Oil Cloth Tarp

[Pigman]

I am looking for an Oil Cloth Tarp to use for setting up a camp. I would like it to be correct for colonial period on.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can purchase one?

Thanks,
Mark C. Foster

 

[mmahlock]

At the risk of having a whole bunch of people go off on me, will this work for you?

Crazy Crow Spanish Brown Oil Cloth

Or you can go with this material.

Tentsmiths Oilskin Tarp

 

[Lostrifle]

Panther Primitives, catalog #18, page 43.
Oilskin trail tarp, sizes 7'X 7', 9'6"X 9'6", and 12'X 12'.
Oilskin seam sealer on the same page.

 

[Black Hand]

Get a piece of canvas or linen and paint it with several coats of oil-based red barn paint. Quick and appropriate oilcloth at a fraction of the cost.

 

[atki]

Period Correct Fabrics has it by the yard. Have to sew up what you want to make:
http://www.periodfabric.com/OilCloth.htm

comes in three colors.

WB

 

At the risk of having a whole bunch of people go off on me, will this work for you?

Crazy Crow Spanish Brown Oil Cloth

Or you can go with this material.

Tentsmiths Oilskin Tarp

Panther Primitives, catalog #18, page 43.
Oilskin trail tarp, sizes 7'X 7', 9'6"X 9'6", and 12'X 12'.
Oilskin seam sealer on the same page.

Have and use three different size oil cloths (one from each firm mentioned), Panther's material is just a little heavier in weight (weave & thickness) than the other two. All of these firms have a good product.

 

[Black Hand]

The oil-cloth material that looks like the Australian drover coats is not HC/PC. The stuff that looks as if it was painted is. By the way, I have found appropriate-looking oilcloth tarps at Ace hardware but they were of the yellow-iron oxide variety (also an appropriate color). The most common colors appear to be red, yellow and black/gray but the color also is dependent upon where you "are" geographically.....

 

[Pigman]

What I am looking for is a tarp to be used for setting up a shelter. Should I look at plain canvas as opposed to oilskin/oilcloth?

 

[Black Hand]

What I am looking for is a tarp to be used for setting up a shelter. Should I look at plain canvas as opposed to oilskin/oilcloth?

Canvas will work very well as a shelter (depending). Higher quality canvas drop-cloths (I got mine from Sherwin-Williams) will absorb some water, the fibers will swell and the material will shed water very well. I had mine up on several different occassions during prolonged rain (we're talking 2 days of rain) and I never had any water come through. Cheap tarps leak without any treatment....

 

[Rod Lassey]

There's a good article in a past issue of the Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly on the production of oilcloths.

For several period recipes, look here:
http://www.geocities.com/union_guard/oilcloth_and_painted_accoutermen.htm

Substitute red or yellow ochre instead of the lampblack for a more 'civilian' look.

If you want to get a correct type of cloth, consider hemp canvas, known at the time as Russia sheeting. It can be found here:
http://www.najecki.com/repro/Linen.html

Rod

 

[Pigman]

Does anyone make tarps out of the Russian sheeting?

 

[J.D.]

Oil cloth works great until the temps drop to freezing. Once it gets cold, it's almost like folding a piece of tin. It will crack and break, in cold weather.

That said, I have used both, oil cloth and plain canvas in all sorts of weather with no real difference in effectiveness, until the temps dip to freezing.

God bless

 

[Rod Lassey]

I've got several yards of Russia sheeting, ready to apply the waterproofing one of these days. One thing I've noticed about the hemp canvas--it's much, much stronger stuff than cotton canvas. Near impossible to rip the stuff by hand when I was making up the cloth to size.

By the way, tarp is a shortened form of tarpaulin--which refers to waterproofing with tar. Sometimes you will see it called a paulin in period books. They were used mostly at sea, where they seemed to waterproof everything with tar. Sticky business, I'd say :wink:

Rod

 

[old ugly]

if you are going to make an envelope type shelter like the one in that brown oil cloth link . order a square or as close to square trap from one of the tent suppliers , get the better canvas if you can afford it (sunforger or such) it will last forever . i used a normal 10x 12 tarp for years one pole in front and stake the other 3 corners and you are set .
for going on a trek i made a tarp out of thinner white cloth and tent doped it as my regular tarp was to heavy to pack .
i have seen in this forum somwere of a company that makes a tarp specialy for that type of camp and i think it had ties up the center that are handy to keep it from sagging down on you . these type of shelters are small 1 person and gear sort of thing .

 

[old ugly]

sorry its called a diamond shelter not an envelope .
http://www.tentsmiths.com/period-tents-diamond-shelters.html

 

[old ugly]

check out the classifieds brad adams has one for sale . looks to be a good deal .

 

[Pigman]

I already sent him a message about it.

 

[Woods Dweller]

Many years ago I used a canvas tarp. To waterproof it I used a recipe of
Mineral spirits and wax, The recipe come from a old book. The Mineral spirits was just heated up and the wax melted in it, Then, I brushed the mixture on the canvas and let it dry. This worked very well. I wish I still had the recipe. I also got from this book; I heat up my Gun barrel [just from the sun] and take a piece of wax and with long even strokes, wax my gun barrel. This stop rusting.

 

[Poor Private]

I was at Menards this past weekend. I was looking for a painter tarp to use as a ground cloth/door for my diamond. I found to my astonishment a new type of paintrs tarp- one that has a thin layer of butyl rubber on the back side--gasp it's already waterproof! and not that expensive either. NOw if the weather holds outThat I can set it up before the first Blizard due here this weekend I can measure and then go buy what I need.

 

[REBEL TRACKER]

:thumbsup: I MADE MINE OUT OF 10OZ COTTON DUCK AND SOAKED IT FOR A WEEK IN BOILED LINSEED OIL