Jim, thanks for noticing that RUclips somehow cut off my ending during the upload process. What I was saying is that as an option to combat streaking, dry it slower, out of the sun or (the part that was cut off) thin the silicon with more mineral spirits while the mix is still in the bucket. When I hung this on a sunny day I immediately starting wiping it down with paper towels and noticed that some areas were drying faster than others. If you were to thin the mix by adding twice as much spirit you could eliminate streaking but you might sacrifice some of the longevity of the waterproofing. Good luck with your project. If you try this, let me know your results.
I have used toluene to thin the silicone. Works real good. I coated a pair of blue jeans with it, and made a great pair of rain pants. Have lasted over 20 years.
Any petroleum-based product can thin silicone, but most have a smell associated with them. Toluene may not be available at some stores, but mineral spirits are commonly carried.
Longevity would depend on how the material was used. If the tarp stayed outside for a year you would expect deterioration of both the silicone as well as the nylon. For occasional use it should provide years of service.
Thanks for video, Looks like a great idea and you made it look fairly easy. Could tell this wasn't your first project as smooth and easy, as you made it look.
Really can't say for sure since I added nylon twine twine to strengthen the outer hems, tie out points and webbing. total weight should be close to store bought silnylon though.
After this procedure when the fabric is dry, does the fabric still smell like silicone, what is it no longer breathable, is the fabric sticky or not after treatment and what is the condition of the fabric after a mild wash ??? What is the mix ratio ???
Mix ratio is shown in the video. No heavy silicone smell in fact, I did not notice any smell with the products I used. Never had to wash mine so I have no answer. After all these years, it is not sticky.
I read on another post that you cannot use this mixture on a 100 percent cotton bedsheet, only a mixture of nylon and cotton. I am not sure I believe this, your thoughts?
Silicon should not be tacky like fly paper but could have a slight resistance when rubbing the fabric together. I hope you used odorless mineral spirits. If so let your object dry in the sun or somewhere that there is heat preferably room temperature. If stickiness persists try rubbing some baby powder on it. Let me know if things improve. Good silicone should dry without tackiness. Adding the thinner just speeds up the drying process.
I was asked how much weight did this add to the tarp. This project was 4 years ago so I'm not sure but basically, the weight of the silicone applied is the added weight. The mineral spirits evaporates.
I would weigh silicone before applying then weigh the leftover that is how much more your canvas will weigh in the end. Thinner will dissipate out. Adding water based paint to silicone increases hardening in thicker than 1/4 beads. The water is an activator so I'm assuming spraying the sheet with water after application would probably decrease the hardening time.
I don't see how that would be true. Silicone is not water based and should repel water-based paint. You can't paint silicone with latex and expect it to stick.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd ... .. . After distillation, water is added to dimethyldichlorosilane, which causes it to separate into disilanol and hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric acid then acts as a catalyst for the disilanol, causing it to condense into polydimethylsiloxane. Polydimethylsiloxane, as you’ll notice, contains the siloxane bond, which is the backbone of silicone. From there, silicone is polymerized using a variety of methods depending on the desired properties of the end product. There are compounds to solidify or harden Silicone prematurely... remove the moisture, H2O, or wet fluids out. $10 bucks. I used to make thick molds using cheep calking, perhaps it was the specific blend, but adding tiny amounts of (water) based paint would harden any thing over 1/4in. thick. Go figure can't explain that, but it worked when working with bronz castings. So fars as wetting a canvase with water to hasten its dry time perhaps your right. Some thing to thing to think about, adding oil based chemicals to cotton or linen, as a painter you never apply oil directly to canvas, first water paint then oil. It is not an archival methoud... if you want your back pack-tent etc. to keep more than a few hundred years any way 😂. I used white gas..camp fuel to thin silicone in the past. I'll have to try this methoud. Thanks.
I made what they call an oil skin tarp . I found a high thread count sheet queen size and sewed webbing loops on the corners and the middles with six points of contact . I used turpentine and boiled linseed oil . After making it I was happy with it . However I later came to wonder if I could have used less turpentine if I had added some JAPAN drier . I am always egar to learn more methods that work . Thanks and God Bless
Thanks for the video. I think I'll be brushing this on a rain fly instead of dipping. The fly is huge and it has netting windows and a door. Will hang and do in sections. I might do both sides because I'm tired of having a leaky tent!
Is your entire fabric leaking or is it leaking at the seams? On some of my tents I just brush sealant on both sides of stitched seams. I agree with not dipping if you have netting.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd Thanks for responding. It's a 15 year old nylon tent from Cabela's. 2 rooms, tent side has floor, second room doesn't. The tent side has 2 large netting areas so full coverage rain fly has to really work. It's finiky to setup correctly but our family likes the lay out. Not really sure where leaks are happening but the fly is due for a treatment. Do you think it would be okay to do in sections since it's such a large piece?
@@haint7709 I once bought a new Coleman tent and wet it down with a hose. Leaked like a sieve so I sent it back. I would recommend that you set your tent up prior to a rain event or if you can't wait, wet it with a hose and see if there are noticeable leakage spots. No need to treat everything if you can identify problem areas. My first family tent was canvas. I bought two gallons of canvas treatment, spent all that time painting it on and it still leaked so I bought a new tent which was much lighter since it was nylon.
Need to seal and cover my van's tunicover to make it look better. Going to try that. Wil just spread that with a plastic card to make that nice and smooth
Its been about 4 since I made the tarp. I store it in my attic where it can get very warm. I got it out a few weeks ago and the surface is slippery as you would expect with silicone and the tarp was not sticky.
THANKS for this video. Was there any mix left in the bucket or on the catch tarp? Looking to know how much product was soaked in/adhered to that tarp. __SUGGESTION:__ Instead of a cup to measure, use a sheet of plastic food wrap. Drop that into the mineral spirits and remove plastic after mixing.
+fm00078 There was perhaps 2-3 cups left over as I recall which I poured back into the gallon can. There was some initial dripping onto the tarps but not much as I kept wiping the bottom off and spreading it onto areas that appeared to be drying quickly. The thing you want to achieve is good coverage and if you don't work out air bubbles while soaking in the bucket, you may get a dry spot so when you hang and stretch your tarp, look for spots that appear not to be wet and apply the mix by paper towel or rag.
+Craig Lenhard WAY back in the mid 70's I bucket soaked a 2 man tent in Thompson's Water Seal. It was for an extended bike trip out west and it worked great tho it was very stiff. So stiff that it only lasted about 2 years before cracking. EH, live and learn. I was curious how much your tarp soaked up. So it sounds like 1/2 of your mix. #2 Curious: Did the silicone bond to the bucket or did it peal in one sheet?
I think this would work well on a patio umbrella. Just wondering how much it would tend to dull the color if any and if it tends to have a rubbery feeling build up on the surface. Not that it would hurt anything, just curious. I bought some silicone based water proofing spray for ours, which is a bright red and my parents bought a can of a different kind, can't remember if it was silicone based also or something different but a gentleman tried to sell him a can of spray that supposedly left a rubbery film on it and he didn't want that for some reason. There's is a white and silver/blue color design....Do you think this treatment would dull the colors? Thanks for the video and info...
The silicone will not leave a rubbery feel but more of a slippery feel. It will tend to darken any material it is applied to while the sun tends to lighten material colors due to UV exposure.
Same result provided you get complete coverage. If you do just one side the end result would be a slightly lighter material but 50% less protection from rain penetration.
Sure, that makes sense. I was speaking more to the problems of streaking and dealing with the saturated tarp dripping the silicone mixture all over the place. I would think you could minimize both of those issues by brushing the mixture on the tarp.
If brushing onto something big or thin you will have a hard time getting to all areas and the fabric moving around. The mineral spirits could bleed through and depending on what surface you have it on you could pick up dirt or worse . As example, if doing this on newspaper you would run the risk of getting reverse news print on your project. A dipped project gets fast coverage and you end up wiping it with a rag to even out coverage or soaking up any dripping on the lower edge. If hanging presents a problem I would also consider spraying. Many sprayers can handle such a job but cleanup must be thorough otherwise your next project may be contaminated and the finish will not flow (fish eye results).
I guess i should be more descriptive... I was thinking more along the lines of; suspending a tarp by its middle pullouts, staking out the corners to form a "V" or traditional tent shape, and painting the silicone mixture onto (into) the fabric. If deemed necessary, the process could be repeated for the other side of the tarp. Assuming I did a decent job with coverage, wouldn't this method be just as effective as dipping, with the added benefits of being a lot less messy and a lot less likely to produce streaks?
If you used paintable silicone, would that help adhere a second coat? With that mix, have you tried gluing 2 tarps together to make one larger or patching? Just trying to save future steps and mistakes. Again thanks.
I don't know about paintable silicone and why would you need a second coat? I can tell you that silicone is not meant to be a glue for any stress areas. I have had some luck with a100% silicone patch left to dry while clamped but don't expect a two piece tarp to stay together with out sewing. If you need a flexible waterproof patch a product called "Shoe Goo" would be better to try.
I was just curious about it's glue-abilities. The less glue in the joint, the stronger the bond. Here I was wondering since the mix is so thin... that maybeeeee. I'd be one to carry a small amount of mix in a glass jar while on the road for a repair once and compatible patch repairs. . Gluing of 2 tarps. I was curious on your experience. Taking 2 tarps and doubling them up. The cost of carport replacement tarps is getting way out of hand... catch my drift? . Also, I'm weighing the possibility of using this mix on my next/last trailer for out of view surface sealing, like the undercarriage.
Did you have a slight stickyness on your tarp after? I just did this process yesterday, and 24 hours later it of course still smells of the mineral spirits, but I have this sort of sticky consistency to the tarp. Maybe this will go away after a while?
+Craig Lenhard Well it's been sitting a week now, and it's not so much sticky as it is "slightly resisting," I suppose. I used plain mineral spirits with some paint thinner to top it off. The smell has mostly worn away. I think it'll be fine in the near future. I'm doing all this on a ripstop US army issue poncho. Maybe i'll just try it out in the rain. I assume some of the smelly stuff left would come off in the rain? Overall it LOOKS good, so far.
+blacksunapocalypse I suppose the paint thinner may have caused both the smell and the drying problem. So long as the silicone was thinned properly the material should have just a light coating to repel water similar to silnylon material.
Did you use Type I (smells like vinegar) or Type II (smells less and like ammonia) Silicone? I've been testing mold making of stones for cement pattern work and accidentally bought 30 tubes of the Type II since on sale at Menards for $1.79 a tube. Read it bonds worse than Type I over time so seems to be better for mold work. My experience with sealing and bonding is using Type I. I recommend Type I for sealing or repairing materials, canoes, clothing, shoes, sandals, etc. Was wondering however, what type you used. Thanks in advance and thanks for sharing.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd Great. Type I smells like vinegar really strong and type two smells like ammonia. Appreciate the feedback. Here is the link if you're interested to what I was doing with the Type II: facebook.com/james.analytic/posts/2803187239743060 I need to work on some outdoor projects during the afternoon while it's warm enough to before too cold out. Snow is in the forecast. I still need to do some testing with materials that will harden silicone like talc, clay and maybe some other materials. Thanks for the feedback.
How much more weight per sq foot or meter did this add to the fabric? Great video, i think when i done mine i had to much of a ratio, nice a heavy duty thou!!
I used an entire tube of silicone on the tarp so that should give you some idea and I even had left over solution in the bucket, perhaps 20% left over. The mineral spirits will evaporate so that will not add any weight.
Pure silicone can be cut/thinned with mineral spirits. The only thing that I can think of causing you a problem is the type of silicone you are using or your mixing method.
I don't think alcohol cuts (thins) silicone. You need a petroleum based product. It is bust to use odorless products but gasoline or paint thinner will work. Do not use toluene or acetone as that may melt the nylon. I would test a scrap of fabric just to be sure of no damage.
@@rvrguydafter some research, i found that its not flammable! silicone is actually heat resistant even more than plastic tarps ,of course it can burn! that was not the question! paint thinner smell goes away, if it didn't ,it couldn't be used to thin paint!!
@@humility-righteous-giving you asked if the product is flammable. Nylon burns just like a tent can. I would not expose nylon to sparks or open flame. Silicone does have fire resistance but I just tried to give you an honest answer. A solvent smell can linger for some time just like gasoline spilled on carpeting on a car rug.
Use the metric system!!!! Oz etc are insane. 0.7 oz = 20 grams. 20 x 5= 100 gr. then keep going that way. OR you can use volume measurements, in cubic centimeters. If you had learned it in grammar school, as I did, you would know that you can convert weight into volume with the simplest equation imaginable. Go metric.
Nice DIY tarp looks good. Do you know if you could use permathin to use to break down the silicone as this would also soak into the fabric for added big protection?
Here is what I found: Permethrin, sold under the brand name Nix among others, is a medication and insecticide.[1][2] As a medication it is used to treat scabies and lice.[3] It is applied to the skin as a cream or lotion.[1] As an insecticide it can be sprayed on clothing or mosquito nets such that the insects that touch them die.[2] Side effects include rash and irritation at the area of use.[3] Use during pregnancy appears to be safe. It is approved for use in people over the age of two months. Permethrin is in pyrethroid family of medications. It works by disrupting the function of the neurons of lice and scabies mites.[1] You could probable spray this on any tarp. It has nothing in its chemical makeup that dissolves silicon.
thanks for vid i seen other tent proofing vids with brush method and thought that it'd be only ok for a small area n couldn't imagine the factory production process way using brushes huh not likely a brush in site all dipped or sprayed id say ::) il give this a go on my old day shelter n my bivvy if it come out good :) thanks again. liked!!!
I had to guess based on the tarp size. One gallon is not a large volume to soak a tarp this size, but it worked out fine. I even had a bit left over that I used on some tent seams.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd thank you. I was just going to use some old king size sheets to keep it lightweight but to try and cover as much as possible while keeping it lightweight. I'm hoping it will cover two sheets with one gallon and five to one ratio. Have a good day man
Since I have not used it since hiking the AT in 2018 I pulled it out of storage and checked it out. It looks as good as the day I did this video. No stickiness, no silicone peeling and still waterproof. I would say that it has held up very well.
Anita Howard well I guess so. The important part is getting it properly thinned down. If you were to seam seal only such as a tent, you should use a thicker mix, m as the 50/50.
Thank you for sharing this! It’s good to know that there are alternative and effective ways like this that is easy and affordable. I just have one question tho, whats a great alternative for mineral spirits? I live in the philippines and every hardware shop I went they dont have mineral spirits.
Well you could use turpentine or gasoline but that would likely give a smell. Can you order odorless mineral spirits? In your case it might be more cost effective to just buy sil-nylon. If you are just doing small projects or seam sealing tents, etc. the smell may not be a big issue.
Craig Lenhard - rvrguyd there is an abundance of paint thinners here tho. Can I use these instead? I’m planning to apply it on tent fabric. Will it not damage the tent fabric? (Edit) Ordering online isn’t an option for me right now coz it’s not gonna be cost efficient anymore. I hope paint thinner will do so I can push through with my project.
Paint thinners are used to thin oil based paints. My can of paint thinner says that it is 100% mineral spirits but it does have a bit of an odor. It will work to thin the silicone and can be applied to a nylon tent as well as cotton tents/tarps. I think you will need to let the tent air out to try and get rid of the smell.
Craig Lenhard - rvrguyd I will try it in a small batch first just to see if it will work. Thank you so much sir for being so kind and replying to my questions.
Thanks Craig. Others are reporting good results too. I was sceptical about the soaking as against painting or spraying, but people are saying that it's important to completely saturate the material. Sounds as though it's worth giving this a try.
Well explained. well demoed - thankyou. (Near end) *INDOORS?!* Mightn't you get high if you breathe in too much of this solution? Whilst doing this, I'm thinking it'd be wise also not to spark up a cigarette...
Odorless has no smell so you should not get high but still do it outdoors. No smoking although flash point is low. Much lower than gasoline or acetate.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd A lot of guys make a comment like this so as not to have to watch videos again to extract the information. I'd bet Travis bookmarked this page to come back to when He was ready to do the project at home, found his comment, then did his own project.
Jim, thanks for noticing that RUclips somehow cut off my ending during the upload process. What I was saying is that as an option to combat streaking, dry it slower, out of the sun or (the part that was cut off) thin the silicon with more mineral spirits while the mix is still in the bucket. When I hung this on a sunny day I immediately starting wiping it down with paper towels and noticed that some areas were drying faster than others. If you were to thin the mix by adding twice as much spirit you could eliminate streaking but you might sacrifice some of the longevity of the waterproofing. Good luck with your project. If you try this, let me know your results.
Excellent video. You clearly showed all the steps and did it in a timely fashion. Thanks!
I have used toluene to thin the silicone. Works real good. I coated a pair of blue jeans with it, and made a great pair of rain pants. Have lasted over 20 years.
Any petroleum-based product can thin silicone, but most have a smell associated with them. Toluene may not be available at some stores, but mineral spirits are commonly carried.
Longevity would depend on how the material was used. If the tarp stayed outside for a year you would expect deterioration of both the silicone as well as the nylon. For occasional use it should provide years of service.
I think it would depend on the material color. I agree that it would likely make it a bit darker, it did for my green tarp.
I wonder if you could mix in a color of some type. Acrylic maybe?
Thanks so much for sharing. I sew my own tent these days and this tip will help me a lot.
Thanks for video, Looks like a great idea and you made it look fairly easy. Could tell this wasn't your first project as smooth and easy, as you made it look.
Thank you. If you want to follow along on my AT hike please subscribe. I won't be taking the tarp though.
Thank you so much for this informative video!
Really can't say for sure since I added nylon twine twine to strengthen the outer hems, tie out points and webbing. total weight should be close to store bought silnylon though.
After this procedure when the fabric is dry, does the fabric still smell like silicone, what is it no longer breathable, is the fabric sticky or not after treatment and what is the condition of the fabric after a mild wash ???
What is the mix ratio ???
Mix ratio is shown in the video. No heavy silicone smell in fact, I did not notice any smell with the products I used. Never had to wash mine so I have no answer. After all these years, it is not sticky.
I read on another post that you cannot use this mixture on a 100 percent cotton bedsheet,
only a mixture of nylon and cotton. I am not sure I believe this, your thoughts?
Silicon should not be tacky like fly paper but could have a slight resistance when rubbing the fabric together. I hope you used odorless mineral spirits. If so let your object dry in the sun or somewhere that there is heat preferably room temperature. If stickiness persists try rubbing some baby powder on it. Let me know if things improve. Good silicone should dry without tackiness. Adding the thinner just speeds up the drying process.
I was asked how much weight did this add to the tarp. This project was 4 years ago so I'm not sure but basically, the weight of the silicone applied is the added weight. The mineral spirits evaporates.
I would weigh silicone before applying then weigh the leftover that is how much more your canvas will weigh in the end. Thinner will dissipate out.
Adding water based paint to silicone increases hardening in thicker than 1/4 beads. The water is an activator so I'm assuming spraying the sheet with water after application would probably decrease the hardening time.
I don't see how that would be true. Silicone is not water based and should repel water-based paint. You can't paint silicone with latex and expect it to stick.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd
... .. .
After distillation, water is added to dimethyldichlorosilane, which causes it to separate into disilanol and hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric acid then acts as a catalyst for the disilanol, causing it to condense into polydimethylsiloxane.
Polydimethylsiloxane, as you’ll notice, contains the siloxane bond, which is the backbone of silicone. From there, silicone is polymerized using a variety of methods depending on the desired properties of the end product.
There are compounds to solidify or harden Silicone prematurely... remove the moisture, H2O, or wet fluids out. $10 bucks.
I used to make thick molds using cheep calking, perhaps it was the specific blend, but adding tiny amounts of (water) based paint would harden any thing over 1/4in. thick. Go figure can't explain that, but it worked when working with bronz castings. So fars as wetting a canvase with water to hasten its dry time perhaps your right.
Some thing to thing to think about, adding oil based chemicals to cotton or linen, as a painter you never apply oil directly to canvas, first water paint then oil. It is not an archival methoud... if you want your back pack-tent etc. to keep more than a few hundred years any way 😂.
I used white gas..camp fuel to thin silicone in the past. I'll have to try this methoud. Thanks.
I made what they call an oil skin tarp . I found a high thread count sheet queen size and sewed webbing loops on the corners and the middles with six points of contact . I used turpentine and boiled linseed oil . After making it I was happy with it . However I later came to wonder if I could have used less turpentine if I had added some JAPAN drier . I am always egar to learn more methods that work . Thanks and God Bless
timothy thomas ,tarps have been around for a long time as you have described. I would suspect that there are a few formulas that can be used.
Thanks for the video. I think I'll be brushing this on a rain fly instead of dipping. The fly is huge and it has netting windows and a door. Will hang and do in sections. I might do both sides because I'm tired of having a leaky tent!
Is your entire fabric leaking or is it leaking at the seams? On some of my tents I just brush sealant on both sides of stitched seams. I agree with not dipping if you have netting.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd Thanks for responding. It's a 15 year old nylon tent from Cabela's. 2 rooms, tent side has floor, second room doesn't. The tent side has 2 large netting areas so full coverage rain fly has to really work. It's finiky to setup correctly but our family likes the lay out. Not really sure where leaks are happening but the fly is due for a treatment. Do you think it would be okay to do in sections since it's such a large piece?
@@haint7709 I once bought a new Coleman tent and wet it down with a hose. Leaked like a sieve so I sent it back. I would recommend that you set your tent up prior to a rain event or if you can't wait, wet it with a hose and see if there are noticeable leakage spots. No need to treat everything if you can identify problem areas. My first family tent was canvas. I bought two gallons of canvas treatment, spent all that time painting it on and it still leaked so I bought a new tent which was much lighter since it was nylon.
Need to seal and cover my van's tunicover to make it look better. Going to try that. Wil just spread that with a plastic card to make that nice and smooth
Hi. Did you use onlky silicon squirt and thinner?
After an extended cure time, have you noticed weather or not the tarp wants to stick to itself after having been folded up for a period of time?
Its been about 4 since I made the tarp. I store it in my attic where it can get very warm. I got it out a few weeks ago and the surface is slippery as you would expect with silicone and the tarp was not sticky.
Great vid. Thanks.
You cut off at the end. You said, ..."or increase the..." What did you say?
THANKS for this video.
Was there any mix left in the bucket or on the catch tarp?
Looking to know how much product was soaked in/adhered to that tarp.
__SUGGESTION:__
Instead of a cup to measure, use a sheet of plastic food wrap.
Drop that into the mineral spirits and remove plastic after mixing.
+fm00078 There was perhaps 2-3 cups left over as I recall which I poured back into the gallon can. There was some initial dripping onto the tarps but not much as I kept wiping the bottom off and spreading it onto areas that appeared to be drying quickly. The thing you want to achieve is good coverage and if you don't work out air bubbles while soaking in the bucket, you may get a dry spot so when you hang and stretch your tarp, look for spots that appear not to be wet and apply the mix by paper towel or rag.
+Craig Lenhard WAY back in the mid 70's I bucket soaked a 2 man tent in Thompson's Water Seal. It was for an extended bike trip out west and it worked great tho it was very stiff. So stiff that it only lasted about 2 years before cracking. EH, live and learn.
I was curious how much your tarp soaked up. So it sounds like 1/2 of your mix.
#2 Curious: Did the silicone bond to the bucket or did it peal in one sheet?
Yes, about 20% left over.
The coating used about 80% of the mix.
I think this would work well on a patio umbrella. Just wondering how much it would tend to dull the color if any and if it tends to have a rubbery feeling build up on the surface. Not that it would hurt anything, just curious. I bought some silicone based water proofing spray for ours, which is a bright red and my parents bought a can of a different kind, can't remember if it was silicone based also or something different but a gentleman tried to sell him a can of spray that supposedly left a rubbery film on it and he didn't want that for some reason. There's is a white and silver/blue color design....Do you think this treatment would dull the colors? Thanks for the video and info...
Theirs
The silicone will not leave a rubbery feel but more of a slippery feel. It will tend to darken any material it is applied to while the sun tends to lighten material colors due to UV exposure.
+Craig Lenhard
Do you think brushing the mixture onto the tarp would work better than dipping it?
Same result provided you get complete coverage. If you do just one side the end result would be a slightly lighter material but 50% less protection from rain penetration.
Sure, that makes sense. I was speaking more to the problems of streaking and dealing with the saturated tarp dripping the silicone mixture all over the place. I would think you could minimize both of those issues by brushing the mixture on the tarp.
If brushing onto something big or thin you will have a hard time getting to all areas and the fabric moving around. The mineral spirits could bleed through and depending on what surface you have it on you could pick up dirt or worse . As example, if doing this on newspaper you would run the risk of getting reverse news print on your project. A dipped project gets fast coverage and you end up wiping it with a rag to even out coverage or soaking up any dripping on the lower edge. If hanging presents a problem I would also consider spraying. Many sprayers can handle such a job but cleanup must be thorough otherwise your next project may be contaminated and the finish will not flow (fish eye results).
I guess i should be more descriptive... I was thinking more along the lines of; suspending a tarp by its middle pullouts, staking out the corners to form a "V" or traditional tent shape, and painting the silicone mixture onto (into) the fabric. If deemed necessary, the process could be repeated for the other side of the tarp.
Assuming I did a decent job with coverage, wouldn't this method be just as effective as dipping, with the added benefits of being a lot less messy and a lot less likely to produce streaks?
I think you are just going to get runs. It will be very hard to "paint" something so soft no matter how tight you stretch it.
If you used paintable silicone, would that help adhere a second coat?
With that mix, have you tried gluing 2 tarps together to make one larger or patching?
Just trying to save future steps and mistakes. Again thanks.
I don't know about paintable silicone and why would you need a second coat? I can tell you that silicone is not meant to be a glue for any stress areas. I have had some luck with a100% silicone patch left to dry while clamped but don't expect a two piece tarp to stay together with out sewing. If you need a flexible waterproof patch a product called "Shoe Goo" would be better to try.
I was just curious about it's glue-abilities.
The less glue in the joint, the stronger the bond. Here I was wondering since the mix is so thin... that maybeeeee.
I'd be one to carry a small amount of mix in a glass jar while on the road for a repair once and compatible patch repairs.
.
Gluing of 2 tarps. I was curious on your experience. Taking 2 tarps and doubling them up. The cost of carport replacement tarps is getting way out of hand... catch my drift?
.
Also, I'm weighing the possibility of using this mix on my next/last trailer for out of view surface sealing, like the undercarriage.
Silicone has little holding power even at 100% strength. It would be better to use Shoe Goo and clamp it until it dries.
Thanks Craig for your time and info.
Hope this helps others as well.
Did you have a slight stickyness on your tarp after? I just did this process yesterday, and 24 hours later it of course still smells of the mineral spirits, but I have this sort of sticky consistency to the tarp. Maybe this will go away after a while?
+blacksunapocalypse Did you see my reply above? How is your project doing?
+Craig Lenhard Well it's been sitting a week now, and it's not so much sticky as it is "slightly resisting," I suppose. I used plain mineral spirits with some paint thinner to top it off. The smell has mostly worn away. I think it'll be fine in the near future.
I'm doing all this on a ripstop US army issue poncho. Maybe i'll just try it out in the rain. I assume some of the smelly stuff left would come off in the rain?
Overall it LOOKS good, so far.
+blacksunapocalypse I suppose the paint thinner may have caused both the smell and the drying problem. So long as the silicone was thinned properly the material should have just a light coating to repel water similar to silnylon material.
Did you use Type I (smells like vinegar) or Type II (smells less and like ammonia) Silicone? I've been testing mold making of stones for cement pattern work and accidentally bought 30 tubes of the Type II since on sale at Menards for $1.79 a tube. Read it bonds worse than Type I over time so seems to be better for mold work.
My experience with sealing and bonding is using Type I. I recommend Type I for sealing or repairing materials, canoes, clothing, shoes, sandals, etc. Was wondering however, what type you used. Thanks in advance and thanks for sharing.
Since it has been 5 years I can't say for certain but I would guess it was GE brand type ll. So far no stickiness on the material.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd Great. Type I smells like vinegar really strong and type two smells like ammonia. Appreciate the feedback.
Here is the link if you're interested to what I was doing with the Type II: facebook.com/james.analytic/posts/2803187239743060
I need to work on some outdoor projects during the afternoon while it's warm enough to before too cold out. Snow is in the forecast. I still need to do some testing with materials that will harden silicone like talc, clay and maybe some other materials. Thanks for the feedback.
How much more weight per sq foot or meter did this add to the fabric? Great video, i think when i done mine i had to much of a ratio, nice a heavy duty thou!!
I used an entire tube of silicone on the tarp so that should give you some idea and I even had left over solution in the bucket, perhaps 20% left over. The mineral spirits will evaporate so that will not add any weight.
I tried low odor mineral spirits with silicone and it wouldn't cut it. I Then tried acetone and that didn't cut it either.
Pure silicone can be cut/thinned with mineral spirits. The only thing that I can think of causing you a problem is the type of silicone you are using or your mixing method.
Great video! Can you substitute denatured alcohol instead of mineral spirits? We can't get mineral spirits here.
I don't think alcohol cuts (thins) silicone. You need a petroleum based product. It is bust to use odorless products but gasoline or paint thinner will work. Do not use toluene or acetone as that may melt the nylon. I would test a scrap of fabric just to be sure of no damage.
Craig Lenhard Many thanks for the tips Craig.
is the finished product flammable? can you use paint thinner instead?(cheaper)
Yes, the tarp can burn, its made of nylon. You could use paint thinner or naphtha but do you want the smell?
@@rvrguydafter some research, i found that its not flammable! silicone is actually heat resistant even more than plastic tarps ,of course it can burn! that was not the question! paint thinner smell goes away, if it didn't ,it couldn't be used to thin paint!!
@@humility-righteous-giving you asked if the product is flammable. Nylon burns just like a tent can. I would not expose nylon to sparks or open flame. Silicone does have fire resistance but I just tried to give you an honest answer. A solvent smell can linger for some time just like gasoline spilled on carpeting on a car rug.
Use the metric system!!!! Oz etc are insane. 0.7 oz = 20 grams. 20 x 5= 100 gr. then keep going that way. OR you can use volume measurements, in cubic centimeters. If you had learned it in grammar school, as I did, you would know that you can convert weight into volume with the simplest equation imaginable. Go metric.
In my school years metric was explained but never pushed since the US did not then and generally doesn't use it now. Eather method can work.
Nice DIY tarp looks good. Do you know if you could use permathin to use to break down the silicone as this would also soak into the fabric for added big protection?
William Bressette I am not failure with the product. Does it have a smell?
Here is what I found: Permethrin, sold under the brand name Nix among others, is a medication and insecticide.[1][2] As a medication it is used to treat scabies and lice.[3] It is applied to the skin as a cream or lotion.[1] As an insecticide it can be sprayed on clothing or mosquito nets such that the insects that touch them die.[2]
Side effects include rash and irritation at the area of use.[3] Use during pregnancy appears to be safe. It is approved for use in people over the age of two months. Permethrin is in pyrethroid family of medications. It works by disrupting the function of the neurons of lice and scabies mites.[1]
You could probable spray this on any tarp. It has nothing in its chemical makeup that dissolves silicon.
thanks for vid i seen other tent proofing vids with brush method and thought that it'd be only ok for a small area n couldn't imagine the factory production process way using brushes huh not likely a brush in site all dipped or sprayed id say ::) il give this a go on my old day shelter n my bivvy if it come out good :) thanks again. liked!!!
how do you determine how much to mix just to cover your material?
I had to guess based on the tarp size. One gallon is not a large volume to soak a tarp this size, but it worked out fine. I even had a bit left over that I used on some tent seams.
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd thank you. I was just going to use some old king size sheets to keep it lightweight but to try and cover as much as possible while keeping it lightweight. I'm hoping it will cover two sheets with one gallon and five to one ratio. Have a good day man
thanks man being looking how to water proof my tent for awhile!! great idea
Is it still working as planned, lost any waterproofing quality?
Since I have not used it since hiking the AT in 2018 I pulled it out of storage and checked it out. It looks as good as the day I did this video. No stickiness, no silicone peeling and still waterproof. I would say that it has held up very well.
@@rvrguyd awesome! thanks for the quick response!
So, are you saying it is a 1 : 5 ratio of Silicone to Mineral spirits?
Anita Howard well I guess so. The important part is getting it properly thinned down. If you were to seam seal only such as a tent, you should use a thicker mix, m as the 50/50.
Works on ripstop polyester whit poliurethane coating?
I don't know if this would stick well if it is already coated. Do a test area.
Thank you for sharing this! It’s good to know that there are alternative and effective ways like this that is easy and affordable. I just have one question tho, whats a great alternative for mineral spirits? I live in the philippines and every hardware shop I went they dont have mineral spirits.
Well you could use turpentine or gasoline but that would likely give a smell. Can you order odorless mineral spirits? In your case it might be more cost effective to just buy sil-nylon. If you are just doing small projects or seam sealing tents, etc. the smell may not be a big issue.
Craig Lenhard - rvrguyd there is an abundance of paint thinners here tho. Can I use these instead? I’m planning to apply it on tent fabric. Will it not damage the tent fabric?
(Edit)
Ordering online isn’t an option for me right now coz it’s not gonna be cost efficient anymore. I hope paint thinner will do so I can push through with my project.
Paint thinners are used to thin oil based paints. My can of paint thinner says that it is 100% mineral spirits but it does have a bit of an odor. It will work to thin the silicone and can be applied to a nylon tent as well as cotton tents/tarps. I think you will need to let the tent air out to try and get rid of the smell.
Craig Lenhard - rvrguyd I will try it in a small batch first just to see if it will work. Thank you so much sir for being so kind and replying to my questions.
Great video. Is that GE silicon II?
Yes.
Interesting! So how did this work out long-term?
+Tullochgorum, I am still using this tarp for backpacking or general shelter needs and it is doing fine.
Thanks Craig. Others are reporting good results too. I was sceptical about the soaking as against painting or spraying, but people are saying that it's important to completely saturate the material. Sounds as though it's worth giving this a try.
I use my tarp on back packing trips a few times a year and it looks as good as the day I did the project.
Does the waterproofness lasts long?
It would depend on usage but if only using a few weeks a year, it will last a very long time.
Get you a can of Scott guards silicone spray and call it quits.
Thanks! Which tarp is that?
+Bob_the_Bomb It's just rip stop nylon
+Craig Lenhard ok thanks. Does that mean you added all of the tie down points yourself? Nice job...
Yes, I added several tie down points to allow over a dozen different set up configurations. Used the tarp this past weekend on a AT backpacking trip.
I am not failure with that name brand. Go to a home improvement store and look for 100% pure silicon call in a tube.
3m sell this even cheaper then a bottle of mineral spirit , hmmm weighting the cost factor ...
Sells what? What quantity?
Well explained. well demoed - thankyou.
(Near end) *INDOORS?!* Mightn't you get high if you breathe in too much of this solution?
Whilst doing this, I'm thinking it'd be wise also not to spark up a cigarette...
Odorless has no smell so you should not get high but still do it outdoors. No smoking although flash point is low. Much lower than gasoline or acetate.
1 part silicone to 5 parts odorless mineral spirits (by weight)
Is that a question or a comment?
@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd A lot of guys make a comment like this so as not to have to watch videos again to extract the information. I'd bet Travis bookmarked this page to come back to when He was ready to do the project at home, found his comment, then did his own project.
looks like a sticky mess.
Silicone is slippery but not sticky. Don't do this indoors because the mix can drip off the tarp.
For one thing, you talk too much. Second thing, people don't like to be talked down to.