Tanbark

[earlethomas]

I'm looking for a recipe for tanbarking. One which uses ochre rather than oak and doesn't use urine as the mordant. Anyone?

[paladin]

Called Tanbark for the reasons given in the passage below from a sailmaker who makes such sails. For traditional styled boats it's more to present an "authentic" appaerance.
"Back in the days of cottons sails, some sailcloth was tanned - dipped in tannins, usually derived from tree bark. The process was used to protect the sails from rot, mold and mildew. Nowadays, Dacron is dyed a reddish brown to simulate the 'red sails in the sunset' look. Sail buyers pay a premium for this or any dyed Dacron. There is no analogous protection provided by the dye."

[earlethomas]

Paladin, thanks for your reply. I know that today one can buy "tanbark" colored dacron. But I want to treat cotton sailcloth or canvas. Anyone have the old recipes?

[peter radclyffe]

I'm looking for a recipe for tanbarking. One which uses ochre rather than oak and doesn't use urine as the mordant. Anyone?

cutch and red ochre, a hundredweight of oak bark is boiled overnight, mixed hot with red or yellow ochre, a hundredweight of tallow and a bucket of stockholm tar, painted on hot with mops

[earlethomas]

Thanks, Peter. A great recipe but perhaps a bit much for today with the tallow. Maybe I'll stick to the urine after all. What is cutch?

[peter radclyffe]

Thanks, Peter. A great recipe but perhaps a bit much for today with the tallow. Maybe I'll stick to the urine after all. What is cutch?

its the name of this mess

[peter radclyffe]

cutch and red ochre, a hundredweight of oak bark is boiled overnight, mixed hot with red or yellow ochre, a hundredweight of tallow and a bucket of stockholm tar, painted on hot with mops

this is for the sails on a 70ft trawler

[earlethomas]

OK, I figured out that cutch is the extracted sap of a certain acacia native to India. More brown that red, but useful as a preservative. That and red ochre together could produce a great red, the Stockholm tar isn't hard to find, but I think I'd still try to forgo the tallow. Anyone know of a useful mordant in this context?

Peter, thanks again, and I thought it a rather large amount.

[peter radclyffe]

OK, I figured out that cutch is the extracted sap of a certain acacia native to India. More brown that red, but useful as a preservative. That and red ochre together could produce a great red, the Stockholm tar isn't hard to find, but I think I'd still try to forgo the tallow. Anyone know of a useful mordant in this context?

Peter, thanks again, and I thought it a rather large amount.

scale it down