wrinkler, these days they are known as "status wrinkles" in clothing), they would roll the ironed cloth for storage instead of folding it. If you know your linen and take care of it, it can last for generations.
The exact same recipe is still in use to paint wooden houses in Sweden today. Makes for a lovely colour, and is applied with a brush that's half the size of a broom on the unplaned outer side of the planks covering the timber log structure of the walls. Also many thanks to @RickSanchezC137 for his intelligent remarks on alternate oils.
In Scandinavia the mixtures tend to have a lot birch or Stockholm tar oil. It is very long lasting, does not really dry but soaks slowly into the wood giving a really good protective barrier
Enjoy your channel..you are correct about the rags being self combustible. I'm a 2nd generation restorer, we always soaked the rags in a bucket of water for a couple of days, before placing them in any trash can. Once we did exterior beam restoration and one of our helper got the mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine on his socks. When he awoke the next morning the socks were smoldering where he had left them the night before...Heads up when using this mixture!
On a slightly related note, I have been experimenting with coating linen squares to make food coverings at our encampments. I used beeswax and jojoba oil. I've not quite got the right ratios but I'm getting closer to creating what I hope can be used like plastic wrap. They can be wiped down and re-used, plus they can be molded to shape around a bowl or cup.
update, the calcium carbonate one is holding up well! the iron oxide is completely broke down. did them both the same time
Thanks for the update!
how long did they last?!
That is probably Because calcium carbonate is very alkaline, and if the reason the other one is breaking down is due to acidity in the oil then that stands to reason that the calcium carbonate would counter that and leave you with a longer lasting oil cloth. Infact I made that hypothesis about the calcium carbonate version lasting longer based on him saying that the oil is acidic and might eat the cloth over time and your comment confirmed my hypothesis.
@@VORTENIAN Figured someone would beat me to this comment!
Cancelling out Ph costs pennies, surely there is a decent scientific paper on this? That is the point of science - to give you predictions within the scope of action (i.e. will tell you what will happen on most occasions);
Great video, as usual.
I've been making oilcloth for some time. For the first project, I made a canvas poncho and applied straight linseed oil to it. It took a long time to dry, but after over twenty years was still shedding water and no weakening.
My tarp experiences, using the LSO, turpentine and pigment recipes result in a product as you described; great performance, short lifespan. I can get anywhere from three to five years of hard groundcloth/tarp usage before the weakening gets too bad.
You beat me by a couple weeks on the video. I had one in the works on the very subject. LOL
Once again, terrific job on all of your videos.
Did you use raw linseed for that first one, or what? Have you tried using more neutral pigments? Maybe an experiment with no turpentine but with pigment or something? Would be really interesting to find out what causes the degradation
Wizard Kagdan the first project was only straight boiled LSO without pigment. It produced a dark yellow, water repellant garment that lasted years. I will see if I still have it, if so, I will show it in my own video.
I need to make a new tarp anyway, and was going to try only LSO and pigment this time around. The mixtures of LSO and turpentine or mineral spirits have proven to give the results as Mr. Townsend mentioned.
I'm going to start making either wax or linseed covered bags, because I am tired of plastic. Even linoleum has fallen out of vogue and today is often mixed with vinyl - another petrol based product.
These vids always remind me of field trips in school in the 70s, I'm 57 currently(body says older), anyway trips in northern NJ which had a lotta 18th century traffic. My late mother always pushed us to learn 3 new things every day, your ch helps make that possible daily to weekly, keep up the good work. Knowing where we have been helps understand where we are now.
There are THREE Drying Oils, of those three, only boiled linseed oil (BLO) has issues with spontaneous combustion. Tung oil and walnut oil don’t have that issue.
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When making oilcloth I use wax (bees and paraffin in equal parts) melted in walnut oil, an equal amount to the total of wax, then painted on the cloth. After it cools heat again to insure coverage using a heat gun (on a low setting). Test with a water hose and touch up as necessary.
1 part bees wax
1 part paraffin wax
2 parts oil
Honestly, everyone who uses similar ingredients uses different percentages, experiment and stick with what works best for you. And have fun with it.
I'd like to share with you one other drying oil. Soybean oil. I spray it on wood for an oil finish and after several weeks it seriously does dry out! It's incredibly cheap compared to the others. Maybe not for everybody but an oil finish is an oil finish on certain outdoor wooden things. I spray it on my rustic porches. It really makes the grain pop out just like an oil finish should.
I've heard the exact percentages depends on locality and weather conditions (warmer areas require a slightly different mix) but most of the Northern half of the US have similar enough weather that they all use the same mix but the south half of the US might need to adjust the mixture to account for the hotter humid weather. My area is extremely acidic due to all the cedar trees, pine trees, acidic soil, and salty air (near the coast at least) so I'd probably have to adjust the mixture a bit.
can you comment on your fabric? video mentioned tight weave linen. I found that a bit vague
Rick Sanchez C137 Thanks so much!
Really interested in your suggestions for alternatives to linseed. I want to make a waterproof/wipeable curtain in the kitchen to go in front of open storage cupboards. Would the paraffin still make the fabric combustible? Being a kitchen I want the fabric to be cleanable and wipeable but also safe. I thought making my own oilcloth would be both greener and prettier than buying pvc!
I am a traditional Pipe Maker here in North Carolina. I mix my own shellac. So I can imagine what that smells like 😂😂😂 glad you just showed me that. Thanks!!
use beeswax in the boiled linseed oil heat CAREFULLY till well blended...then apply and over time one must re wax the cloth just like you must put more oil in a car
also leave open-air area do not let it dry in you home
Beeswax can be used for water proofing and protecting lots of items. I use a mixture of beeswax and lemon oil on old gunstocks that leaves a waterproof low luster finish. The same works well on preserving old iron . Or just dissolve bees wax in kerosene for a metal coating. Apply the mixture very warm and as it cools, the kerosene evoporates out and leaves a fine wax coating which repels moisture and gives a nice low luster finish.
Fisherman oilskins used beeswax mixtures.
The first recipe I found online the man used linseed and toilet wax rings to make the mix. I plan on trying it out to make my dropcloth awning cover more durable.
We shall see.
A similar technique is still used today to make traditional canvas sails, commonly called "Tanbark" Sails. The recipes I've seen add tallow or beeswax to help stabilize the cloth.
You do make history come alive. Very enjoyable video. I always wondered about oilcloth and it's use...thank you!
Based on my own experience re-oiling oilskin, I recommend using naptha gas. It dries off very fast and leaves no residual smell. Well ventilated and wear rubber gloves.
I wonder if rotting is just something people back then as now have to accept as the downside of oil cloth. From the days of doing oil painting I remember that priming a canvass (rabbitskin glue and whiting) was not just necessary for a light background but to stop the linseed oil from coming into direct contact with the canvass, which was supposed to cause it to rot. As someone mentioned in the comments, maybe using whiting will somewhat neutralise the acid of the oil. Maybe use it for the first coat as in painting, if colour is still desired (priming like a canvass with rabbitskin glue is not suitable as the glue is a little on the brittle side). There is also such a thing as sun thickened linseed oil, i.e. it is left in the sun to partially oxidise (which is what causes the skin to form), so you have a thicker, quicker drying medium for painting. That could maybe reduce some of the need for boiled oil.
Another thing is that anything with iron in it, like mordants, dyes or pigments, will rot fabric quicker. I had first hand dramatic evidence of it when I spilled some rusty water on my trousers and didn't wash it out straight away. The fabric where those stains were could be easily torn by hand some time later, whilst the fabric around it was sound.
Maybe beeswax paste is the way to go for waterproofing cloth. Those waxed cotton jackets you can still buy today don't seem to disintegrate with time, yet are reasonably waterproof.
What a fascinating comment! I'd like to recruit you for my FB group devoted to this channel and all things 18th c. Please let me know if you would be interested.
Rose McGuinn thanks for your comment and invitation. Where do I find it?
Try searching for this title (word for word): The Nutmeg Gallery - Fans of Townsends.
It's quite reasonable. But beeswax was quite expensive back in the day - much more than linseed oil, turpentine and some rust i'd imagine. I bet beeswax was used for higher quality, pricey products. While cheap oilcloth was thrown over a stack of wares, used for 2-4 years and then discarded without much regret when it decayed too much. Just like today - we care for our nice, all-weather Goretex jacket, but no one will cry over a torn plastic covering.
Waxed cotton is made with paraffin wax. It wasn't invented until the 1920s. In the 1700s oil cloth was all they had.
As an oil painter who uses paints that contain oil, I usually give a painting about 3 months to be 'dry' (hardened) enough to apply a protective coat of varnish. Thicker layers take longer. So if you're making an oil cloth, I would suggest letting it hang, indoors or outdoors, for at least one month before rolling it up - preferably not folding it because of the creases that will likely end up breaking the oil-based, hardened cover.
You covered all the bases! Safety is very important! Love the ending, instructing about fire safety! Very nice video!!!
I've been wanting to do this project for quite some time, seeing how easy it was has put a fire under me and this weekend I'm finally making the oilcloth tarp I've been wanting. Thank you so much
I tried this and used a little melted bees wax and it worked great on heavy canvas. I always enjoy watching your videos and keep up the good work.
Very cool. I always enjoy learning the different ways people would waterproof before plastic and rubber.
I love this top to bottom. You always make understand the world around me better with your great clarity. I get a certain thrill too that the edge of technology can be best used to inform us of historical knowledge.
Since CaCO3 is a base, making white oil cloth may prolong the lifespan of the fabric since there will be less acid available to "eat" it.
Grandpa, “Oiled” cloth with lanolin, and bees wax. Now commercially sold by the British as thorn proof. Easily re-oiled, and lasted for years.
What is the benefit of oil cloth in the modern age compared to a polymer tarpaulin? I assume it would "breathe" easier which my be wanted for some applications
@@RhodokTribesman Better flexibility I'd wager
@@andrewlavoie6034 well flexibility also exists with modern waterproof canvas tarps(I would honestly argue their flexibility is greater than oil cloth)
Longer lasting and just look nicer if you are into reenactment or just like it to look that way. I personally go for a sort of inbetween and cover good thick cotton sheets with silicone.
People also prefer to use waxed canvas (similar to oil cloth) if using it with a tent stove
@@RhodokTribesmanits not made of plastic
Adding a bit of garden lime at the same time as the oxide, may help to neutralise acidity. It will also work as a cloth filler. I am a great believer in oilcloth. All of my wet weather gear is made from oilcloth and it has done me great service. I have an oilcloth lined duster, which doubles as a great bivvy bag/tent for cold wet weather.
Nice video John. Modern boiled linseed oil is "Boiled linseed oil is a combination of raw linseed oil, stand oil (see above), and metallic dryers (catalysts to accelerate drying.) See Wiki article. You could first make your own natural without chemicals by cleaning the raw linseed oil by several washes, bottling it, letting it slowly polymerize on a window sill. Or you can purchase pre-polymerized linseed oil from Tried & True. I've been using it for for 20 years on my woodcarvings and a few pieces of furniture. We (a few people in an international Green Woodworking group) had been having discussions about what is good food safe linseed oil to find out the myths from the reality. Some of us tracked down reliable articles explaining the process. Don Nalezyty started experimenting with making his own. His presentation at Spoonfest in the UK, changed many peoples understanding. There are still a few who will only purchase green, raw linseed oil from a health food store and of course many hucksters are out there will to sell you many inferior concoctions. First a word about Tried & True pre-polymerized linseed oil. Joe Robson started the company in the mid-90's, I had been hearing of the oil and I decided to visit him. He never told me the process, but we danced around the conversation so I could figure the concept out for myself. The stainless steel vat gave me clues. I figured that he started with raw linseed oil, at room temperature, did some serious decanting and/or filtration(?) then ran air or oxygen through the oil until it polymerized to the desired level. (A 1 hour video) th-cam.com/video/H4PSMx_jHK8/w-d-xo.html&frags=pl%2Cwn
As a shortcut, and without the needed supplies like linseed oil, have simply painted latex paint on canvas - with very good results with the exception that had minor flaking after hard usage. Every 4 years or so I would repaint heavily used pieces. *LIKED* the educational video Townsends.
I did this method for a patio cover ^^^
Worked well. Even better, did the same thing with cheap wax toilet rings. Just melted in a can, spread onto canvas, and brushed into the fabric with a stiff brush. Then after that I used a blow dryer to heat up the canvas again briefly and ensure the wax was saturating the canvas deeply. Worked wonderfully as a rain cover.
using the Calcium Carbonate should make for a less acidic coating
well any metal oxide almost will react with acids and neutralize it
It seems like there is acidity in excess considering how little iron oxide there is... but I'm surprised he didn't just test it! As long as you have some red cabbage you can make yourself an "backwoods 18th century pH indicator"!
Yeah man...was thinking the same thing.
Kurt Kremitzki: Please elaborate on how to make a Ph test
Kurt Kremitzki could you provide a link or a description please?
If you have any oily rags after you finish your project, you can spread them out flat on concrete ( like a garage floor for example) until they dry. Balling them up is where the combustion danger comes in.
@Ardentironworks 4 - Enclosing them into a tight metal container is another way to avoid flare-ups as is putting them into a tub of water.
once they are dried completely, I cut into strips and use for firelighters
Linen is made out of plant fibers, wich in turn consist mostly of cellulose. The turpentine used to thin the oil dissolves the cellulose contained in the linen fabric, and in the process makes it brittle, just like the years old piece you showed at the start of the video.
Elijo la roja
The damage is done as soon as it is applied. No amount of drying will undo it. Boiled linseed oil by itself will dry just fine. Skip the solvent.
Thanks! :)
ardvarkkkkk1 I'm having trouble finding a source describing the scenario you present.
I feel like that's not true at all. If that were the case, the linen would disintegrate before you're even done applying the paint. Furthermore, he shows us in this very video another cloth he made with the same process that hasn't disintegrated at all even after a whole year, so clearly something can be done to help preserve cloth.
@@ValkyrieTiara It isn't. The closest method for actually dissolving cellulose is by making nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate (celluloid). Then, you can dissolve that product in acetone.
Hell, turpentine has been used as a diluent thinning oil paints for centuries, on cloth canvases.
Cellulose is not soluble in organic solvents. You can affect it by nitrating it, but that just makes it into guncotton/flash paper.
When preparing a canvas for painting, you must create a barrier so the linseed oil will not eat up your canvas! Most painters use rabbit skin glue as a canvas sizing. Then a painted ground is used on top of the sizing. This can be an oil ground or a gesso ground. Never let Linseed oil touch the bare fabric!
I just wrote this in the Comments too. Glad someone else explained this process.
I love videos like this. I enjoy having the everyday minutiae explained. I think it brings us so much closer to history. Helps us empathize with people from the past.
Thanks!
I've got an old application you may not have herd of . After your oil cloth is covered , cured or during your process mist salt water on . Iron fillings added to repair problem areas filling holes with rust . It worked on screwed iron plumbing for me . Best of ,
Sorry I am late
I had a flooded campsite
hello late mama
Sorry to hear that, Nicole. I hope there wasn't any serious (expensive) damage.
Nicole, oh no. Hope everything dries out quickly.
Nicole Marly legends can’t ever be late. You’re right on time.
Hi unique Nicole! Everybody dry again now?
:)
In the 50's my grandfather made a canvas garage for his Baby Austin. This was treated with beeswax and linseed originally, but every year on a hot sunny day he would make up a tin bucket of gloop which contained anything meltable or water resisting and this was applied hot. All sorts went in such as beeswax, old candle stubs, pine tar oil, pitch creosote and just about anything else that would dissolve or melt and all was thinned into the desired thickness with [turpentine substitute] No pigments in it, and very little 'science' either. That garage was still standing and in decent shape when he died some 30 years later. Us kids loved 'helping' and got into a right state doing it ..... happy days
Amazing! As a backpacker I'm so spoiled by my modern polyester and synthetic wool. Also linseed oil is pretty fascinating, it's what linoleum is made of.
What impresses me is the resiliency of this TH-cam channel.
Interesting and new content every video and such Intriguing topics
Props
In the 19th Century, a common waterproofing process was to treat cotton fabric with cuprammonium hydroxide, which would dissolve some of the cellulose in the cotton, causing it to essentially melt together into a plastic layer. It would also leave the fabric a green color, ideal for outdoor use. Copper is an excellent biocide, so the fabric, canvas, or paper thus treated was highly rot-resistant, as well.
When I lived in Maine many years ago, I was told that boiled linseed oil was used to coat wood hulled boats. Copper oxide was used to discourage barnacles and other critters from making their homes in the wood. ( it's a ridiculously expensive paint today and rarely used due to the loss of the art of building wooden boats) This was also used to coat houses but not with the the green coppering. The wood coating turns black after being exposed to the sun. Our mixture didn't have that much paint thinner in it. It was about a 75% boiled linseed and 25% thinner and multiple coats were used and painted on in rapid succession before complete drying.
On wood we didn't use pigments like was done with the boats. There was a roof that had a sheeting that was fabric with a coating just like what you put on there and it was a very dark brown, made of canvas and was mostly perished. It was not coated with tar. The house was at least 120 years old and probably closer to 200. The tarp layer was around the edges tacked on with small square cast iron nails. multiple layers of roofing were on the roof ( at least 4) in some places this was actually under the siding of ceder shingle which had to be pulled and re-flashed.
You can get food grade linseed oil (also known as flaxseed/flax oil or Alsi Oil) which is used in Indian cooking and also for seasoning cast iron. So you could try boiling some yourself to get something without the additives used in modern boiled linseed oil. Also for a white pigment replacement for Lead Oxide you could use Titanium Dioxide (also known as Titanium White), it's used in everything from toothpastes to paints.
Interesting! Thanks so much for sharing. Years ago I was finishing a walnut gunstock with boiled linseed oil. A friend came over and said, "That stuff smells...you should get it out of here!"
So...I put the rags in a sheet metal shed...
In Alabama...
In the Summertime...
I got home from church, went out to find the shed full of smoke...
and the rags...not quite in flames had burning embers! I lost a drill that I had sitting on the rags (partly melted). Lesson learned.
Thank the Lord I didn't take a nap!
Don't throw that old rotten tarp away. I bet it would make great fire starters! A couple of sparks and it should surely flame up. ❤🌅🌵
Remember the scene in the first RAMBO movie?
good point!
All these things I would have been enthralled to learn, as a child. Sadly, my mother decided I didn't need to join the girl scouts and I never got to go camping. I did have my own adventures as a child, teaching myself to make shelters out of old corn stalks and snow. My grandmother taught me how to read some of the sign of nature. I still regret never getting any hands on experience. 😥
Recently they put George Washington's tent on display. It was in remarkably good condition after two and a half centuries!
Have you seen his campaign bed as well? Cleverly constructed, built to last
200years ago you weren't raised as a pansy(snowflake) You either "did or died"! Can you imagine today's youth without the internet! Most would be totally lost. Just like they were conditioned to be! Thank God I was raised on a farm, I don't know all there was to learn from the "Ole Timers"' , but I learned enough to survive. Thank you, to the past generations that past down your knowledge!
@@wizardwillbonner Calm down william.
@@wizardwillbonner seems like they didn't manage to "past down" their tremendously effective spelling...
@@davidguo4123 is that the best you have? A slip from autocorrect! Wow you are so sharp! I'm impressed.🤣
There are few genuinely good channels on TH-cam these days, but yours is one of them. Great job.
I have a long coat made of oil-cloth. 35 years old and still waterproof and windproof.
Is it stiff or limber? Can you wash it off? Where did you get it? What are the fasteners? Does it smell good? Bad? What color is it?
@@updownstate WOW! diane really wants to KNOW ALL ABOUT THIS!
she is ready to make some?
@@updownstate if you look closely at an oilskin jacket the first thing you should notice is how finely woven the fabric is(extremely fine).Also known as waxed cotton,oilskins are generally soft and light in weight despite being quite durable and long lasting.The method of waterproofing his tarp will probably work but it's much different than something one would purchase.Oh,and never put it in a washing machine!
@@jojomama4787 Thank you for the info. If I get one I'll hang it on the washline and squirt it with the hose. :)
@@updownstate if you get one you will thank yourself for the rest of your life!
Thanks for the video, I really enjoy learning how people lived in the past. I have always felt if you don't learn where you came from, you never know where you are.
Love the kitchen segments, but nice to get out in the air once in awhile (and not just to camp cook!). Refreshing, good on you Sir!
I used to paint in oils and this reminded me very much of that - the stretched canvas, the linseed oil and turpentine, and the long drying periods. Making oilcloth would be very intuitive to an oil painter.
Maybe adding calcium carbonate would help with the acidity issue. It's a base so that should theoretically eliminate the problem.
Or take the oil painters approach and prime your tarp
In the 1950's my Mom and many others used oilcloth for tablecloths. They were in heavy use in a bush camp kitchen/dining rooms.
As a kid our kitchen was covered in oilcloth flooring
Such beautiful country. I like all the trees. I watched some if your other videos and the soil looks nice and rich.
My experience in art school was the brittleness of the canvas is proportional to the amount of dryer used. No dryer means the oil is going to take a very long time to get non tacky, but it will stay flexible for a long time. With the dryer it drys faster, but becomes more brittle, especially with exposure and age. While the acid in the oil will eventually make the fabric harden and deteriorate, I wonder if using some soda ash (a.k.a. calcium carbonate) in the mix would neutralize the acidity in the linseed oil and give a longer lasting cloth. BTW Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil or flax oil, is obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant, which is also the source of the fibers for linen.
If anyone wants to make their own boiled linseed oil, you just have to carefully heat up raw linseed oil to about 240°C. It won't dry as fast as the kind with the metallic driers in it, but it will be non-toxic.
Cadwaladr can also use tung or walnut oil.... the other two drying oils.
Boiling up to 240F actually prevents polymerization. You can purchase Tried & Tire linseed oil which is pre polymerized by running air through it. The oxygen starts the polymerization and thickens the oil.
You don't know what you're talking about!LOL
There are no chemical additives in Tried & True. If you have other information prove it. Any oil capable of polymerization can creates enough heat in the process of polymerizing that if kept in a tight space like a bunch of rags in a corner are likely to spontaneously combust.
I thought you were describing BLO as tried and true, not discussing a brand name....
Yes, that brand says no chemical driers on their website.
I love this channel. These skills are still useful 200 years later.
John great video! When drying the treated cloth would placing it in direct sun light speed up the process? Also, you are very brave painting that with white pants on!! I would have it all over me, ha! Thanks
Texas outlook yes it does.
It will dry much faster in sunshine. However, the danger of spontaneous combustion, already mentioned, is also greater when the cloth is exposed to the heat of the sun.
Gary Cooper Not a concern if your fabric is stretched out
Stretching the fabric out reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk.
I really want to see stretched out linseed oil rag combust...
Oil cloth was also used as for windows when glass was unavailable/too expensive as some light could penetrate but rain, snow, etc. was kept out.
The deterioration could also be caused by exposure to ultraviolet light. Natural materials are less prone to this. synthetics generally have poor UV resistance unless they are specially treated by the manufacturer. I have made my version of oilcloth by painting cloth with oil-based paint.
Another reason for the decomposition/breakdown of the fabric might be the metal itself. Iron oxide (and most metal salts/oxides in general) have a very harsh effect on fabric. If you look at historic examples of dyeing and weaving, colors made using iron oxide will almost invariable break down long before the other colors. Its also the reason why historical silk has the tendency to "shatter" - it was often dyed with metallic salts to give it a nice luster (and since silk was sold by the pound, the metal salts also added quite a bit of weight to the final product lol), but the metals would eventually degrade the fibers and cause the fabric to fall apart.
I guess you could say that paint looks rather... Rustic :^)
You always provide interesting subject matter in a thorough manner, still keeping things light. I enjoy them very much, Thank you.
Gonna paint an oilcloth,
gonna make it sharp
better use oil-based paint,
because this cloth's a tarp
Obscure Simpsons reference.
You win the internet today my friend
Thought the same thing...several layers of oil based paint but KEEP AWAY FROM FLAMES. 😆
So you could use oil based paints & do a camo pattern or something instead of a solid color?
Use a tighter thread count and you don't need to fill the holes. I made a tarp out of a king size cotton flat sheet I had around the house. Sewed some canvas reinforcement on the edges with tie down points and it is now a great light weight rain cover or ground sheet. Better than plastic tarps as it doesn't rustle and make a lot of noise when out camping and trying to sleep. It only took a day to dry on the clothes line on a hot summer day.
Colonial Bob Ross!
Jackson Pollack....
lol was looking for this comment!
Yeeeeees!
You beat me to the joke. XD
And Bob Villa !
As a dyer and ink maker I know that iron oxide will eat through leather and cloth. You can see it in older cloth that was cheaply dyed in multiple colours. The black was often produced with iron oxide and that's the bit thats eaten away. Using beeswax and lanolin in your mix will delay the acid, but not stop it. Adding chalk as well, rather than iron mitigates the acids in the linseed oil
If you could find a brominated pigment it would likely make it a bit more fireproof. Many of the modern heat resistant cloths and plastics have brominated chemical components for that specific reason.
You touched on a few things that need elaboration. The acidity you mentioned can be counteracted by incorporating limestone 'whiting'. There is no reason you can't add both the red iron oxide and some whiting, giving you a lighter color. The drying of the linseed, or any vegetable oil is actually a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air, which converts the oil to a resin causing it to harden. This reaction takes place slowly and does give off heat. If the cloth is stretched out and fully open to the air the heat can easily escape and is not a problem. However, if the cloth is covered, or folded up on itself the heat is held in and the temperature can rise, leading to what we cause 'spontaneous combustion'. The caution we always hear about 'oily rags' is because of this heating. Even animal and fish oil can cause this problem, but not as quickly or as easily as vegetable oils. Big thick brushes can even heat up. My solution to oily rags and oily paper towels, and oily rubber gloves is to place them on the ground spread out with a rock on the corners until they harden. When safely possible I just burn the oily rags, and watch it until it is gone. Thanks for your interesting channel.
I've made this before, but I always preped the linen beforehand by soaking it in a Borax and baking soda solution and letting it air dry.
I am busy making a shelter of 6m square. Enough space for a bed a chair, small desk and wood burner. I am using 1.2m x 2.4m wire mesh panels which are used for reinforcing cement floors. The mesh is made from 3mm wire so is very flexible. I will then use strips of wood to make the mesh rigid. I have a whole lot of huge linen bedsheets which I will drape over the structure and the staple to the wooden strips. Then I will paint over the sheets with cheap exterior paint to make them waterproof. The whole thing will cost less than 200 bucks and keep me warm and dry during winter.
I am pleased to know that the mentioned reference also has a chapter describing how dangerous trepanning is. XD
Thanks for unveiling the mystery of oilcloth (and especially for the safety tips.) I have a piece of furniture upholstered with oil cloth that I was going to repair - the flammability gives me pause. I certainly won't put it in a room with a fireplace or candle!
Like others have said, I would add beeswax to your BLO / Turpentine mixture. Aim for a thick paste consistency. Rub it into the cloth while still very warm and heat it to penetrate the fabric. The result will amaze you. You can experiment with the percentage of wax to get what you want. I love all your videos. You are adorable.
I think so too! I was trying to remember what recipe I'd learned of that utilized beeswax to waterproof fabric. good comment
Your vast knowledge of everything is amazing. Thank you for sharing it with the world. My family and I really enjoy your channel.
I love how up until around 50 years ago, humans just constantly exposed themselves to lead whether it be in clothing, utensils, shelter, or medication.
In lead's defense, it's delicious
@@Incubansoul Only in dark cuisine
It is strange, the amount of lead in human history - we should be immune by now!
@@Spedley_2142 Well it would have to be eaten by us over a period of time and a tolerance for it would build up and those who didn't adapt would die. We would slowly mutated to where our offspring would be able to ignore it. It is how people in high elevations can breathe normally and others would get elevations sickness.
@@johnree6106 Yes, it was a joke reply :) . Lead doesn't really kill you or affect fertility until well beyond reproductive age so any traditional Darwinian evolution wouldn't apply but still, the amount of lead poisoning in modern human civilisation you'd think it would have some effect! :)
I am a cheater, I use outdoor paint from the mis-tint section. Sometimes you get lucky and get a oil based. Add a thinner to that with linseed oil, maybe buy a few other base colors to change up the mis-tint. I redid my canvas hunting tent with it, not indestructible but way more sturdy, and now, TACTICAL. Thanks for showing how to start from scratch.
Semper fi sir, you are a national treasure.
"...very poisonous, so we're not gonna be using that today..." That made me laugh! Love your series man!
Especially because after he says we will be using oil products. Probably the modern equivalent of lead.
With all the newbee livin off the grid stuff out. Mr.Townsend is the real deal. So educational, thanks.
I'd enjoy watching a demonstration of just how flammable oil cloth is.
Would people back then use these as a firestarter when the oil cloth became damaged in a way that rendered it unusable?
weatherseed I dont see why they wouldn't, but generally they had char cloth available. They probably didnt know about the toxicity (using the lead stuff) either so its likely enough.
yes
Must have missed a comment about placing a real wool blanket on the side nearest the fire. Wool doesn't readily burn and even an ember will burn itself out without doing great damage to the wool or the cloth.
Oh! I love this new tangent, how to make historical items, this is pretty cool. I love learning the cooking style, or the churning of butter, or how the lives of the different members of society was, but this is pretty awesome!! Thanks!!
If you want to test the theory about the weather, wet a small section lightly and test the ph of the water, then after it gets rained on a couple of times repeat the test and see if the ph starts going down.
If the acid is washed away, the pH should go up, not down.
Sorry I get that mixed up all the time.
Not to brag, but I've got a PH of 98% 👍
I am going to use this method to make a carry case for my Savage Model 24c [.22lr over 20ga shotgun] , since it is a breakdown type, I can make a carry case to carry in my truck for the "oh crud, the fecal matter has hit the atmospheric recirculation device] . This channel has given me oh so many ideas for when the worse case things happen. Thank you very much for all that you guys do.
yes oil and turps will eat the cloth. the old master painters would first coat their canvas with rabbit skin glue to "seal" the fibers from the oil
boiled linseed oil dries quicker
sun thickened/bleached linseed oil dries quicker
stand oil is also quick drying
I really enjoy your videos. I got started watching your 18th century cooking and love that you have added what I call “survival” episodes.
I would suggest using flax instead of line. Flax when it gets slightly wet swells up slightly and closes the pores and becomes waterproof on its own when you have this mixture to flax you won't have the problem that you have with a linen
LInen is flax.
Get rekt son
Had to see what all the fuss was about with oil cloth after hearing about its use for decades. Sure getting it hot would be a horrible plan since both linseed oil and turpentine are very flammable. Great video. Have to try it some day just to see what its like. Thank you.
Did the colonials use pine tar or bee's wax in conjunction with linseed oil? Do you paint both side of the cloth? Great topic thank you Jon.
The video says the stuff went right through to the other side, he said he was done except for the second coat, if needed. I wonder if he would do the second coat, if needed, on the other side?
Craig Majoros pine tar made things stiffer so mostly used on cloth roofs
no, probably not. pine tar was used, but mainly on wooden items that were to be waterproofed (boats, for example). Beeswax was very expensive, so rarely used.
This channel makes me appreciate everything we have today.
Never knew the recipe. Never thought of it. Thanks.
It's the flamable part the precludes me from using oil cloth in my bushcraft. In this day and age we have so many options. It is interesting to contemplate the historic use of oil cloth in bushcraft.