Lowes painters tarp to shelter/ tent conversion

[ArmorerRoy]

Roy, you pitched your tent cloth perfectly in that photo. Having been treated, is the fabric at all breathable or does it get plenty hot in there on a warm day? I remember as a kid pitching a surplus olive drab canvas "pup tent" (Dad, infantry, always referred to it as "shelter halves"). We kids piled in there and thought it was so cool ... but it wasn't and we were generally steamed out of there in 10 minutes. This was in the torrid tropical heat of a summer in Tacoma, Washington.

It it is too hot inside leave a 4 inch gap around the bottom.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I have thought that the balls are heavy and might corrode over time. My idea would be to use marbles or maybe part of small chunks of wood dowel rod.

Perhaps small round wooden balls, as bought in a craft store. The look would be proper. less stress on the corners and less weight.

 

[DuncNZ]

Spontaneous combustion is a serious problem with almost any oil soaked cloth . I once saw a guy open up his new linseed oil soaked canvas sheet to show every one , the thing gave off a puff of smoke and burst into flames as the air ,oxygen , got to it . I have seen oil soaked rags thrown in a drum, almost burn down a workshop and a cloth used to mop up some mutton fat from a barbeque get so hot it melted the plastic bucket it had been placed in . My advice is dont make one , and if you do keep it stored unrolled and out of the house or garage .
I got around the problem by buying a sheet of brown oiled Japara , commonly known as oilskin , sewing leather loops on the corners and one in the top center . This may not be historically correct and may cost more but it is safer and doesn't get sticky in the sun or take years to loose it's smell.
Small stones also work as corner ties and are free and historically correct .

 

[Fatboyz]

I have thought that the balls are heavy and might corrode over time. My idea would be to use marbles or maybe part of small chunks of wood dowel rod.

I sewed loops of cotton lamp wick at intervals on mine for tie downs.

 

[tenngun]

Mine as a fly. Was at Fort De Charters in November and a rained enough to go-looking

for animals two by two. But all stayed dry
Made a wedge from some and it to worked fine in a down pour at southwestern in Arkansas muddevous

 

[wganz]

I started with a painters tarp from lowes. 8x12 and the thickest one they had.

went looking for such on Lowes.com but could not find one with those dimensions.
do you recall the brand & price? better, do you still have the receipt with the SKU on it?
Thanks,

 

[ArmorerRoy]

I got mine in the store. They do have a variety of thicknesses and sizes. I wanted 8x8 so got bigger than that and cut it down. I also wanted square and not rectangular or triangular.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Try Sherwin Williams.

 

[BillinOregon]

I had not heard of your waterproofing formula, Smo. Very interesting.

 

[smo]

It works well, Ol Pulpwood from Southern Mississippi told me about it.

Mine needs another coat put in it..

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I started with a painters tarp from lowes. 8x12 and the thickest one they had. I washed it in hot water and dried it on high to induce shrinkage. I then cut it to 8x8 and hand sewed the new seam. I soaked it in 50/50 boiled linseed oil and low odor paint thinner. I hung it up for a month to dry. Using 45 caliber balls on all corners and tie downs I added hemp cord. I can use this as a lean to shelter, bed roll, or tent as seen in the picture. Total weight rolled up in a tump line with a blanket is 10 pounds. Two people plus gear easily fit inside the tent. View attachment 182535

I like very much how you did the opening.

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Spontaneous combustion is a serious problem with almost any oil soaked cloth . I once saw a guy open up his new linseed oil soaked canvas sheet to show every one , the thing gave off a puff of smoke and burst into flames as the air ,oxygen , got to it . I have seen oil soaked rags thrown in a drum, almost burn down a workshop and a cloth used to mop up some mutton fat from a barbeque get so hot it melted the plastic bucket it had been placed in . My advice is dont make one , and if you do keep it stored unrolled and out of the house or garage .

Quite true, but it's the curing of the oil into a polymer, after painting, that gives off the heat and gets hot enough to catch fire in some cases. Once cured the stuff does not spontaneously combust.

LD

 

[Sparkplug]

Dandy shelter. You might replace them expensive round ball with pebbles though, that’s what wild Indians and frontiersmen would of used.

Acorns work well too. And ya can leave em tied in with less weight.

 

[williamsdav]

That was my first fly seven years ago. But we kept getting heavy rainfalls and I kept getting a mist shower inside. Finally coughed up money for a pre-treated, 10 ounce canvas for plowshare tarp which then became my dining fly when I was able to get into a Panther Primitive 10x10 wall tent. I don't sleep wet anymore!

 

[smoothshooter]

The one I made I used the spray on water proofing, took a few cans but has held up well, It's called camp dry.

That’s what I would do.

 

[smoothshooter]

Perhaps small round wooden balls, as bought in a craft store. The look would be proper. less stress on the corners and less weight.

Or golf balls.
No one would see them anyway.

 

[Coot]

Or golf balls.
No one would see them anyway.

Small river rocks would be both both cheaper (free) and arguably PC

 

[RanchRoper]

I bought one of these painter drop sheets for the floor in my wedge tent. Leak proof.