Adhesive for 'oil cloth'

[Mary Fisher]

By oil cloth I mean the sort of fabric which used to be used for waterproof sou-westers and the like.

Is there any adhesive or adhesive tape which can be used to repair slits in it?

TIA

Mary

[The Natural Philosopher]

At a gues, patch inside woth some waterprrof material and use s rivbber type contact adhesive - trhe old evo stik - or maybe a repair kit for rubberised canvas inflatable beds?

[Mary Fisher]

The latter is what I suggested, we have patches and adhesives for defunct paddling pools and the like. Thanks, I now have a MAN (I assume!) to support me :-)

Mary

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[Capitol]

[Andy Dingley]

Which century ?

Oil cloth (roman, medieval to 19thC) made from linseed oil on linen could be joined by simply sewing it. The oil takes months to cure and never cures fully, so any closely fitted overlap becomes waterproof as the oil layers amalgamate. If the oilcloth is older, then fresh oil would be applied over the patch area first. It helps to recreate old oil recipes, rather than modern ones (yes, I've been doing just that)

Victorian oilcloths (for clothing and luggage) switched to rubber compounds. These would be sealed by a separate application of "rubbber cement", typically something like shaved raw rubber dissolved in carbon disulphide (unacceptably carcinogenic these days). Evo-stik

528 is neoprene rubber dissolved in a petroleum spirit and a reasonable substitute.

Some rigid materials might have used gutta percha or even shellac instead - glued-up hard rubber was a fairly common Victorian plastic, used for fountain pens, electrical equipment and surgical prostheses.

For waxed cotton, either Barbour's own paste wax, or I use beeswax in cyclohexane to soak into a "dry" repair (horribly flammable though!)

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods