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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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);
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'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
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!
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.
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) czcams.com/video/H4PSMx_jHK8/video.html&frags=pl%2Cwn
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.
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 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!
@@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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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"!
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
While watching/listening, I got the strange feeling as though I was watching The Woodwright's Shop... His manner of speaking is just like Roy Underhill.
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
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.
I am a classically trained artist. It is well know that when using linseed oil on real linen, one must isolate the linen completely from the linseed oil layer using rabbit skin glue. If there is no barrier between the two, the linseed oil will rot the linen very quickly causing complete failure of the linen. This is what happened to your old oil cloth. You can use cotton canvas with linseed oil with better results and not have the rotting problem or use rabbit skin glue to isolate the linseed oil when using linen.
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
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...
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.
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.
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?
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.
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
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.
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!
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);
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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
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.
You covered all the bases! Safety is very important! Love the ending, instructing about fire safety! Very nice video!!!
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
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.
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.
You do make history come alive. Very enjoyable video. I always wondered about oilcloth and it's use...thank you!
"...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.
What impresses me is the resiliency of this CZcams channel.
Interesting and new content every video and such Intriguing topics
Props
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.
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'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
Very cool. I always enjoy learning the different ways people would waterproof before plastic and rubber.
Colonial Bob Ross!
Jackson Pollack....
lol was looking for this comment!
Yeeeeees!
You beat me to the joke. XD
And Bob Villa !
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.
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!
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 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.
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) czcams.com/video/H4PSMx_jHK8/video.html&frags=pl%2Cwn
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.
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 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!
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 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!
There are few genuinely good channels on CZcams these days, but yours is one of them. Great job.
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!
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.
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.
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.🤣
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.
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.
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
I am pleased to know that the mentioned reference also has a chapter describing how dangerous trepanning is. XD
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.
You are an absolute CZcams legend, thanks for the great content over the years
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.
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?
:)
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?
I really enjoy your videos. I got started watching your 18th century cooking and love that you have added what I call “survival” episodes.
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.
Such beautiful country. I like all the trees. I watched some if your other videos and the soil looks nice and rich.
Yaay more history :D love this show of yours Mr.townsend
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!!
With all the newbee livin off the grid stuff out. Mr.Townsend is the real deal. So educational, thanks.
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.
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.
I love this channel. These skills are still useful 200 years later.
You always provide interesting subject matter in a thorough manner, still keeping things light. I enjoy them very much, Thank you.
Welcome to the Joy of Practical Painting.
I keep looking for the baby squirrel in his pocket
It probably got loose and raided the nutmeg again.
Lolz lil' thief! (imagining totally high tree rodent)
What can I say? Squirrels love them some nut(meg)s.
Lolz
Never knew the recipe. Never thought of it. Thanks.
Still easily the best on CZcams. Thank you.
This channel makes me appreciate everything we have today.
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?
I LUV the old skills!
I always think our grandpas were to much smarter than us
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.
I love it when you pull out a tool you just made!
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!
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.
Your vast knowledge of everything is amazing. Thank you for sharing it with the world. My family and I really enjoy your channel.
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.
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.
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
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.
Love your wardrobe, and the background music, and set
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
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.
keep being you because your channel is my calming oasis in this chaotic time. thank you.
Just found your channel. Love it! Bing watching all your videos. Love the different side of history. Keep them coming!
I guess you could say that paint looks rather... Rustic :^)
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.
Thanks for sharing, it's like you're exploring the science of history, by living it today. Really interesting!
Really cool bit of history. Thanx for the upload!
While watching/listening, I got the strange feeling as though I was watching The Woodwright's Shop...
His manner of speaking is just like Roy Underhill.
Their voices sound almost identical. I kept thinking his voice sounded familiar to.
my oil cloth i made a few weeks ago. only took about 4 or 5 days in low humidity with 10-15 mph winds...
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
Im only 5 min in and i LOVE this channel already! Thank you so much!
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...
I am a classically trained artist. It is well know that when using linseed oil on real linen, one must isolate the linen completely from the linseed oil layer using rabbit skin glue. If there is no barrier between the two, the linseed oil will rot the linen very quickly causing complete failure of the linen. This is what happened to your old oil cloth. You can use cotton canvas with linseed oil with better results and not have the rotting problem or use rabbit skin glue to isolate the linseed oil when using linen.
Art School education FTW!
Rabbit skin glue consists of hard flakes which turn liquid at 57°C. The liquid glue is applied to the linen to seal it. bierstad77 is right.
I love the traditional Russian folk tunes that form the backing track to your excellent vids.
Your channel is amazing!!! Thanks much and blessings to you and your family 😇 🇺🇸