Oil Cloth

[Radar67]

I haven't even considered that, and I have a pool company not a mile from the house.

[shinnlinger]

Hi,

I too have grown disgusted with blue tarps but can never shell out for canvas ones when the time comes.  I think the oilcloth/linseed oil is the right idea, but I also have and I have a few Driz-a-bone souvenirs from my experience down under.

"Back in the day" I used to melt parafin(double boiler on this trust me) and mix it 50-50 with kerosene to protect wood and I see no reason why you couldnt use that straight on your bedsheet or add melted parfin to your linseed oil mix for extra water repelency...

I still would like to see the confederate recipe though....

[timberfaller390]

Sorry boys I forgot all about this thread. Here is the recipie for "lacker for general water proofing" straight out of The Army of the Confederacy Ordinance Manual First Edition 1863.
Beeswax......................13 lbs.
Spirits of turpentine........13 galls.
Boiled linseed oil............1 gal.
All the ingredients should be pure and of the best quality. Heat them together
in a copper or earthen vessel, over a gentle fire, in a water bath, until they are well mixed.
                  "Recipie for boiled oil"
Raw linseed oil..............103 lbs.
Copperas......................3.15 lbs
Litharge........................6.3 lbs
Put the copperas and litharge in a cloth bag and suspend it in the middle of the kettle.
Boil for 4 1/2 hours,with a slow, even fire, so that it may not be burned; then let
it stand and deposit the sediment.

A gallon of linseed oil weighs.............7.5 lbs.
"             " spirits of turpintine............7.25
"             " japan varnish...................7.0
"             " sperm oil........................7.12
"             " neat's-foot oil..................7.63

"Fate denied us victory, but deemed us glorious immortality" Robert E. Lee

[Radar67]

Thanks for the recipe timberfaller.

SL, adding a little wax seems like a good idea. I have not made this yet. I have been flip flopping between using a good sheet, or using the 6 oz canvas 4x10 runners painters use as drop cloths. I can pick those up reasonably and have the capability to sew them together to make them wider.




2500

[shinnlinger]

Radar,

Being from a state that doesn't beleive in billboards and doesn't have many pools to boot I am intriged by this idea.  I was thinking a stroll to the thrift store is in order.

 ANy reason why old electric blankets wouldn't work?  My thought is they are a dime a dozen and a little thicker than a sheet ANd I might be able to talk the local home Economics calss to sew some together for me.

Timberfaller,

That is a cool recipe, thanks for typing it in.  It looks like a modern parafin-PT thinner-linseed oil batch would do something.

[timberfaller390]

go with the canvas. I think the sheet will tear too easy in a wind.

[stonebroke]

Now all you have to do is find some sperm oil, copperas and litharge. Should be easy enough.

Stonebroke

[timberfaller390]

Now all you have to do is find some sperm oil, copperas and litharge. Should be easy enough.

Stonebroke

that stuff was not part of the recipe. I just typed out the whole page from the book

[stonebroke]

That makes it a lot easier.

Stonebroke

[Radar67]

SL, the only thing I would wonder about with an old electric blanket is, how much oil and wax would it take to thouroghly soak it?

The canvas does seem to be my better choice.