Waxing cotton

[dikman]

Yeah, I know, it's not leather but some on here have used wax cotton to make things. I just bought a 5 kg block of paraffin wax to re-proof my motorcycle jacket. As we all know if you ask/search for "leather dressing" you will be bombarded with any number of concoctions, each claiming to be the best. So it is with waterproofing cotton! I've spent hours reading about what to use, trying to find the ingredients in commercial stuff and generally trying to understand the pros and cons of each one. There is, naturally, some overlap in some of the products so they will work on leather too.

Bottom line is paraffin wax has been used for this job since it was invented, often mixed with various other "additives" to make it easier to apply and/or make it a "secret" formula. I recently watched a video from Barbour's showing them re-proofing one of their coats. The guy was using a white mix that had the consistency of a very stiff paste and it was melted and applied with a sponge. I suspect that it is simply paraffin wax mixed with mineral oil to soften it a little. I decided to try a paraffin wax/ beeswax mix first, approx. 4:1, as I want to keep it simple. Beeswax, by itself, can be a bit sticky, the paraffin wax acts as a stiffening agent and apparently gets into the pores of the cotton better.

So I read.....

If anyone has any knowledge/experience about this process please feel free to chime in.

[fredk]

I have a Barbour jacket which is now about 111 or 110 years old*, handed down through generations of motorcyclists

Paraffin wax on its own hardens too much, especially in cold weather. I used to use beeswax, carnauba wax and pure turpentine, just a bit to make the mix soft enough to apply

A re-waxing process taught to me by a few older motorcyclists. This has to be done outside

I used to get the jacket ( and the matching over trousers) hot by playing a paint stripper hot gun over it. The wax mix was already hot and liquid. I applied the mix using a large paint brush, making sure to work the wax into the fabric where the old wax had weathered off. I kept the paint stripping gun playing over the jacket to keep the wax melted as it got into the fabric. I let it all cool down for a while, then I heated the jacket up again with the p.s.h.g. to see if areas needed doing again; usually there were, so repeat in those areas

Then, after the jacket was cooler, but still warm, came the real fun. I used a blow lamp to ignite the turpentine fumes in a flash burn. A big 'ole blanket was used to put the fire out before it got out of hand

Then a good rub over, a light buffing almost, with a rough cloth

The kit is then good for a whole season of riding in our very wet and often cold weather. A whole waxing was only necessary after about 2 or 3 wet seasons

* dated by Barbour to about 1912 after I sent the jacket & trousers to them for some repairs

[dikman]

Your process is pretty much the approach Barbour's take - up until the blowtorch bit!

My first attempt was somewhat ineffective, it was a method I saw on youtube - warm the jacket, rub the bar of wax onto the jacket then use the heat gun to melt it into the cloth. Coverage was patchy. Tomorrow I'll use a slow cooker to melt the wax and apply it like Barbour's do, using a sponge, then a heat gun to melt it into the material and wipe off the excess. 

As to the mix, yes, it needs to be made to suit the conditions. As you say paraffin wax by itself is pretty brittle so using a mix with mostly paraffin wax in very cold climates will cause problems. Mixing it with mineral oil, like Barbour's do, makes it softer and more flexible. This is turning into quite an interesting project.

[Wepster]

Might not be quite want you want, and perhaps you have already explored this.... similar to waxed. here is a link to a search..

https://search.brave.com/search?q=diy+tin+pants&source=web

[fredk]

Just remembered some things; when I first got the jacket a local Barbour retailer advised me to use only Barbour wax. I bought a tin of it, it cost nearly £20, at a time my weekly wages were £56. That wax was useless for constant motorcycling in rain. It washed or weathered out after about a week or 10 days. I was motorcycling to work 7 days a week and other journeys. It was my uncle, a long time very experienced motorcyclist,  who showed me and made up the mix of beeswax/carnauba wax/pure turpentine

[chuck123wapati]

5 hours ago, dikman said:

Yeah, I know, it's not leather but some on here have used wax cotton to make things. I just bought a 5 kg block of paraffin wax to re-proof my motorcycle jacket. As we all know if you ask/search for "leather dressing" you will be bombarded with any number of concoctions, each claiming to be the best. So it is with waterproofing cotton! I've spent hours reading about what to use, trying to find the ingredients in commercial stuff and generally trying to understand the pros and cons of each one. There is, naturally, some overlap in some of the products so they will work on leather too.

Bottom line is paraffin wax has been used for this job since it was invented, often mixed with various other "additives" to make it easier to apply and/or make it a "secret" formula. I recently watched a video from Barbour's showing them re-proofing one of their coats. The guy was using a white mix that had the consistency of a very stiff paste and it was melted and applied with a sponge. I suspect that it is simply paraffin wax mixed with mineral oil to soften it a little. I decided to try a paraffin wax/ beeswax mix first, approx. 4:1, as I want to keep it simple. Beeswax, by itself, can be a bit sticky, the paraffin wax acts as a stiffening agent and apparently gets into the pores of the cotton better.

So I read.....

If anyone has any knowledge/experience about this process please feel free to chime in.

i use boiled linseed oil and beeswax the basic formula that been used since sailing boat days and i am sure they also would have used paraffin in the mix also. Folks call it oilskin and recipes abound on the net for it. I can dig out mine if you want but basically melt the two together and it makes a paste when cool as you said then smear it on and heat it to soak it in. I use it on baseball caps, and outdoor gear. Once you decide on a recipe it takes a week or so to dry depending on the temps and stuff. it works on most any cloth.

[chuck123wapati]

2 hours ago, dikman said:

Your process is pretty much the approach Barbour's take - up until the blowtorch bit!

My first attempt was somewhat ineffective, it was a method I saw on youtube - warm the jacket, rub the bar of wax onto the jacket then use the heat gun to melt it into the cloth. Coverage was patchy. Tomorrow I'll use a slow cooker to melt the wax and apply it like Barbour's do, using a sponge, then a heat gun to melt it into the material and wipe off the excess. 

As to the mix, yes, it needs to be made to suit the conditions. As you say paraffin wax by itself is pretty brittle so using a mix with mostly paraffin wax in very cold climates will cause problems. Mixing it with mineral oil, like Barbour's do, makes it softer and more flexible. This is turning into quite an interesting project.

and it smells like Boiled linseed oil for a couple months lol. But that isn't a bad odor IMO, If you have ever painted with oil based paints you know the smell.

[chuck123wapati]

2 hours ago, dikman said:

Your process is pretty much the approach Barbour's take - up until the blowtorch bit!

My first attempt was somewhat ineffective, it was a method I saw on youtube - warm the jacket, rub the bar of wax onto the jacket then use the heat gun to melt it into the cloth. Coverage was patchy. Tomorrow I'll use a slow cooker to melt the wax and apply it like Barbour's do, using a sponge, then a heat gun to melt it into the material and wipe off the excess. 

As to the mix, yes, it needs to be made to suit the conditions. As you say paraffin wax by itself is pretty brittle so using a mix with mostly paraffin wax in very cold climates will cause problems. Mixing it with mineral oil, like Barbour's do, makes it softer and more flexible. This is turning into quite an interesting project.

here is a good recipe for you https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/a-really-good-waxing-recipe.126153/

[dikman]

Thanks for the link Chuck, some interesting stuff in there. I'm reluctant to use BLO, however, on a coat. I toyed with using neatsfoot oil (or even compounded NO) but have decided to keep it simple at this stage. I don't get sub-zero temperatures where I live so using a higher paraffin wax mix shouldn't be a problem.

[dikman]

Just finished waxing my coat (4:1 paraffin wax/beeswax). Took just over 2 hours and I suspect the coat had never been re-proofed since new! It is now noticeably heavier and stiffer and is hanging in the sun. Next thing is to buff it with a soft cloth and then crumple it up to break it in!

The slow cooker worked great for keeping the wax molten. I started using a sponge, like Barbour's do in their video, but quickly learned the wax is too hot and burned my fingers! It's obvious that the stuff they use has a lower melting point than my brew. I then went to a brush (note to self, don't use synthetic bristles, they don't like hot wax or a hot air gun . Doh.) which worked ok.

I made 6 blocks, using a silicone soap mold, and used 3 of them so a fair bit of wax went into the coat.

[chuck123wapati]

13 hours ago, dikman said:

 

If anyone has any knowledge/experience about this process please feel free to chime in.

It's obvious that the stuff they use has a lower melting point than my brew

I'm reluctant to use BLO, however

 

 

good luck and don't lay it in the hot sun.

 

[fredk]

An unrealised advantage of a waxed jacket combo is lubrication;  I was wearing mine one wet day when I was knocked off my motorcycle whilst doing 70 mph plus. I went down the road surface about 200 yards on my back and bum. Some truckers ran to help me and were laughing at the 'snail trail' I'd left on the road.  Neither me, the jacket nor over-trousers were harmed and once rewaxed the kit was as good as it had been before

[dikman]

Chuck, it's not something I will wear on a sunny day! Being black it gets bloody hot in the sun!!!!

[Loki74]

I replied on your other "how to embarrassed yourself thread" before seeing this one. I use Otter wax on mine. It takes more heat to apply than just the sun (I use a heat gun) which means unless you're in the Sahara it won't melt out on ya. I find it lasts a good amount of time and smells like pine needles for months.

[dikman]

The two threads appear to have overlapped a bit. Doh. I don't think Otter's wax is available here in Oz. It took a heat gun to melt this into the fabric so by the time the sunlight gets hot enough to melt it I'd be crispy-fried!

[toxo]

I think I've mentioned this before but it won't hurt to reiterate.

Silicone caulking will dilute to the nth degree. Make it so you can paint it on, jobs a good un. Ideal for older tarps etc.

[dikman]

Yes, I've read about that process before, it certainly has its uses - just not on my coat.

[fredk]

I was reading through Al Stohlman's book on buckstitching and spotted something. After checking I found out that US paraffin wax is softer than UK paraffin wax