doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Waxed cotton / oil cloth

What is the best dressing to use to keep waxed cotton water proof?

Barbour Thorn Proof......get it from Orvis.

Or if it�s a Filson use Filsons wax. The formulas are different, Filsons a little thicker and stiffer on the fabric . Barbour bit easier to apply.

Boats

Thanks guys.

Cannot find it through a search on Orvis under this name or anything related to wax cotton dressing???

Disregard!! Google is my friend. Orvis search is not!! Found it - at Orvis, as directed by Google!!! Thanks again for the tip.

I used a homemade recipe on my chaps and canvas jacket. I like them to be firm and rigid rather than the soft oily texture. It's more of a personal preference, but I find it's better at repelling thorns when it is more heavily waxed. Also drastically cheaper if you have to wax a large amount of fabric.

I am more concerned with water repellancy than shedding thorns. Thanks again.

PLEASE GIVE US THAT RECIPE

I made my own waxed cotton field jacket 25 years ago. I bought a regular cotton canvas "barn coat", lined with flannel. Then, I ordered two pint cans of Browning DuraWax treatment, melted it in a double boiler, took a new paint brush and saturated the outer layer of the coat with it while hot. It penetrated the cotton canvas perfectly. It has been a great coat for cool rainy weather for many years.

I had already bought my wife a Barbour jacket, but was too cheap to buy one for myself. I like mine better than the Barbour. Total cost was about 50 bucks for the coat and the treatment, and I've got plenty of extra treatment left to last me the rest of my life.

Here's the coat.



SRH

Damn cool Stan!

I used to use the traditional mix of 1:1:1 BLO/Beeswax/Paraffin with a little turpentine mixed in for for spreadability until I read of the detrimental effects of BLO on cotton fibers(it thins and makes the fabric brittle over time). I also noticed that once I got to the bottom of my mixture, the BLO seemed to leave bits of rubbery yellow "coagulated" (for lack of a better term) substance that would not melt or dissolve. Over time, I've come up with a much simpler method. Now, I just mix Beeswax and Paraffin (it's used in canning and can be purchased at most grocery stores CHEAPLY) in a ratio of 1:1. I heat it in a pot on the stove until its fully fluid and clear, give it a good mix, and then pour into a little crock pot that is used for keeping sauces warm. They are cheap, small, and keep the wax warm enough to remain fully liquefied. I have a natural hair paint brush and apply the liquid wax in quick even strokes. Once I get a significant area of the canvas coated with the wax, I take a heat gun and (with constant motion) melt the wax into the fibers of the fabric. It is very obvious when it is absorbed because it will darken and become solid color. I work my way up and down the chaps or other canvas item(laying flat on a piece of cardboard - prevents your work area from getting wax covered), working in sections and then apply to the back of the item. If you want an ultra-waxed coating, you can apply to the inside of the item as well. I've done this with canvas shirts, jackets, bags, backpacks, hats, canvas gun cases, and pants. My friend and I usually keep a large folded piece of waxed canvas fabric in hunting jackets or fishing bags for when we need to sit on a damp moss covered rock or log and would prefer not to get wet. I thoroughly enjoy waxed canvas and use it a lot for outdoor activities due to its waterproof and toughness qualities. It also extends the wear of canvas items in my opinion. I do most of my waxing in August due to the very hot temperatures and sun which help to 'prep' the fabric before taking the wax. I also let the items hang in the hot sun for a few days after waxing to obtain full impregnation of the fibers. It may sound like a lot of work, but once you have the gear and technique down, it goes very fast.

Anyways, I will say this again, this technique will make the fabric extremely rigid. If you want armor for busting through greenbrier and multiflora rose thickets, this is the ticket. If you are just looking for a vintage way of waterproofing fabric the more traditional 'oil fabric' approach may be better for you. I will say however, the heavy wax technique mentioned above far supersedes the waterproof effectiveness of the Filson or Barbour wax mixtures. I've used all three in different years and the ability of the heavy wax to shed both water and thorn is superior in my humble opinion. If you have concerns about trying this on a $400 Filson jacket, I suggest you do some tests or experiments on scrap pieces of canvas, or a cheap canvas bag, pants, etc.

Rigid! A thin canvas shooting shirt, turned early season brush buster. As you can see, its holding its form even when held sideways.

This is my formula for cloth wax treatment and as far as I can ascertain it is a traditional version using a standard mix with adjustments to improve the overall lasting qualities.
Now I have seen a number of formulas that use normal Linseed oil and boiled Linseed oil, this is not a good idea to do at all because Linseed oil is a drying oil and over time will make the cloth go hard and in doing so cause cloth crease lines to become places of heavy ware to the point of breaking the threads. In some cases, Cotton cloth treated with Linseed oil does have the capacity to spontaneously burst in to flame in the right conditions.
The mix is 6 parts paraffin wax. 2 parts Bees wax use white to reduce the colouring effect. 1 part Liquid Paraffin (Now this is not kerosene it is a highly refined mineral oil used for medical purposes and cosmetics. purchase it at a drug store). Now the last ingredient is Petroleum Jelly from � to 1 part. This is added to stop the cloth from becoming hard in cold weather (Ok I do know that you folks have much colder weather than we have on this side of the pond. But I do feel that it us Brits compensation for living in a damp Maritime climate) The Petroleum Jelly also slows the wax from drying out so reducing the number of times you need to refresh the wax, but the amount added is a trial and error thing to get exactly what you want.

thanks

I love my Barbour jacket. Looks good and blocks the wind and wet. Warm enough with a down vest underneath. Plus, I look really good while wearing it.

It's the correct size, but I always thought it was a little binding in the shoulders. I wore it yesterday in the cold to shoot tower pheasants and wanting to look good, I left my regular camo cold weather coat at home.

I looked splendid, but shot like a doofus. I peered in the mirror this morning before showering and saw why I shot so poorly. There is a baseball size black, blue and purple and red bruise right in the middle of my bicep. I just couldn't shoulder the gun like I usually do; wonder I hit anything!...Geo

Interesting thread!

I have some Filson waxed cotton garments that I just use the Filson wax on. I do have an old Redhead waterfowl jacket, probably from the 50's that was my uncles that I've wanted to treat with some sort of wax.

Thanks for the recipes you guys have provided. I'll give the old Redhead jacket a treatment, using a recipe provided.

On another note, in my youth in the early 70's, working for the USFS, a guy I worked with took a pair of his work jeans and soaked it in bucket of Thompson Water Seal, then hung it up to dry for a couple of days. It was stiff when dry but it provided some serious water proofing to the jeans and through wear the jeans did soften up a bit.

Not sure how long the waterproofing or the jeans lasted, since as typical, the weather turned hot and dry as summer progressed and he switched to wearing other, non treated jeans.

I appreciate all the replies and good tips here guys. Given the ongoing discussion regarding my primary purpose of waterproofing vs. briar proofing, has anybody here had success using any of the various sprays such as CampDry, etc? I once sprayed and entire can on a simple cotton upland vest and did endure a few drizzles but nothing of any significance for a actual verification of my waterproofing technique. My greatest concern about doing this myself, either re-proofing or starting new like Stan did is consistency of thickness of the painted on material.

And this is the quandry.

If you look at photos of English chaps (and ladies) shooting pheasants, it often looks like their coats are too big.

But if you buy a Barbour in the "right" size, you'll look great around town but have trouble shooting an overhead bird.

The solution is to have two.

Perry, it's really easier than it sounds. I just brushed it on and tried to keep it as even as possible. After you are done and it dries in you can touch up any places that look too "thin".

SRH

The only thing I can tell you is if you are going to use one of the previously mentioned Filson/Barbour waxes, use your fingers, go slowly and work it into the material. The key is using heat to impregnate the fibers rather than "painting it on". once you start doing it, you'll understand the process. If you still have concerns, do a small practice session with a spare piece of cloth. This is how I would apply the wax in an attempt to just waterproof the cloth.

For heavy brush busting power, then the paint brushing method is better, but uses a lot more wax.

Never tried mixing my own but might have to now with the formulas provided.

In past l have either used Barbour or Filson wax.

I put the wax on pretty heavy especially in the high wear areas and seams. Then hang in the hot summer sun and it seems to even out the wax. If there are areas that appear thin, I reapply in these area.

Now I have no complaint at all with modern fashion garments. Though when fashion takes hold of the traditional working wax jacket the garment can be compromised to the point that it becomes in many cases not fit for purpose.
In the photographs is my Wax Jacket from days past when you could purchase your jacket made to measure from a number of suppliers, at just a little more cost than purchasing a readymade one. Other than Barbour there where a number of other small companies who also manufactured Waxed clothing for the Farming community and the outdoor sportsman whatever their pursuit, and in my humble opinion made a true heavy duty and reasonably good looking working man�s product rather than bowing to the fashion market.
Given this jacket of mine has been in regular use and regularly waxed for forty five years now and so far it is as good as the day it left the makers all those years ago.
Its basic design is as good as it gets for a wind and rain proof jacket, also the outer Cotton fabric made from long staple �Egyptian Cotton� this type of Cotton is acknowledged as the finest hard waring but soft Cotton material available here in Brit land.
Starting at the top the Corduroy collar is sized to what we would call a �Choker� made tight about your neck to stop water from running down your neck passing the collar and wetting your under garments, this does take a little getting acclimatised to. You can see a row of press stud fasteners set in to the collar this is to attach a separate hood to keep your hat on in high winds also keeping the rain out of your ears or just the wind out.
The jacket has four front pockets the two mid line pockets being hand warmer pockets very well insulated and deep taking your hands plus gloves. The two lower pockets are of bellows design that can swallow a 25 box of 12 gauge cartridges in each pocket and still have room to spare.
The heavy-duty metal zip opens top to bottom and bottom to top making it easy to retrieve items from your internal pockets, the zip is also covered by a placket secured by press stud fastening keeping wind and water out. On the subject of the press stud fasteners they have bronze caps, that are so unlike the modern jackets with a bright Chrome finish in consequence you are covered by a dozen or so miniature light reflectors giving away your position if you pigeon shoot. The tightly knitted sleeve cuffs are set high internally in the sleeve to the point that if you clench your fist your hand is covered by the sleeves bottom so placing it out of the wind and rain
Inside the jacket it has been given a very deep bottom waterproof skirt to stop water soaking up from your trousers into the Wool and manmade fibre lining an all wool lining would have given up by now . You can see an internal game pocket known here as a poacher�s pocket this is made of waterproof material inside and out to stop blood from your kill soaking into the jacket, also there is a stowage pocket inside this to keep the hood when not in use.
The last picture shows how truly pliable this wax jacket cloth really is and how much of a difference the Petroleum Jelly makes to the cloth�s pliability, the jacket is folded reasonably tightly with the hood included, the mug is there to give some size perspective.
The jacket has performed so well over the years and may be Barbour may get some stiff competition from a traditional maker some time in the future.
And finally I use a multi folded cotton pad to apply wax to the jacket, and heat the area with a hair dryer to enable the wax to melt fully into the cloth fibres.

In country shops around me you can pick up a wax jacket for less than �30 stock changes a lot, sometimes they are an "odd" shade of green, and somtimes they have plastic zips ( which i dislike ) but i have grown up in many of mine and they have lasted years. When i can buy a jacket that will last 5+ years for �30 quid, Barbour just cant tempt me. A Barbour would have to last 30 years to be worth while and any brand name is no match for a snag on some barbed wire.

I once made the colossal mistake of over waxing my coat, every imaginable seed head and dog hair adhered to me and despite going through the washing machine twice to try and remove the wax it was never the same afterwards!

The reason wax jackets are so good is not because they are particularly water proof, on the moors water will find its way through when visibility closes in and the wind and rain is side ways. It will keep the worst of the wind of, and its very much functional clothing, easily repaired and after a couple of years your old wax will stretch and hold its form unique to you, putting an old wax on is like a long hug from an old friend, there are a lot of unsaid words, memories and feelings in that sort of a hug, and to me, its the same when you put on an old wax.

My first wax came from a local country store and cost �29.00, which aged 14 felt like a lot of money! A new wax is a horrible thing, a wax should never be clean, it should be crinkled and stained and ripped and show use, turning up to beating i stood out like a sore thumb in my pristine wax. 7 years later i was forced to retire that wax, the most comfortable garment i ever had, with a unique smell of, muck, dog, and nitro powder, the pockets an inexhaustible supply of rusty rimmed cartridges, the pockets bulged the sleeves four inches too short. My best mate refuses to retire his!

I do not understand the fascination with waxed cotton jackets after owning one and a few other waxed pieces of apparel.

In cold weather, they are stiff as boards and moisture condenses inside of them. In warm weather, they are unbearably hot and one sweats like crazy in them. They are heavy. And every high point or crease or raised seam on them is subject to hard and fast wear which puts holes in them in no time.

My wax coat was an Orvis - not sure who really made it, but Orvis generally tries to sell high quality stuff. It worked a hole through the right shoulder in no time where I would rest a shotgun while walking. The sleeves wore through on their seams where my forearm would rest on the armrest in my pick up.

For those that like them, more power to ya, but I don't see any value in them at all. Like Russel Moccasin boots, I fell for the hype and found that I'm just an ordinary guy that does much better with ordinary stuff for the most part.

Damascus, that is a lovely coat. I have an appreciation for quality products that will last a very long time, and 45 Years is an amazing tale. I have a Filson waxed cotton game jacket that I purchased at 75% off when a local Filson dealer went out of business in 2008. I do enjoy wearing it out and about or when working in the yard on a cold day. I enjoy the nostalgia of wearing it and caring for it.I think the key to keeping these jackets going is a regular regime of waxing. Russell boots also require a similar amount of care and attention. I think many people have a throwaway mentality these days. It is nice to see a quality product, with care, lasting for many decades.

Love my Barbour(the second one) and I get 10+ years out of them. Bought the last one on the cheap from a buddy who is a dealer, ran me about 200$. I should get a few more years out of the current one. Stops wind dead, plenty warm with a light fleece under it.

Although I have looked at the Barbour jackets for years, starting with a motorcycle jacket years ago, I have never owned one of that brand. I had an old Filson when I was young but that is the only Big Name brand I have had. In the past few years I have found the products of the Outback brand to be quite functional and certainly more reasonably priced than the Barbours. I just received this week a waxed cotton Deer Hunter Coat by Outback from the Sportsman's Guide for just under $150. It is lined and has pockets of the right size in the right places and certainly seems to be of decent quality. Whether or not it will last for 45 years is questionable, but for the price I am willing to try my hand at re-waxing this one!!

I remember a company named Lewis Creek that made wax coats of different styles. I have some of their moleskin shirts that were very good. Their wax coats had some very functional and useful features. It's been 10 years or so since they went out.
I picked up a Barbour Beaufort several years ago and like it. This thread got me thinking about it's eventual rewaxing.
Karl

I reproof my chaps every August to provide the most protection for my legs as possible. Maybe that is excessive, or maybe I just like thinking about the upcoming hunting season...

Either way, for those who are concerned with doing the reproofing themselves, I did see this during a Google search. I have zero relation or knowledge of the company...just sharing.

http://www.newenglandreproofers.com/

I can't attest to the quality, but there is a company called WorkWear King (WWK), which seems to be something like the English version of Dickies or Red kap (sellers of traditional-styled working man's "uniform" clothes). So if you need a Barbour look on a beaters wage, it is a good place to shop.

In addition to construction types of workwear, they have a narrow selection of hunting wear, including waxed cotton jackets, flat caps, and vests which they state are made in England. At their prices, I am skeptical, but oh well.

They are very low priced (25 GBP or $35 USD on ebay). But, if you are an American buying, it's usually an English seller and you'll have to pay $20 or more for shipping and returns could be complicated. https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWK-Mens-Jacket-Brown-Wax-Quilted-Cotton-Garment-Male-Outdoor-Clothing-New/400345041908?hash=item5d366c8bf4:m:mTjrPBObeq7V99c91El1RoQ

There are sometimes domestic US sellers on Amazon; the total all-in cost is higher (around $70 USD) but you can feasibly get a return. https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWK-Mens-Jacket-Brown-Wax-Quilted-Cotton-Garment-Male-Outdoor-Clothing-New/400345041908?hash=item5d366c8bf4:m:mTjrPBObeq7V99c91El1RoQ

Workwear King also makes/sells a tweed vest and tweed shooting coat. They look the part and are functional. Side-by-side with an Orvis or quality English piece you can clearly see areas where corners were cut and costs were saved, but they look nice and are functional enough.

I'm not sure if it is still offered (probably so), but you could send your Filson waxed cotton garments to Filson and they would re-wax it for you. They even had a class where they taught folks to do their own re-waxing.

I know that Orvis will send a Barbour coat back for re-waxing if desired.
Karl

Some of you folks have said that you may try to re-wax your coats. So seeing the fire of intention is lit I will put some how to fuel on the fire. I do this at the end of every winter season (Fall for you folks).
To start I clean the coat with soap and water (Not Detergent) and any real soap will do, next make sure your wax coat is dry inside and out I just hang it up on the back of a chair and turn my hearing aid down when my wife goes into complain mode about that waxy coat of yours!!!
To be truthful it does not matter what wax you use as long as you put it on the coat, it is doing no good if you purchase the stuff and put it in a cupboard now is it?
Now the wax DO NOT MELT IT IN ITS CONTAINER!!!! you want it warm and easy to remove from the container I use a folded cloth pad. If you melt it and saturate a brush or a pad when you apply it to the coat the wax will harden more or less immediately in a thick hard patch. This is now a problem because you have to now try to spread it out over the material, hard work and time consuming.
Close up the main zip fastener close pocket flaps if you have them then lay coat on a flat surface.
You do need one more important tool to start a "Hair Dryer" DO NOT USE THE ONE THE LADY IN YOUR LIFE USES! otherwise I found turning my hearing aid down or off even did not work, for household peace buy one.
I start at the front shoulder and removing a little warm wax from its container with my cloth pad working quickly spread the wax thinly over a small area. Now the using a hair dryer set on medium heat, warm the area of wax you have just applied, then using the pad rub the wax into the cloth and spreading it a little if necessary also making sure any seams and edges are well treated. You will become quite adept at doing it after the first side of your coat, treat the back in the same manner. Next the arms inner cuffs and pocket flaps also I wax the material the zipper teeth are fitted to because if you don't the wind can blow the rain under the zip cover and through the zip material. The down side to doing this is you can have wax transfer on to clothes immediately under your coat so it is water or wax the choice is yours.
When I am satisfied that all is well waxed I fold my coat and place it in a large polythene bag then place on the floor at the bottom of my wardrobe ready for the next winter, I do not use this coat in summer unless the weather demands. Just to hot for me to use.
The polythene bag is extremely important and the obvious is to stop the wax from getting on my other clothes, but more important it stops the wax from drying out of the material so when you first put it on it feels like you re-waxed it yesterday.
So give it a try!!!!!
Damascus.

We're five time zones away, damascus, but spring is at the end of every winter season over heah'.

My best, SRH

Ooops! that dam Brit only opens his mouth to change feet!!! 5 time zones? Oh I have no chance to get my head around that so I will stay with our one, and try to get things right with your seasons.