Walmart Dropcloth for lean-to?

[aztimberwolf]

would a $10 10oz dropcloth, home waterproofed, work for a budget lean-to/shelter?
if so, would 8oz do the job as well?
if not, what should I use instead?

 

[Coot]

Tentsmiths has a closeout sale on some odds & ends including an 8x10 tarp for $65. More than the dropcloth but they do very nice tentage.

 

[Poor Private]

I made myself a 7x7 diamond/leanto out of a 9x7 dropcloth last spring. I used it last summer at a civil war event in Holland MI. During t event we got one of the fiersest thunderstorm of the year. They sent eveybody buta couple of us back to a barn> Me and a bud stayed in the tent area to keep an eye out on things . I stayed in my homemade leanto throughout the storm. I only had a couple of spots that the water dripped in very slowly. I just used a can of :shocked2: Thompsons water sealer for water proofing- worked fine. The big thing to remember is to set it up so that the slooping side is facing the prevailing wind not the opening. i sleep on a groundcloth with a wool blanket I roll up in.
I can carry my tarp in a canvas calapsible bucket inslding the stakes and a hachet, the front 4' pole I use as a walking stick to get where I am going.

 

[crockett]

I've had the same thought about the drop clothes at Walmart. Some drop cloths are large enough that you could cut out a Whelan lean-to and double over and bind the edges, etc- that would be a pretty cheap tent.
On the Thompson's Waterproofing- what do you do? Spread the tent on a grassy lawn and slosh on the Thompson's water proofing? Do you first wash and dry the drop cloth to shrink it and tighten up the threads? Is one can of Thompson's seal enough for a 8' x 8' tarp?

 

[Karl Helweg]

I have a friend, Chuck Barnes, who made a whole tent out of those 10 oz Wal-Mart drop cloths. When he camped with us in Lumberton he declared it the "camp shower" since absolutely everything he had was soaked after the rain. On the other hand, some of the Campbell's Rifles folks made porch flies out of them and said that the trick was painting them heavily in Thompson Deck Sealer. I have used the Thompson's trick on my tent rugs and it has worked surprisingly well.

 

[Woods Dweller]

I have a large Wal-Mart drop cloth $20. I washed it then waterproof it with this recipe.

To two ounce or one block of white wax, add two quart of spirits of turpentine. [Spirits of turpentine is flammable be very careful] on very low heat warm spirits of turpentine until wax is melted. Drape tarp over close line, roll tarp up and tie tarp like a long bed roll. With a large paint brush I soak tarp by dipping brush in warn spirits of turpentine with wax and brushing roll up tarp until tarp is dripping wet. Next I untie tarp and let it unrolls and hang there for a day to dry out.

I bought a $10. Tarp and cut 2 triangle sections from it and sewed them on the ends to complete my lean-to. Does not leak.

 

[aztimberwolf]

I have a large Wal-Mart drop cloth $20. I washed it then waterproof it with this recipe.

To two ounce or one block of white wax, add two quart of spirits of turpentine. [Spirits of turpentine is flammable be very careful] on very low heat warm spirits of turpentine until wax is melted. Drape tarp over close line, roll tarp up and tie tarp like a long bed roll. With a large paint brush I soak tarp by dipping brush in warn spirits of turpentine with wax and brushing roll up tarp until tarp is dripping wet. Next I untie tarp and let it unrolls and hang there for a day to dry out.

I bought a $10. Tarp and cut 2 triangle sections from it and sewed them on the ends to complete my lean-to. Does not leak.

would you recommend 8 or 10oz?

 

[Poor Private]

How I applied my Thompsons was easy I used a garden sprayer. Pumped that bugger up and hung the tarp on a clothes line(s) and started spraying like heck. But I made sure that the weather forecast would be nicce for a couple of days for drying. I placed grommets and canvas loops around the perimeter for staking or tying where or as needed.

 

[Poor Private]

Menards also now carries painter tarps with a butyl rubber backing.

 

[Woods Dweller]

would you recommend 8 or 10oz?

I would recommend a 10oz! but I would get what I could afford.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

I have a Queen Anne style tent, a large camp fly, and a 10' X 10' trekking tarp, all of which I made from canvas drop cloths. I recommend the 10oz tarps, or better yet 12oz if you can find one, as the the 8oz are just too light to actually swell up enough to effectively repel water.

Before doing anything else, wash the tarps with hot water in a commercial washer and then throw in the dryer on medium or high heat. This will cause the tarp to shrink and tightens up the weave.

I've experimented with various waterproofing methods, both PC and not, but the absolute best treatment has proven to be Canvak or similar parafin-based products specifically made for the task. These repel water, resist mildewing, and are flame retarding.

I strongly recommend sewing cloth loops along the edges rather than using modern brass grommits. Reinforcing patches where you sew the loops are also recommended.

 

[Black Hand]

would a $10 10oz dropcloth, home waterproofed, work for a budget lean-to/shelter?
if so, would 8oz do the job as well?
if not, what should I use instead?

The cheap canvas tends to rip when waterproofed. Buy a quality piece of canvas and use it instead. You probably won't even need to waterproof it, as good canvas appears to naturally more water-repellent.....

 

[mmahlock]

It is my understanding that the current formulation of Thompson's has a very bad effect on canvas or any fabric for that matter. The old stuff used to be great. Canvak on the other hand is made for use on canvas and fabric. :hatsoff:

Oh, BTW, Bees wax will dissolve in Turpentine without the addition of heat if you leave it overnight or so. I use that formula for wood finishing.

 

[pichou]

would a $10 10oz dropcloth, home waterproofed, work for a budget lean-to/shelter?
if so, would 8oz do the job as well?
if not, what should I use instead?

We make oilcloths from those and the McCloskey fence and barn paint.

 

[tg]

I use the 8oz that I got from a paint store if treated the lighter weight should be fine,there was a sale last fall and I got two 9'x12' for $10 each no logos printed on them, I have not finished one yet but they seem to be pretty tight and should suffice for most condition less than "severe weather" I would be home watching the tube on those days anyway.

 

[jbtusa]

I have found that the canvas drop cloths at Lowe's are much tighter weave than WalMart or Home Depot. I washed and dried mine at home and the canvas is so tight that I am not going to treat it.

 

[76monza]

aztimberwolf,
Just looked in the Sherwin Williams paint store this past week. 9x12, 12 oz canvas for $28.

I have hand made a few tents and a few more rain flies in my time, and 8-10oz. painter canvas does an okay job at straining out the big rain drops. Regardless of what chemical treatment you use on it, in a good downpour you will have a light mist coming through an 8-10oz painter canvas. Even if you heat shrink the material beforehand.

The 12oz painter canvas is a better way to go. the weave of the material is thicker and tighter. And it looks more like a duck canvas, much better at shedding water. Wash and heat shrink the material before cutting and sewing would be the first step

Second Thompson and Canvax are barely adequate for water proofing canvas, no matter how much you put on them. PROSOCO's Siloxane PD, which is a water repellent for masonry is far better for treating canvas and its non-staining. On masonry buildings it generally has a life of 4-5 years. I would hazard to guess that number could be extended for tents that usually don't receive that kind of exposure. All it takes is pump-up garden sprayer to apply.

You can use a clear silicon weather caulking that has been cut down with mineral spirits. this will waterproof and reinforce potential weak points and tears. Use a chip brush and spread this along seams,stake straps, sod cloths from the inside of the tent and the underside of the straps. This will strengthen a weak areas or broken fibers in the painter canvas which is very common in painter grade canvas.

Just a few things I've discovered over the years and have helped me stay a bit drier and maybe little warmer.

smokeydays

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

Just looked in the Sherwin Williams paint store this past week. 9x12, 12 oz canvas for $28

Filed in the grey matter filing system...

12 oz canvas is hard to find in all the big box stores.

Thanks

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

I made a LARGE diamond from a 12 X 16 tarp from Lowes about 13 years ago :grin:. It's a little big for treks and such, but great for weekend events. I treated it with Canvack; sewed ties on the edges; and painted my logo/mark (ID) large on a corner. It can sleep three with gear. I set it up three with three or four poles and NO ropes :shocked2:. This gets a lot of looks. I also use it for a floor over roofing rubber in my large wedge. It still works great, but like all canvas, you need to care for it. Keep it clean and dry when stored.
I'm now retired and work full time at my local Lowes store. I buy as much as I can when they clear it or they clearance it do to damage (dirty or bad packaging etc.). I use it for a lot of things. It's less expensive than trying to pay for canvas at a fabric store :applause:. In addition to tentage and tarps, it makes good pants, breaches, frocks, hunting shirts, gun covers, and bags of all sizes, shapes and uses. :thumbsup:

 

would a $10 10oz dropcloth, home waterproofed, work for a budget lean-to/shelter?
if so, would 8oz do the job as well?
if not, what should I use instead?

This is the best waterproofing I have ever found and used for a tent. http://www.davistent.com/shop25/item-detail.cfm?id=waterproofing&storeid=17
I would use 10 oz if I were going to make one as you mentioned.
The main thing to remember is when storeing make sure the canvas is Bone dry. And store in a container to keep it from moisture and rodents.
I store my tent in a new plactic trash can for this purpose.