Walmart Eco (white bottle) Mineral Spirits didn't work on tarp

[thehumanlynx]

I grabbed the bottle of MS from walmart that turned out to be white and didn't really make my silicone into a liquid state. It was always like a runny paste. I tried to knead the tarps into the mix but it just didn't do well. It never was able to get to the consistency to penetrate the threads well. Upon my return to this helpful site I found that someone else ran into the same issue and warned against using the stuff.

Too late for me. Now I have 2 tarps for me and my son for our trip in October with an uneven coat of sil on them.

Can I redo the process with the regular ms and silicone, reapply with a foam brush and expect the sections that didn't absorb the mix the first time around to fill in ??

Will adding multiple layers be problematic? It seems that some people have done it that way and others say that you need to do it right the first time.

Thanks for the help

[krshome]

Toluol/Toluene is what I use vs. MS it will turn 100% GE silicone caulk into a liquid very fast. I mix it with shoe-goo or silicone for tying flies, works awesome. Lowes and home depot don't sell it. I have only been able to find it at Ace Hardware. It's nasty stuff use in a well ventilated area but it should wipe off the mess you have.

[thehumanlynx]

So you think trying to undo what I did is a better idea than reapplying to get the coverage needed to be waterproof?

[Nift]

I would mix your silicone to mineral spirits a little heavy on the mineral spirits and then dip the tarps. Make sure press, turn, press, pull out and restuff, and press some more. Should get some air bubbles coming through the tarp. A lot at first then less when it is getting fully impregnated. The excess mineral spirits should dissolve what is on the tarp and allow good even coverage.

[krshome]

So you think trying to undo what I did is a better idea than reapplying to get the coverage needed to be waterproof?

I can't tell you what to do without seeing it. If it works leave it alone. If your like me and it drives you crazy that it's not perfect you could try a small area of the tarp and see if it can be fixed.

[thehumanlynx]

It isn't good now. The mix was too thick and there are more than a few spots that didn't get coverage. I suppose I will try it all over and see how it goes... I kneaded and turned and stuffed and over and over, I just think the mix with that type of MS was unable to get thin enough to move around well. It was more like a gooey paste.

[nothermark]

FWIW I think you may be better off tossing the mess and ordering new cloth. It may cost as much or more for the good solvents to get rid of the mess than it will to replace the cloth. Price what you think you need to fix it, double it, the buy a pint if you must and experiment.

The gummint and the green folks have been doing all they can to eliminate volatile hydrocarbon solvents. That includes fake versions of mineral spirits similar to the fake Tri Sodium Phosphate. Be very careful with anything you buy in the paint department. It is one of those green tension deals like going camping with a nylon pack full of ultralight materials all made from hydrocarbons. Woodworkers have the same problem trying to get good finishes. ;-(

[gmcpcs]

My tarp silicone process worked out OK, but I did have some uneven coating. I just sat for many hours using an embroider's large hoop to hold the material taught, and rubbed on the tarp material to get the silicone to pill up and rub off. The threads were still well coated. (made a huge mess in the floor in front of the TV)

However, I didn't run into your problem as serious. I did use mineral spirits and clear silicone though. I think reading through all the threads on the tarp silicone process it does seem to be hit or miss. Krshome's toulene sounds like the better deal. I've only done it once.

Take it easy,

gmcpcs