Maintaining Traditional Oil Skins and

[BobSmalser]

Yeah, I know

[Frank Hagan]

Great stuff once again, Bob! I didn't know anyone used oilskins anymore, but it makes sense once you explain it.

I wish I had the tarps my father once had that I think had been prepared in a manner similar to this; they lasted forever and were so much easier to work with than the plastic or limp canvas variety you see today. The only problem with them was loaning them out brought out the thief in people unaccustomed to using something like them.

Would this work with moden canvas for equipment covers and the like?

[BobSmalser]

Sure...fabric needs a tight weave and hard finish is all.

[Dave Fleming]

Ah memories....

Once upon a time there were several makers of good 'tin clothes'.

Horsh Weiss out of Portland, Alaska Sleeping Bag Company also out of Oregon and of course "Might As Well Have The Best" CC Filson and Co. from Seattle.

In the 1960's worked a number of shifts as a cargo shorer in San Francsico Bay Area. One ship we shored was just down from the sugar refinery on the lower Sacramento River. ALL the surfaces in the holds were covered in raw sugar! Not too bad until it began to rain,sigh. Before the Longshoremen could get the big hatch tent covers over each hatch the holds were now giant syrup bottles. Everything was covered in sticky slippery sugar goo! I had on my Filson jacket with the removable hood and was fine from the rain but, that damn goo just coated us like iceing on a cake.

We finished the double shift at about 3:30 AM and shuffled out to our vehicles. We were all parked along the Embarcdaro in San Francisco.

Imagine 15 or so fellas stripping down to their skivvies right out under the lights along a main street. Police car comes cruising by. On goes the searchlight and catches us all half undressed. Patrol car slows down and the window is lowered on the co-pilot side and a long loud 'wolf whistle' echos along the street! We all cracked up and waved at the police, continued our disrobing and threw the sticky stiff clothing in our auto trunks or PU beds. I got home and just left it all back there till the next day. When I came out there was about a gazillion bees swarming all over my gear! Took a day or so for those bees to finally leave and let me take my clothes out of the bed. Everything went into a big old tin washtub for a number of rinses in cold water and then all but the Filson jacket went into the washing machine. Filson was hung up, sprayed again with water, let dry, and back ready for more action.

Another shipwright let his wife take care of his clothes and he too had a Filson well...by the time he got his jacket back it might just have fit a 2 year old baby.

Moral if there is one, never artifically dry your 'tin clothes'!

Though it has been many a year now since moving south along the left coast, I still have my CC Filson jacket gently folded, as few folds as possible and, packed in my old college steamer trunk.

Say Bob, who makes your corked boots, Currin Greene or Buffalo?

[Dave Fleming]

:idea:

Bob et al., I have found that Pine Tar from the Feed Store is a bit thick and can have a very strong odor.

Try some Stockholm Tar it seems to be purer and a bit thinner in consistency. The odor is much closer to what I remember when making a batch of 'secret sauce'.

American Rope and Tar and the store at the Wooden Boat Foundation in Pt. Townsend have it as well as the big German chandlery whose catalog I seem to have misplaced, sigh. :?

If one were to make their own garments, I would recommend Shelter Tent Duck as a good alround fabric. You want it without colour if at all possible. In the 'greige' as it is known. Less after weaving processes to it and it takes the proofing much better.

Though B-i-L has had some good luck with Carhartt gear and proofing it.

Dunno what the Brits use as a base cloth but it seems to have a finer 'hand' than what I have gotten here in the 'states'.

Naturally a really tight weave fabric will be stiffer in general than a looser weave one.

Exception to that is the wonderful Brit fabric, VENTILE first developed for Hillary's ascent of Everest. Got several anoraks and parkas made of it and for 'civilian wear' it is ACES in wet windy weather. Don't think it would hold up too well in the brush or yards though.

[Guest]

Great stuff once again' date=' Bob! I didn't know anyone used oilskins anymore, but it makes sense once you explain it.

I wish I had the tarps my father once had that I think had been prepared in a manner similar to this; they lasted forever and were so much easier to work with than the plastic or limp canvas variety you see today. The only problem with them was loaning them out brought out the thief in people unaccustomed to using something like them.

Would this work with moden canvas for equipment covers and the like?[/quote']

Great stuff, Bob. You know Frank, the age of oriental throways has replaced many of these precious items. Couple that with little knowledge of how to take care of many of these items, is just another lost and dieing art. my father used canvas tarps for painting inside of houses, and kept them clean every week, and lasted multiple years.

[Frank Hagan]

:idea:

Bob et al.' date=' I have found that Pine Tar from the Feed Store is a bit thick and can have a very strong odor.

Try some Stockholm Tar it seems to be purer and a bit thinner in consistency. The odor is much closer to what I remember when making a batch of 'secret sauce'.

American Rope and Tar and the store at the Wooden Boat Foundation in Pt. Townsend have it as well as the big German chandlery whose catalog I seem to have misplaced, sigh. :?

[/quote']

I know Hamilton Marine out of Maine has Pine Tar and Stockholm Tar available mail order. They have pretty good prices ... I picked up Wichard sleeve bearing blocks for my halyards on my little Weekender for about half the price of Harkin ball bearing blocks. I did use the ball bearing blocks on the sheets, thinking that perhaps the ball bearings were needed more there than on a halyard!

[capt jake]

This topic really intrigues me. It pulls at my youth, in wanting to be more self sufficient. I like it!

Granted, I make and do a lot of my own work, but this own is really neat!

Now to find a suitable piece to try it out.. I gues my old flanels are out of the picture?!!

Good going Bob!!

[PeterSibley]

G'day Bob.......good advice.I've been repairing wear and tear holes in my oilskins with a mix of linseed and terebrin for probably the last 30 years ( say 9 parts linseed : 1 part terebrin ).Just sew on a patch of some fine weave cotton,japara is best....if you can't find that then I use something with a thick nap... it doesn't look as good but it seals very well.The best working oilskins here come out of New Zealand,very good gear from a very wet place .My best kit is a Stag brand motorcycle jacket ,English style,heavy fabric,quilted and warm.

I'll have a go at your recipe next time I decide to totally redress something !

Peter Sibley

[BobSmalser]

"Terebrin" being what I'm calling "turpentine" or "turps", eh?

[PeterSibley]

Terebrin is a drier ,something you can apparently add to a finish to get it to go off in a hurry.I've never used it in paint, only in my waterproofing compound.........no not turps!