My first DIY tarp aka a tarp made form a bed sheet

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 07-12-2012, 13:13

Originally Posted by gordonfreeman

Anyone else try this? I'd like to see some better pictures and see how it packs. I'm going to be doing some church camping with the youth and they are making their own tablecloth hammocks, this would be perfect to go along with it.

I just bought a sheet at Savers last night. I'm preparing for a church camping trip as well.

I'll do my best to document the process with photos and maybe some video. Hopefully, I will be working on it this weekend.

**HardBall** · 07-12-2012, 13:32

This kind of shows the process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UTZPllgqSc

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 07-16-2012, 10:13

So I went through the process:

1 king size sheet
1 tube of 100% clear silicone
Mineral Spirits
Bucket

I mixed the silicone with my drill in the mineral spirits. Soaked the sheet in it. Hung to dry with corners pulled out to prevent the sides from drying together. After completely drying, I gently sprinkled water, and it beaded up for about 1 second before it soaked right through.

The whole process turned out to be a waste of time. There's not a water proof spot on the entire tarp.....I mean sheet with tie-outs. Looks like I'll just have to buy a harbor freight jobber.

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 07-16-2012, 13:13

Originally Posted by c0wb0y_hubs

So I went through the process:

1 king size sheet
1 tube of 100% clear silicone
Mineral Spirits
Bucket

I mixed the silicone with my drill in the mineral spirits. Soaked the sheet in it. Hung to dry with corners pulled out to prevent the sides from drying together. After completely drying, I gently sprinkled water, and it beaded up for about 1 second before it soaked right through.

The whole process turned out to be a waste of time. There's not a water proof spot on the entire tarp.....I mean sheet with tie-outs. Looks like I'll just have to buy a harbor freight jobber.

If anyone sees the error in my ways, I'd like to give it a 2nd shot.

**SteveS** · 07-16-2012, 15:53

Originally Posted by c0wb0y_hubs

If anyone sees the error in my ways, I'd like to give it a 2nd shot.

I'm curious also. I'm about to do the same thing.

The only thing I can think of is did you wash and dry the "new" sheet first? I was not going to with mine, but now I'm wondering if there is some sort of "new fabric" treatment that gets washed out, or if fabric softener helps the sil really get deep into the fibers......

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 07-16-2012, 16:43

Originally Posted by SteveS

I'm curious also. I'm about to do the same thing.

The only thing I can think of is did you wash and dry the "new" sheet first? I was not going to with mine, but now I'm wondering if there is some sort of "new fabric" treatment that gets washed out, or if fabric softener helps the sil really get deep into the fibers......

I did wash it and hung it in the hot NM sun to dry.

**Laochri** · 07-16-2012, 18:47

This is great! I have been thinking of DIY'n a Harbor Freight tarp. I think I will give this a try. I will be making a Cat-Cut Hex tarp though. May be awhile but I will post pictures when I am done.

**SteveS** · 07-17-2012, 10:52

I treated my sheet with the Sil Mixture last night. I decided not to pre-wash and dry the sheet before I treated it. There was not quite enough sil mix for my taste (10 oz sil with 1qt ms) I'd guess it could have used 2 qts. Since I had a brown sheet, I had nice dark areas where the sil had penetrated, and light areas where it was not covered. I rubbed areas with excess over areas with too little sil, until both were the same dark color. Then I twisted the sheet and wrung it out a few times to get the sil to migrate a bit more.

It's mostly dry and odor free this morning, and the fabric feels more like a tarp now. I'll water test it once it's had a full 48 hours to set up.

It's real floppy in the middle, so it's going to need some cat cuts to get it to hang right. If it's waterproof...... c0wb0y has me spooked

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 07-17-2012, 13:37

My sheet has been hanging in the same place since I hung it to dry a few days ago. This evening I'll give it one more sprinkle test, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm bummed, because I really thought this was going to be a great DIY tarp. I may give it one more treatment as if it were just a sheet to see if that can redeem it.

**SteveS** · 07-17-2012, 16:55

Originally Posted by c0wb0y_hubs

My sheet has been hanging in the same place since I hung it to dry a few days ago. This evening I'll give it one more sprinkle test, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm bummed, because I really thought this was going to be a great DIY tarp. I may give it one more treatment as if it were just a sheet to see if that can redeem it.

Mine sat out in the hot sun all day today, and it was about 90 degrees here so it 's real dry now.

I did a blow through test on a couple of spots, and they all seemed to let air pass through. Not a good sign. I'll water test it in a bit, but I'm pretty sure that it's not going to hold back much water.

So c0wB0y, you going to do a second batch and re-coat the original? I'm thinking that's what I'll need to do, but I'm not sure if the mineral spirits are going to soften up and make a mess out of the sil that's already on the fabric at this point.

My only thought here is that the 60/40 cotton/poly blend absorbs way more sil than nylon. I'd start with a double batch and see how much was left over if I had it to do over again.....