Oilcloth information sought...

[ZouaveCapt]

Hello, I am looking for a reliable source for oilcloth, and have been unable to find any vendors that carry it either reliably, or in colors suitable for my purposes. Thus, I am arriving at the conclusion that I may have to make it myself. I am aware of how to make small sheets, but does anyone have information on how it would have been manufactured during the Civil War, or any companies that did so at the time? Further, any vendors that you know that might carry it would be greatly appreciated. I've already visited Periodfabrics.com, and was disappointed in their selection. Are there any other sources that you folks are aware of that I'm missing? I'm having quite a bit of trouble tracking this down. Thank you.

[Dan Munson]

Didn't see you "signature" on your post. AC rules, I believe require all posts to have a signature. You can set up an automatic signature and stylize it, or just type you name at the end of every post.

If you want the name of a reputable vendor who can make you a cracker-jack period oil cloth or painted blanket, email me directly (dan.munson@mto.com). If you are just looking for how to "paint" your own oil cloth or painted blanket, I can help with that.

I see you hail from Sacramento. Oil cloths and/or painted blankets are of great interest to myself and few others in California and AZ who do a lot of "California Volunteer" impressions out here in the West. The Feds initially issued no rain gear to the California volunteers of 1861-62. Men went without, trusting to luck and the generally dry climate, or else bought what they could via private purchase.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

http://www.geocities.com/union_guard/oilcloth_and_painted_accoutermen.htm

[fedhead]

I have used the period paint recipe above many times but i can,t stop it soaking the cloth, does anybody know if thickeners were used for this reason ie chalk,alum.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

I have used the period paint recipe above many times but i can,t stop it soaking the cloth, does anybody know if thickeners were used for this reason ie chalk,alum.

Try starching the cloth heavily before painting. This was a practice that was common to the Federal depots for knapsacks, as I have a reference to the practice on pre-war knapsacks. The starch fills the pores of the material, allowing for a more even coating and glossier finish. The starch that was used then was similiar to the powdered starch that you can find in some grocery stores today. I've used it mixed one part boiling water to one part powder and sprayed it on the cloth and allowed to dry. You may need to experiment with some test cloth first, as too much starch will also allow the paint to flake off prematurely.

[fahtz]

We use starch (Argo Starch) all the time in covering theatrical flats with canvas, it stretches the fabric drum tight (sizing). Be careful not to account for shrinkage of your cloth.

[fedhead]

i have used cornstarch but that never worked, i will follow your advice Ross.

But has anybody heard of adding a thickener to the paint like chalk is this period?

[Jam3853]

Ross do you mind sharing your reference on this thread?

[gilham]

removed by me

[lukegilly13]

I've used the starch method with the recipe on the above posted website. It works. But be careful on the amount of starch you use.....if it clumps, the paint becomes almost brittle. I've made several different variations....it's a fun project but time consuming...don't get in a hurry.

[lukegilly13]

I worked with this a great deal today. I cannot get the mixture to stop soaking through either. I tried the starch...one time too heavy and the paint chipped/cracked. Today, I used less starch to water.....don't think there will be a problem with flaking, but the paint went through the fabric like toilet paper. Would more linseed oil and less thinner help this or simply make it take much longer to dry? I'd like to add that painting drill is not a problem...I can keep it from soaking...it's duck cotton that is troubling me.
Ross, I would like to try your suggested mixture above...is the original substance closer to cooking starch(corn starch) or laundry starch (or are these the same???)?

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

I worked with this a great deal today. I cannot get the mixture to stop soaking through either. I tried the starch...one time too heavy and the paint chipped/cracked. Today, I used less starch to water.....don't think there will be a problem with flaking, but the paint went through the fabric like toilet paper. Would more linseed oil and less thinner help this or simply make it take much longer to dry? I'd like to add that painting drill is not a problem...I can keep it from soaking...it's duck cotton that is troubling me.
Ross, I would like to try your suggested mixture above...is the original substance closer to cooking starch(corn starch) or laundry starch (or are these the same???)?

More like laundry starch as described in the period report from the QM report on knapsacks in the 1840's. I've had good results with boiled Argo laundry starch in the box or Sta Flo in the bottle (about half and half). I just found another period receipt from "Shaker Textile Arts" by Beverly Gordon (Univ. Press of New England, 1980) . "To make oil cloth. 1 pint of wheat flour and 1 quart of water, 2 teaspoons alum and scald but not boil. Add 1 gallon soft soap and 1/2 pint boiled oil with some kind of paint, about 2 TBs. Spread with a brush on the cloth you intend to paint and smooth with hot flat irons until it is dry. Then it is fit to spread paint upon which should be mix(ed) with boiled oil without spirit" Source: Journal of Irena Bates, unidentified community

[lukegilly13]

Thanks Ross! I just purchased some Sta Flo today...I plan to experiment some tomorrow!

[Charles Kaiser]

I use the corm starch too. I put the starch on the cloth, and than wait until it has nearly dryed. Then I used a flat-iron. so you get a verly plain cloth surface. it is like our ancestors starch their shir collars foe example.

[3rdUSRedleg]

Add more lamp black powder untill the consistency is rather thick.
Ratio: 1 pound of Lamp (carbon) Black to 1.5 quarts of liquid mixture.
Bleeding will be severely reduced.

[robert-m]

http://www.geocities.com/union_guard/oilcloth_and_painted_accoutermen.htm


The geocities link no longer works. Does anyone have the recipe on hand by chance?

[Huck]

Yes I do, I can scan it in and post it. But it will be a few days.

[Silas]

I hate it when links go bad. I had a link to the article from the Olathe Union Guard on my links page and have replaced it this morning with a pdf article from the Palmetto Battalion. It's probably written by Claude Sinclair who regularly creates and sells limited runs of painted blankets. Here's a sublink to my links page : http://www.zipcon.net/~silas/links.htm#N_10_ which will take you to the general section on clothing and equipment.

[Charles Kaiser]

Some generall points of my opinnion:
I made knapsacks and Haversacks. I always use cornstarch, and it soaks more or less the fabric. Sometimes no soaking, sometimes a little, and sometimes a dot, where the starch was to thin on this place or my work on this dot was not good enough, and it looks like on the original knapsack, which I rework, where some parts of are really clean of soacking, and the "Neighbourpiece" shows little or more soaking.
The quantyty of soaking depends on the kind of fabric you use, the thickness of your fabric, is it plain weave or twill weave, how you mix your starch, the tempreture of the day (fast drying on warm days mean not so dep soaking of the starch, as if it drys on a colder Day) The same is with the paint. Things I made in summer are very flexible, with the same paint from the same mixture in Winter brings a surface, that cracks at some little pits. (I repaint this parts, and they are now okay) My own Knapsack painted in Winter, and there was sometimes nearly 20 degree celsius below zero when he gets dry, now after a summer gets softer and sticky. Oil paint can be painted below zero degree celsius until 5 degreee below, but the fabric must be free of water. By the cold nights this Januar and Februar, the drying elongatet from 2 days to nearly 2 weeks, but it works!

Remember, you always work with natural resources, and they react in every time different to external circumstances, and You never know the final result lokks like, until the work is done. It is like Indigo dying, evry time an other shade of blue, thats natural, so do not worry so much about amore or less soaking of Paint. And Remenber, all this things are a mass- product for use and to waste, and not for good-looking!

Just my two cents

[3rdUSRedleg]

Add more lamp black powder untill the consistency is rather thick.
Ratio: 1 pound of Lamp (carbon) Black to 1.5 quarts of liquid mixture.
Bleeding will be severely reduced.

My apologies;
Correction: It is 1.5 gallons not quarts, and is (lamp black powder)to be added
by this ratio to the mixture you have already made up "liquid mixture".

This will minimise to almost no bleeding.

[mdougher]

Here is the recipe I have that I got off of this forum. I havn,t had a chance to try it yet, gotta wait for the end of the season because it has been a bit wet here lately.


"This recipe is an approximation, since the original recipe specified "litharge," or lead monoxide (PbO) which is extremely poisonous.

Materials:
Boiled linseed oil
Mineral spirits paint thinner
Lampblack (comes in tubes or dry powder)
Japan dryer
Corn starch

Method:
Make a sizing by boiling about a quart of water and adding cornstarch mixed in cold water until the mixture becomes a little syrupy.
Paint the cloth with the cornstarch sizing and let dry.
Mix one part of boiled linseed oil with one part of mineral spirits. Add lamp black until the paint is a very opaque black. Add one oz. (2 tbsp) of Japan dryer per pint.
With a brush, paint the cloth with the blackened linseed oil and let dry. This can take several days.
Mix one part of boiled linseed oil with two parts of mineral spirits. Add one oz. of Japan dryer per pint.
With a brush, paint the cloth with the clear linseed oil mixture and let it dry. This can also take several days. Two coats of this mixture should give the results you want.

(You can omit the cornstarch sizing if you want, but the oil-based paint will pretty much soak the cloth.)"


Good luck to ya, let me know how it turns out.

Mike Dougherty

[Clsinclair]

I hate it when links go bad. I had a link to the article from the Olathe Union Guard on my links page and have replaced it this morning with a pdf article from the Palmetto Battalion. It's probably written by Claude Sinclair who regularly creates and sells limited runs of painted blankets. Here's a sublink to my links page : http://www.zipcon.net/~silas/links.htm#N_10_ which will take you to the general section on clothing and equipment.

What has happened to the links is that Yahoo did away with all the free Geocities links. I hate it when that happens. Most people don't do the starch correctly for the sizing. I will boil a gallon of water and mix a tablespoon of starch with a pint of cold water and mix it in with the bowling water. It is just enough to prevent too much bleed but not too much as to keep the mixture of lampblack from from penetrating the cloth somewhat. Only took me a few years to get it right so now I don't have to follow any instructions.

[robert-m]

This is kind of along the same lines, but I am wondering about an iron dye recipe for leather. I have looked and nothing has came up, any help is welcome. thanks Robert

[Travelin Cornfed]

The iron oxide dye produced from vinegar and steel wool is the easiest dye to make. This is a very simple recipe for black leather dye that yields amazing results.

Things You'll Need:
2 Glass jars with lids
Apple cider vinegar
Steel wool, grade 0000 (the finest)
Cheesecloth Funnel


1. Loosely fill the jar with steel wool, leaving about a 1/2-inch clearance from the rim of the jar. Pour the vinegar in until the steel wool is submerged.

2 Place the jar in a small saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water until the jar is surrounded by water halfway up the height of the jar. Heat over medium-high heat until steam comes off of the vinegar, but do not let it boil.


3. Let the jar cool until it is safe to handle. Put the lid on the jar and let it set for 1 week.


4. Line the funnel with cheesecloth, and pour the vinegar through the funnel into a clean jar. The cheesecloth will catch loose strands of the steel wool.


Kirsten Martin (Abner Martin's wife)
AKMdrygoods

[robert-m]

Thanks Kristen very much, I have all the things to do this with here at the house other than the cheese cloth, but that's an easy fix.

[Spinster]

I contacted Jack Cox, the writer of the painted cloth article on the now missing Olathe Union Guard site, received his electronic copy of the article, and am posting the text here.

Shortly, I'll forward the files of this and other Cox articles to Paul Calloway so they can be properly copied and posted in the AC articles section, with Jack's blessing. I intend to park some copies elsewhere as well. Too often we must reinvent the wheel in the this hobby--in this case, it won't be necessary.

Jack left the active end of the hobby several years ago, but has continued as a moderator and contributor for the Off Topic Boys forum. When he disposed of his gear, many reenactors, both young and experienced, benefited from his amazing generosity. The last of his plunder, cloth, hand sewing thread, buckles, polished cotton, canton flannel, and other things you just cannot get anymore, has continued to land in great boxes on my doorstep, each one a new Christmas gift.

Jack is in the process of packing up his life for one more foreign deployment before he retires, this time to Italy. We wish him well, and thank him for his countless hours of research in the hobby.

Oilcloth and Painted Accouterments
by Jack Cox

“Painting” was a 1800’s method of waterproofing cloth for such items as knapsacks, haversacks, belts, cartridge boxes and ground cloths. Properly done, the fabric does become very waterproof, but retains its flexibility.
There are many different recipes for both "period accurate" oilcloth and for a modern version that looks the same, but without some of the problems of the 1850's recipe. The paint is generally applied over cotton drill or linen canvas.
The instructions below discuss the making of ground cloths, but the same procedure applies to all painted goods.

Modern Recipe:
While this recipe is obviously not authentic, it produces the same look and feel as the original methods. The final product looks, feels and wears as close to the original as most of us can approximate today. However, you need to make a decision as to whether you want to "fake it" with a modern approximation when a good period recipe is available.
Materials: Wallpaper sizing. Get it pre-mixed and ready to use. Flat black or semi-gloss interior latex paint *** Boiled linseed oil Mineral spirits paint thinner Japan dryer
(All of these materials are available at any good paint store)
Method:
1. Using a roller, paint both sides of the cloth with the wallpaper sizing and let it dry. It should take an hour or less. The sizing will prevent the paint from soaking the cloth, and it will give it some "tooth" for paint adhesion.
2. Using a roller, paint one side of the cloth with the black latex paint. Let it dry overnight.
3. Mix 2 parts of mineral spirits with 1 part boiled linseed oil. Add Japan dryer. Use 1 oz. (2 tablespoons) per pint of paint.
4. With a brush, paint the sized side of the cloth with the linseed oil mix. Let it dry. This may take several days, depending on temperature and humidity. It's NOT wise to let it dry in the house.
5. Paint on two additional coats of the linseed oil mix. Let it dry between coats.
*** There is a variation of this recipe that works very well also. Instead of using plain latex paint, mix 2 parts of latex paint with one part of boiled linseed oil. Stir it thoroughly, then follow the instructions above.


Period Recipe:
This recipe is an approximation, since the original recipe specified "litharge," or lead monoxide (PbO) which is extremely poisonous.
Bright Idea: Leave out the lampblack, and you have a recipe for a nice civilian waterproof cloth.
I strongly recommend this recipe because it is about as authentic as you can get without putting life and limb in danger.
Materials: Boiled linseed oil Mineral spirits paint thinner (or turpentine) Lampblack (comes in tubes or dry powder) Japan dryer Corn starch
Method:
1. Make a sizing by boiling about a quart of water and adding cornstarch mixed in cold water until the mixture becomes a little syrupy.
2. Paint the cloth with the cornstarch sizing and let dry.
3. Mix one part of boiled linseed oil with one part of mineral spirits. Add lamp black until the paint is a very opaque black. Add one oz. (2 tbsp) of Japan dryer per pint.
4. With a brush, paint the cloth with the blackened linseed oil and let dry. This can take several days.
5. Mix one part of boiled linseed oil with two parts of mineral spirits. Add one oz. of Japan dryer per pint.
6. With a brush, paint the cloth with the clear linseed oil mixture and let it dry. This can also take several days. Two coats of this mixture should give the results you want.
(You can omit the cornstarch sizing if you want, but the oil-based paint will pretty much soak the cloth.)

Confederate Ordnance Manual Recipe:
There is a recipe from the 1863 Confederate Ordinance manual which I have not tried. Use at your own risk.
Materials: 28 Parts lampblack 1 Part Japan varnish 73 Parts boiled Linseed oil 1 Part spirits of turpentine 1 Part litharge (substitute Japan Dryer for this.
Litharge is lead monoxide, and is very poisonous.)
Method:
1. Mix the ingredients, using 1 oz. (2 tbsp) of Japan dryer per quart of paint.
2. If you don't want the paint to totally soak the cloth, size it with cornstarch as in the period recipe above.
3. Apply 2-3 coats until the desired sheen is obtained.
Turpentine-base Recipe
This recipe comes from "Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets - 1861." This recipe will sound familiar in materials and proportion, but uses turpentine instead of mineral spirits for a thinner. Hazard Warning: The recipe uses litharge*** (poison hazard) and the mixture is boiled (fire hazard).

I DO NOT RECOMMEND OR ENDORSE USING THIS RECIPE.
Materials: 1 pint of spirits of turpentine 1 to 1 1/2 pints of linseed oil 1 lb litharge
Method:
1. Combine all materials in a large metal bucket. Litharge reacts strongly to aluminum and zinc. Do not use an aluminum or zinc coated vessel.
2. Boil and stir until thoroughly mixed and dissolved.
3. Paint on the cloth.
4. Let dry in the sun.
This recipe will give a clear to reddish or yellowish color, depending upon the base color of the litharge. The first coats could be tinted with lamp black to make a glossy painted oilcloth.
*** Safety data (MSDS) for litharge

[mdougher]

Has anyone seen a period oilcloth groundcloth in which the cloth is completely soaked through by the paint? All the recipes I see seem to give you a choice of if you want to keep one side white or if you want it to soak through, but I have never actually seen one that has both sides black.

[Silas]

Here is a link to Jack Cox's article republished to the net at http://44tennessee.tripod.com/articles//oilcloth.pdf

[traveler1863]

I was ask to do an officer impression for a school day last May. I didn't have an officer style haversack and didn't want to pay the money for one that might only be used once. I decided to make my own. I researched about 100pictures of ones used by actual officers, reproductions and articles form AC and came up with one that would be authentic. I've sawn a lot of items but never "tarred/painted" anything. I used the article that Mr. Cox posted (modern). For a rookie like me it turned out very nice. After all the research and sewing I didn't want it ruined. I was very pleased with the results. It did have to "air out" for awhile, but the smell did go away.

Respectfully submitted,

Gordon Morey