Best Way to Waterproof Cotton Canvas?

Guyon

Guyon

Biscuit Whisperer
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Some back story...

I like the little Plano 3449 double-sided utility boxes because they fit nicely in my kayak dashboards.

Kingston3.jpg


I've been looking for a good bag into which I could fit a few of these, and yesterday, at the local Army-Navy, I found a 11"x7"x6" mechanics tool bag that perfectly fits five of the Plano boxes. The cotton canvas bag looks just like this one.

RCO-9181_d.jpg


I like that it's nice and compact and that the Plano boxes fit perfectly across the bottom with room for some plastic baits and a few other items. I'm going to add a shoulder strap for carry.

That said, I'd like the canvas to be more water resistant or waterproof. I already gave it a healthy dose (two coats) of Camp Dry, but I wonder if there are other (better) ways that people have treated military duffels/bags to keep out the rain.
 
Spray it with Thompsons water seal. I have heard of reanactors using Thompsons with success.

Paul
 
Chemical sprays may be the best but for a long time I have used Barbour Proofing Wax which they sell for their wax cotten jackets to proof my cotton duffel bag....I assume you can get this in the USA?
 
valcas1 said:
Spray it with Thompsons water seal. I have heard of reanactors using Thompsons with success.

Paul
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Never thought of Thompson beyond wood and masonry. I found this stuff online, but I suspect it's the same silicone based stuff as Camp Dry.

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​
I'm assuming though that you're talking about regular old Thompson's in a spray application?

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PeterPHWS said:
Chemical sprays may be the best but for a long time I have used Barbour Proofing Wax which they sell for their wax cotten jackets to proof my cotton duffel bag....I assume you can get this in the USA?
Click to expand...

Haven't found the wax yet, but your post led me to this product which is a touch-up product for Barbour waxed goods.

Nikwax Wax Cotton Proof Ideal for Barbour - Neutral.

New, Developed in conjunction with Barbour.

Spray on treatment for your wax jacket or waxed Cotton outwear.

Restores both water-repellency to waxed-cotton and oil-skin clothing.

Easy and clean application can be used on wet or dry fabric.

Once dry, the water-repellency is locked into the fibers by the wax.
Click to expand...

Wax-Cotton-Proof---Neutral.jpg
 
I may try the Thompson's regular water seal. I found this blurb on an Amazon review:

When I purchased my first gallon many years ago they had other uses for the product on the label which are not included on today's labels. One I remember was waterproofing canvas (tarps, tents, etc.). This stimulated my curiosity into experimenting waterproofing different materials.

While it worked perfectly on canvas camping equipment...
Click to expand...

And if you Google "Thompson's water seal canvas," you find lots of folks talking about that application.

Thanks for the idea, valcas1. :thumbup:
 
hollowdweller said:
canvac?
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Hmmm.... just found mention of it in a thread also talking about Thompson's.

It's spelled Canvak, and I see Cabela's offers it by the gallon. I'd never heard of the stuff. Thanks. Need to find it in less than a gallon offering though.
 
Thanks for the idea, valcas1.
Click to expand...

My pleasure!

Just regular old Thompson's is what I heard. Their sport seal is probably the same product with a upcharge for a specific purpose. Please let us know how you make out.

Paul
 
You can use WalMart generic wood water seal stuff as well.

I'd dunk it, let it drip out into a bucket...pour the stuff back in the can...it is still good, and let it dry out. It will have an odor for a while. Works for tents also.
 
Good info from all. The Canvak sounds good, but it's $25 a gallon, and I can't find any smaller packaging online. I might drop by the Army-Navy store again and see if they have a small can.

If the Home Despot has a small can of Thompson's spray, I'll probably try that as it should be more cost effective. If Civil War reenactors are using it on canvas tents, then it sounds good enough for my little tote bag.

Sealing canvas is all new to me. My first tent was a well-used, green canvas, Army tent I bought at a yard sale for $5, but I was ten-years-old, and I didn't worry about rain or waterproofing or anything else. My next tent, years later, was a synthetic Kelty Kashmir. No canvas to worry about there.
 
I'm surprised no one mentioned Filson's wax that is used to seal their coats, hats, etc. You can buy that online I'm sure...Comes in a tin like shoe polish.
 
I made my own "Filson" cotton treatment out of beeswax, paste wax, and mineral oil. Is it waterPROOF? No, not if you submerge the item in water. But it keeps off the rain for a good long while.
 
This reminds me of the crazy treatment they had in, I think the Nessmuk book, where he dipped it through a variety of chemicals in this smelly nasty broth.
 
I had a old butt pack in the military that I converted to a shoulder bag for fishing. It got heavy when wet. I first soaked it in Obenauf leather oil, then coated it with filson wax. With the filson wax, I heated it at 150 F in the oven so that the oil would dry and the wax would melt and soak in.

From what I read on a fishing board, the oil fills in the gap of the canvas thread through expansion, and the wax seals the remaining pores. It will darken the bag but it will not leak.
 
By the way, and I'm sure you know this, but....

you DO realize you are taking a flameable material and soaking it in a more-flameable solution of wax, water-seal or whatever...right?

Basically making a odd-shaped wick. :)

I'm old. Be careful.
 
If I get stranded out on a stream, I'll at least have some tinder handy. :D

Thanks to all who replied. I got a lot of good ideas. The most cost-effective solution was the $4.25 can of Thompson's Water Seal spray, so I'm trying that one first.

I used the entire can and saturated the canvas material inside and out. The bag is hung up outside to dry. With this hot weather we're having, it'll be good and dry by tomorrow afternoon, most likely. Probably be a while longer before the smell fades. Once it dries, I'll hit it with a mist of hose water and see if the water beads up on the canvas.
 
Test came earlier than expected. Bag was hanging out to dry, and it started raining.

The water seemed to be beading up on the outside and not penetrating the canvas.
 
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