"Real Oilcloth" and How to Make It
By ModHomeEcTeacher
photo image: http://mexicansugarskull.com/
Why do they call it "oil"cloth? Probably because the recently advertised "real oilcloth" that is all the rage is made from cotton fabric covered with a petroleum based coating. However, genuine oilcloth, the real thing grandma had on her kitchen table was made from cotton duck, canvas or linen that was
coated several times with linseed oil to give it a waterproof-ish surface. The fabric could be dyed or printed before the linseed treatment.
Genuine oilcloth is biodegradable in a landfill. The falsely advertised "real oilcloth" made from PVC or polyvinyl chloride does not break down in a landfill.
If you need your custom fabric laminated with a PVC coating, here are a number of companies who will do the job for you.
If you'd like to give the real thing a try, here's what you need:
Heavy cotton duck or canvas
Wooden stretcher frame
Staple Gun
Linseed Oil and paintbrush
Oil paint or oil dyes if you want to create your own design
Now here's how you do it:
1, Stretch fabric onto frame for stability and smoothness
2. Create a design by tie dyeing, stamping or painting with oil dyes or paints
3. With long brush strokes, cover entire piece of fabric on the good side, let dry, repeat
4. Add design between coats of linseed oil and keep coating and letting it dry
5. Once it's good and coated, remove from frame, trim edges and use as desired
If you want to make an entirely water resisitant piece, make the item and dip it completely in linseed oil, let dry and repeat.
Oilcloth Upholstery Tip:
When using real or PVC oilcloth, use thicker staples, staple diagonally to the grain of the fabric and use a heavier grade of fabric. Laminated fabric tends to tear like paper if you staple with the grain and using finer staples.
I've used Custom Laminations on the list of fabric laminators and they have been most satisfactory.
Tagged:
fabric upholstery oilcloth real-oilcloth tablecloth bags waterproof-fabrics crafts sewing vintage
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ModHomeEcTeacher
K-Isn't that weird how some people just fall in love with some material? I'll have to check it out.
K
(Warning: kinda off-topic but interesting): It's very interesting that you bring up linseed oil - there's a book called Ultimate Cheapstake's guide to living (or something like that). The author practically has an ode to linseed oil - apparently it waterproofs just about anyting!
Jay
I am wanting to waterproof my new canvas hat??? What about it can I do that? Will the cloth trun out like the "outback oilskin duster, and Hat" or just be a dripy thing that will catch on fire in the closet when I least expect it. What will it (linseed) do to leather (it has a leather band)???
regards
Anonymous
I don't know what type of linseed oil to use.
raw?
refined?
boiled?
which is safe next to food?
thanks
ModHomeEcTeacher
Drying time will depend on the humidity, fabric absorbancy, amount of linseed oil applied with each coat and the air ventilation.
ModHomeEcTeacher
Oilcloth (both old fashioned and pvc, I believe) is not washable, just wipeable. You would only need to coat one side of the fabric. Remember, no one had vinyl tablecloths back then. This was what they came up with to make life easier. When my mom was a child, she used to spend her summers at Little Lake Chapman by Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. Everyone's tables were covered in it.
Dina
anyone know how long each coat of linseed oil takes to dry? and how many coats are recomended? thanx
Beckie
Linseed oil will dry either one that is used it just takes one longer to dry than the other . It use to be used to mix with paint to make the paint last longer but it took almost forever to dry. Like up to a week you just had to hope it did not rain before it dried.
Beckie n Kansas
ReneeB
Is the completed "oil cloth" washable? Could you wash it i cold water or just wipe it. Do you only coat one side. What about it being combustible/flamable.....safety precautions?
Tana
I have read this in several books on furniture refinishing in the past and found two spots on-line talking about the differences of Raw vs. Double boiled. And Ben you are right raw will dry but apparently not as fast as the double boiled which will dry darker. I would assume in that also that the raw linseed will dry clearer than the boiled.
http://www.refinishfurniture.com/finishwood.htm
And on this thread here:
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:0EuI-QSboO4J:discuss.50plus.com/ipb/index.php%3Fshowtopic%3D8488+double+boiled+linseed+oil&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a
I stand corrected. Thanks all!
ModHomeEcTeacher
Ben--Thanks for the extra information on linseed oil. We appreciate it.
Sarah J Doyle
What a great tutorial - I DO remember the oilcloth tablecloths my grandmother used to have - now I'm gonna be making one for myself and gifts. We also will be posting this tutorial on our http://SewingBusiness.com blog. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah J Doyle
http://PatternsThatFitYou.com
http://SewingBusiness.com blog
Ben
Linseed oil doesn't go rancid once its dried and set, nor does it smell or feel oily
Linseed oil is only combusts during the oxydizing process and only under certain conditions. If you follow the disposing process written on my linseed bottles its safe.
Tana, I've no idea why wood workers recomend double boiled however, linseed oil will "dry" double boiled or not.
L
Linseed oil drys by a reactionary process to the air, causing it to become hard and pretty safe..
ModHomeEcTeacher
tana-thanks for the info.
tana
If you use linseed oil on wood projects it is often said to use the double boiled linseed oil otherwise it won't dry. I am assuming that here too that it is also best to use the double boiled oil. I don't mind the smell of Linseed but many do and it can lingers for some time. I'd suggest a test strip first and see if you can "live" with it.
ModHomeEcTeacher
Shari-You let the linseed oil dry between coats so I'm assuming that it will not rub off after many drying cycles.
ModHomeEcTeacher
Linseed oil comes from the dried seeds of the flax plants. Flax is also the plant from which we get linen.
Here's more about linseed oil on Wikipedia.
Shari
doesn't the finished result feel oily? doesn't oil rub off upon contact?
ModHomeEcTeacher
The photograph is a sample of PVC laminated cotton.which is technically "real oilcloth" since the laminate is a petroleum by product. Old fashioned "real oilcloth" is what is made by coating fabric with linseed oil, letting dry, repeat again and again.
ModHomeEcTeacher
Oops. Forgot to add the photo credit. Thanks so much for reminding me. I'm just explaining the basic differences in linseed oil oilcloth and pvc laminated oilcloth.
http://mexicansugarskull.com/
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