I think I may try a combination of yours and WarbonnetGuy's ideas and make the tarp out of breathable material, then coat it w/ a sponge. Then, I will squeegee. Maybe it won't even need the squeegee if it is smooth enough.
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yeah, just make sure to get all the excess off, it should just be damp when you are done, nothing left on the surface.
let us know how it turns out.
What kind of stand/surface are you guys using when laying out the fabric to wipe off the excess. I know if I just put it on a garage floor, I'd have crap all over my tarp. Is maybe a clothes line better?
I am curious... Is there madness behind this method? With the availability of silnylon commercially is there a reason to be making your own. Other than the obsession to DIY that runs rampant in the camping community. That of course is a given.
lol, self flagellation, reinventing the wheel, and sisyphus, (sp-5) have been around forever!!! But not ZP nylon!!
Just an observation...
This is what I did, twice for each piece, except I used a small foam roller to press it in.
Clean the floor as best you can. Fortunately for me there were no oil spots from cars or anything like that. You can't press with rollers or brushes or sponges if it is hanging. Hang it after applying the mix.
Colors. Finding sil in "stealth" colors is hard! Also - cheap http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/i...ies/tongue.gif
$1 bin fabric + $5 for caulk + $5 for white gas = cheap.
The caulk tube is 10.6 fluid ounces.. hmmm, fluid, hmm... is a fluid ounce more or less than a mass ounce... hmmm... I actually used most of the tube for a tarp that was going to be 10x8 finished. That's more than 1/2 a fluid pound for a tarp that is supposed to be less than 1 pound total. I did weigh each piece after each app (I have the notes somewhere), and I remember thinking that after the first app it was over 1.2 oz/sq yd, and after the 2nd app 1.3+. After the 2nd coat dried, it was like the sheet had a bad case of dandruff, all the little and bigger flakes of silicone. It definitely had a lot of sil embedded because it had a rubbery feel to it, it was harder to blow thru, and it did bead up some water. It just did not pass the rain shower test.
hmmm... both sides... hmmm .... really tight... I basically kneaded the fabric in the bucket for a few minutes to get it soaked thru and thru, and then laid it on the garage floor. While on the floor I followed up with a roller to press it in/smooth it out on one side. Then hung it up to dry.
I really think it was this fabric more than the technique. As I was applying the spray on sil in the shade I could see pinpoints of light. This tells me that the $1 yard bargain bin stuff was a very loose weave and maybe that's why it was in the bargain bin.
??? The technique works for fabric with "holes" smaller than x, but it can't plug holes bigger than a pasta strainer, or whatever the magic number is....???
Maybe I'll try it one more time with what's left of the tube, what the heck it can't hurt. And get the exact measure of yards and weights to share with y'all....
I am interested in coating my own because of several reasons. I can't ever find waterproof fabric in the dollar bin, but I seem to find quite a bit of ripstop. I will save money this way, as well.
Is it worth the $4-5/yd. I will save by doing it myself? Well, on a 7 yard project it depends on the cost of the silicone and thinner. Can anyone guesstimate the cost of those materials?
when i did it, it was before anyone mentioned multiple coats possibly being better than one. i did 3 tiny pieces, picked the best lookng mix (just eyeballed it by thickness/runniness) and did a 1 sq yd piece. i hung it up and wiped it off. it turned out really nice after it dried, no excess or flakes or anything.