Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

[Casine]

Greetjngs All, my first post on the forum. I just bought a tan Standing Room Tent. It's a tent that fits on the frames of A 10x10 canopy frame, yet is a waterproof, wind proof camping tent. I love the tent though and think it creates an amazing space, though I want to seal the inside with something, as it off-gasses as I heat the tent with my Mr Heater big buddy. I know it will offgas less as it ages. However, I just don't trust carcinogenic chemicals and want to seal the inside with something. It seems like beeswax & linseed oil(tincloth) which was the main waterproofer before modern materials,fits the bill. I'm just curious whether it wil bond to the modern that material. Anyone have any experience or opinions on this point? Best Regards

[toedtoes]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

Topping so others can respond.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

What is the tent fabric made of?

[a65hoosier]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

What is the tent fabric made of?

Appears from the description on the mfg website that it is made of 150D polyester but the website doesn't indicate what parts (fly/walls/floor) of the tent use this material.

Standing Room Tents website: http://www.standingroomtents.com/

To the OP...I am not sure what might be applied to "seal" off the chemical smell of the fabric. Time set up will help with the off gassing process. The mfgr website doesnt list the type or thickness of the waterproofing applied to the fabric at the factory so I'm not sure what would be safe to use.

As a side note: I would check all the seams exposed to the weather and see if they are factory taped. Several of the reviewers on Amazon indicated that they had to apply seam sealer to the tent to "beef up" the weather worthiness. There are threads here on the forum on what to use and how to properly seal a tent's seams.

[terasec]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

it appears to be a polyester tent,
i would be wary of waterproofing interior while it still has chemical smell, you may be trapping it instead of letting it dissipate,
i would set up the tent, lightly water down interior, maybe with a spray bottle instead of a hose, wipe up excess water.
let the tent air dry as long as possible,
longer you leave tent out open, more time chemicals have to dissipate,
in the future, if you want to waterproof exterior, silicone based waterproofing is best suited for poly tents,
also check your poles, they probably came shipped with a coating to prevent rust,
if they have a greasy feel to them, they are most likely coated,


also linseed oil and beeswax is more common on natural fibers like canvas, which have larger weaves,
probably wont penetrate

[JoeN]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

I agree with TERASEC, set the tent up and leave it in the sun for a few days with some vents/windows open. The odor should dissipate with time. I don't know much about the beeswax and linseed oil but I would think that would be for a natural fiber like canvas where it would be absorbed into the material. I would think it might just lay on top of the polyester and just make a gooey mess if it didn't damage the fabric. However, if you want to try it then pick a small inconspicuous corner and apply a little of the mixture to see what happens. I am not sure the polyester itself gives off much of an odor so you may be smelling the sealer that has been applied to the fabric.

[tplife]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

As a career chemist with some understanding of these things, those materials are incompatible and will likely result in a ruined tent. Only factory bonding will provide a good seal, and the best you can do is apply 2 coats of the appropriate comercial sealant to the exposed inside threads using a small paintbrush. Spray waterproofing will only be a temporary measure that will soon delaminate due to UV exposure with a little snowstorm and a hideous mottled dirty look.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

I too have a standing room tent (haven't used it yet though; waiting for a long (4 or 5 day) weekender).
For new tents (and vehicles) I generally let them stand open in the sun for a couple of days, to allow the most volatile plasticizers in the plastic to have a chance to at least partially dissipate; plasticizers are what keep plastic flexible; when they finally go away the plastic usually cracks. (The film that develops on the inside of car windows is in some part made up of plasticizers).
I would expect that the easiest way to do this with a standing room tent by setting it up in the backyard without the canopy top and with all the doors open...
Personally, I don't worry much about plasticizers in tents, if I did I would go back to old school /untreated/heavy canvas.
I have had waterproof tents and as Kephart said back in the early 20th century, the are best avoided in favor of a tent material that can breathe.
The weave of polyester tent material is so close that I would not expect it to need treatment to be water resistant... If my standing room tent needs more water resistance I will put up tarps or canopy walls (watch out for Tyvek and similar lightweight, thin, stiff canopy wall (wallymart) material, it is vey noisy in the slightest breeze (sounds like you are surrounded by people continuously shaking open newspapers), though, this can be reduced some by washing it, in a washing machine).


Enjoy!

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

Agreeing wth tplife: won't work.
Might work on a canvas tent though.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Will Tincloth solution( beeswax & linseed oil) bond to modern tent material?

I like waterproof and breathable. Sealing the inside of the tent negates the latter.