On Oiled Silk

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SierraStrider
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Re: On Oiled Silk

Post by SierraStrider »

So I just did some tests on various swatches of cloth I got. I tested a couple of pieces of silk--some 4oz raw 'noil' and some 3oz woven 'broadcloth'. I also tested some 3oz linen and some 10oz duck canvas. I treated them with a wax/oil dressing I've used for my raincoats for some time. If anyone's really interested, I can bore you with the procedure and raw data, but here's the analysis:

The noil absorbed more oil, and subsequently more water, relative to its weight than any other cloth. It didn't make particularly efficient use of the dressing, and while it resisted soaking through for a short while, it was ultimately very middle-of-the-road in terms of performance. The main benefits are its low cost and rustic look.

The woven broadcloth absorbed relatively little dressing but also soaked through more quickly than the noil. Once soaked through, however, it didn't drip and performed quite as well as the noil did, drying more quickly afterward, as well. Main advantage is weight, but its main disadvantages are price and a relatively refined look that might clash with a pseudo-medieval kit.

The linen was light and dried VERY quickly. Its primary disadvantage was that it would be utterly useless as a tarp in virtually every way. it soaked through instantly and then dripped a lot. Heavier linen might do better, but pound-for-pound it doesn't hold a candle to silk.

The treated cotton duck canvas was, as predicted, heavy. twice as heavy as the treated raw silk, almost 4x the weight of the treated broadcloth.
On the other hand, it just. Didn't. Soak. Through. Even when immersed in a bowl of water, it absorbed less water proportionately than any other cloth, though thereafter it dried rather slowly. If I knew a gale was blowing up and needed shelter, you'd better believe this is the tarp I'd want. Disadvantages: weight and non-canonical fiber.

for giggles, I tested some untreated canvas as well, the mainstay of our old Scout Camp tents. It absorbed more than twice its weight in water and dried less than half as quickly as anything else.

One final test which was quite illuminating: After thoroughly drying, I tested the flammability of each swatch, touching a corner to the vigorous open flame of a stove. As one would predict, the treated duck and linen burned enthusiastically. Even the untreated canvas sustained a flame.

The silks would not. Infused though they were with wax and oil, as soon as they were removed from the flame they guttered and extinguished themselves. This on its own is a striking characteristic for a tarp likely to be used near a fire.

Conclusion:

...Yikes.

I had really hoped there would be a clear winner, but there isn't. The broadcloth's price and refined look are offset by the noil's reduced performance. Food for thought.
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Udwin
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Re: On Oiled Silk

Post by Udwin »

Fascinating insights! Would you mind sharing the composition of the dressing? What kind of oil did you use?
I'm not surprised that light of linen was nearly useless for tarpage...what was the weave like on? The handkerchief linen I've seen that's that light is fairly loose and not tight like heavier weights. Did you process it before your experiment to get it to tighten up (hot wash, hot dry)?
I thought silk might also be self-extinguishing like wool (animal fibers), but even waxed/oiled self-extinguishes, too? Amazing!
Can you post a picture of the broadcloth (silk, right?)?
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SierraStrider
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Re: On Oiled Silk

Post by SierraStrider »

The dressing is a commercial mixture, by the same manufacturer as my raincoat--according to them, it's composed of mineral oil, lanolin, vitamin E oil, and various unspecified waxes--chiefly paraffin, if I had to guess. Not exactly period, but it's what I had to hand. I think I'd use beeswax and lanolin for a finished product, adjusting proportions until it was similar in consistency to the product I have. I know BLO is usual, but I'm not a fan of how it affects the cloth long-term.

I didn't process the linen. I only wanted to give it a shot to see to what extent silk actually surpassed more common fibers of equivalent weight.

Here's an image of the silk broadcloth, before treatment on the left, after on the right, backed by text to demonstrate its optical qualities
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Iodo
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Re: On Oiled Silk

Post by Iodo »

That silk looks promising, nice job trying the tests :P
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Re: On Oiled Silk

Post by Darnokthemage »

On the topic of oiled silks, i want to know if it can be dyed? In that case, oiled green spider-silk might be a good material for what the Elves of Mirkwood use for their Layered leaf clothes.
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SierraStrider
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Re: On Oiled Silk

Post by SierraStrider »

Darnokthemage wrote:On the topic of oiled silks, i want to know if it can be dyed? In that case, oiled green spider-silk might be a good material for what the Elves of Mirkwood use for their Layered leaf clothes.
The silk can certainly be dyed prior to oiling, though what all is involved in silk dyeing, I couldn't say. I'm a rank novice at natural dyes.
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