i have read little bits of info here and there that say these oils are good for waterproofing, but i would like some more defintite information.  what oil wouild be best for waterproofing a wool blanket for camping/emergency shelter construction?  what would be best for my cloak of cotton fabric?  how well do these actualy work?  

what would be used historicaly?

Why use the historical correct oil that is not really waterproof when modern replacements work better?

Willeke

I dont know i just enjoying doing the things that where done before :)

I like knowing both methods. So I can't get stuck in any situation. ;D

i like using the old methods, in this case linseed oil because it is easier for me to procure it, and probably cheaper than modern alternatives.  also, i want to retain the flexibility and softness of the fabric.  does anyone know if something like silicone spray would be able to preserve the flexibilty of fabric while providing superior moisture protection?

i'm for whatevers cheapest. I usually use modern methods just to get a working model, then try another the way it was done.

Are you asking what kind of oil you can use to treat fabric, like a cloak?

Originally wool had lanolin oil and was a natural part of the fabric even after it was woven. It provided a degree of water repelency. Modern wools have  the oils all washed out. In our experience, we have not been able to treat wool with an oil to make it like a hand spun, warp-weighted loom woven cloak could have been. In other words, "putting the oil back in" has been unsuccessful.

Best bet is to use Scotchguard. It will need to be reapplied once in a while. The sun will break it down along with repeated wear.

For cotton? I dunno. The is duck canvas out there aleady treated, but kinda heavy and stiff.

Which reminds me about a handspun sweater I used to have when I was still living with my parents.
It staid nice and smelling like sheep for a long time. But my mother insisted on washing it till it smelled like detergent. It was much less nice to wear then.

Willeke

  Wool will remain warm, even if it's soaking wet, so if that's your concern, dont worry about it. ( It will be quite heavy, though).
 Scotchguard is good for waterproofing wool, but there is a down side to it. If your using it as a blanket, you really don't want it totally waterproof. It has to "breathe." What happens is that as you sleep, you shed moisture. If your blanket is so waterproof, that it can't go anywhere, it stays where it is, and you get wet.
 Scotchguard can also be used on cotton, but for my money, I would go with Thompson's Water Seal. the stuff is great, and it comes in a spray on version. Just re-apply as needed. However, any waterproofer is flammable, so be careful.

i would probably only proof one side(if that's at all possible) and i would not wrap it tightly around my body in most cases.  also, does this water proofing hold the fibers together so they won't get little snags in the weave if the fabric catches on twigs or bits of bark or anything?  also, will the fabric still feal soft?

I would use the Scotchguard the fabric will remain pliable.  Oils will eventually dry or not and will be stiff or sticky and heavy, plus theres the whole self igniting issues with the linseed oil on a rag.  The best thing you can do is buy an emergency blanket or two, its a whole lot cheaper than any thing else mentioned above.

what sort of stuff are these emergency blankets make of?  not those tinfoil things are they?  those are horrible.  

Horrible but will save your life if needed.  What are you exactly looking for and what are you wanting it to do?

i just want a good, real life working claok.  nothing fancy, really, just something i can curl up in for the night in the woods, like if i don't want to take tent for a walk in the woods or something.  

i'd like one of those too  ;D Long Black swishing cloak like things Jeej ;D..damn i gotta lay of the harry potter...

wool cloak & Scotchgaurd  ;)

If you can get real heavy wool, woven but so it looks like felt, you get a cloak that will keep you dry for an hour at least, and you can improve on that by waterproof spray. Or have it done by a dry cleaner shop.
For overnight hikes you can still slip an emergency blanket in your pocket to cover you and your cloak.
It may be hard to get hold of the kind of wool nowadays. They used to make wintercoats for sailors out of it, but now it is all manmade fibres.

Willeke

try jas townsend and son. they are not cheap but they sell wool :)

http://jas-townsend.com/index.php?cPath=29

down at the bottom

You can still buy wool, I did last weekend, ended up paying around $12 per yard.

Is it the kind of wool that is half a cm thick (1/4") or more?
The thinner kinds are sometimes available but the very heavy kind is hard to find.

Willeke

this is pretty thin, its for a sleeved waistcoat, but it'll also be lined with linen.  You can also still buy cheap wool blankets in different weights.  I also purchased one of these a couple weeks ago for $8.  
 I know it is old because it still has a center seam where the loom was not large enough to weave a full width blanket.
 Any way look at Army surplus stores for good wool blankets, should have enough material in them for a cloak.

I had a woolen hood with shouldercape, lined with linnen, when doing the re-enactment, a very usefull piece of clothing, but nowhere near as waterproof as the woolen coats the sailors used to use, which I remember from my childhood, when they became fashion.
I never had one and I have not seen anything like that in recent years.

The most common way of transport now is a car and nobody will want a coat like that in a car.
And for most outdoor activities most people want manmade fobres so people like us who want the old kind is not catered for anymore.

Willeke

I have been seeing more and more wool products now being used once again for hunting.  I prefer wool over man made simply because it doesn't melt when it catches a spark from the camp fire.  Even my long underwear is made from Merino wool.  Companies like Filson are still making the heavy weight wool coats that you are talking about, but be prepared to spend the bucks on that.  I prefer to dress in layers, so no need for such a heavy coat here anyway.

In a while ill post a pic of my cloak :)

this is why the slinging.org community needs to purchase an alpaca farm.

we could have cloaks, slings, and acres of wide open land :)

I highly reccomend Ushankas made out of wool. Or chullos from Alpaca fiber (maybe thats part of the definition of being a chullo). They're very warm and can keep you warm to the same effect as having a needlessly heavy coat in some weather.