canvas hoochy waterproof project

[Blake]

Looks great though John. I wouldn't give up I think that if you get a good solid wack of beeswax in the mix it will really start to shed more water.

Any local honey places? They often have a good amount spare and if you can get friendly with them and maybe tell them what you doing and give them a plug on the forum they might have some dodgy left over bits of wax you can have?

 

[Aussie123]

well you guys are right , ill have to go with factory made gear and pick up some linseed oil, i gave it a good hit with the hose and i think its better than standing in the rain but the tarp is as good as a natural shelter i would think ( yet to test one of those )sure makes me think that primitive living peoples were seriously tough, how many of us could stand the cold and rain long term ,i guess our military are the only ones who would have an understanding what the animals and early humans had to live with .

It seems to me that this is really a “traditionalist” exercise, rather than a “primitive” one in that “primitive” people would have probably have had skins or perhaps bark sheets, rather than cotton / flax sheets.

Therefore to my way of thinking using a “simple” and traditional, but commercially sourced, oil should be in keeping with the scenario ?

I like the traditionalist idea of selecting a specific time period (and place) and sticking to the materials and technologies available at that period. This means that there is a specific area for research and you know what was do-able during that period and the types of materials available.

This applies whether you go for paleo era, medieval, Roman, 18th Century etc

 

[Moondog55]

Aussie to do that properly will cost a lot of money, depending on the era of course; for some folk won't be able to tan their own skins or weave flax into canvas. have you even tried to source proper linen or hemp canvas? I did as an intellectual exercise last year and was blown away by the cost.
Being faithful to the era and being authentic may wind up being totally different exercises, depending upon the degree of authenticity required, a living museum should replicate as exactly as possible and a re-enactor way wish to compromise on some items simply to make the action affordable.

 

[john]

thanks guy's for all your input im cleaning the tarp up at present and going with the linseed treatment ,i tried , not sure what period era i follow and not real sure where the boundaries start and finish for each era yet im new to this traditional thing ,i still have a lot of study to do , guess im mostly a skills guy and not a re-enactor

 

[Aussie123]

... Being faithful to the era and being authentic may wind up being totally different exercises, depending upon the degree of authenticity required, ...

Good point. To thine own self be true !
I think it helps to have something "specific" in mind and take it from there. How far you go is up to you.

John, when you say you want a "traditional thing", which tradition ? (Rhetorically question. No right or wrong answers to that)

 

[john]

sorry i didn't understand the words i used just trying to contribute to the forum, guess im not in the right section

 

[Aussie123]

sorry i didn't understand the words i used just trying to contribute to the forum, guess im not in the right section

no no ... I'm just being pedantic ! Sorry !

 

[Dusty Miller]

Neatsfoot oil should be available in capital cities at a place called "Horseland". http://www.horseland.com.au/store-locator.html

Tack and saddlery stores also carry it, often animal feed stores found mostly at the periphery of capital cities and in regional towns. It is a lot nicer to use than linseed oil, and makes a fine tapping compound for steel.

 

[Moondog55]

That's why I wont be joining any of the traditional groups, unless I get an urge to be Neolithic, I grew up with all the heavy 1950s gear ad have no wish to revisit that era, and anything earlier just gets heavier and at my age I like my small comforts

 

[Templar]

Guys,

Lets not confuse Traditionalist with Re-enactment or Living history... it's about learning and using skills from the past not counting stitches or being 100% period correct.

John, good work... you are on the right track, keep it up.

 

[Moondog55]

I don't think I'm confused Templar.
From my POV a lot of traditional bushcraft was very wasteful and unsustainable, but I was just trying to put the post in perspective.
Nobody these days would kill a kangaroo just to improve the chances of hooking a big Murray Cod or use gelignite to go fishing but I remember my GD telling me stories about doing just that.
Taking the best from each and combining it into a more environmentally friendly approach is more my style but I do admire those of you who do it differently