Period Tent Questions
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:22 amI've got it in my mind full of grandiose plans for the future to make a Norse A-frame tent and I have some questions for folks who've made period tents before.
I checked out some fabric at Jo Ann's because I received some kick * coupons in the mail for black friday, but I was confused as to what cloth I should be buying and what price I should be paying for it.
I do realize up front that I'll be paying more in a brick-and-mortar than online, but I wanted to check the material out in person and I'm open to getting it from any source that's affordable (painter drop cloths?). Looking at the fabric, I'm not sure if there's any important difference between "outdoor" canvas (like Sunbrella brand which is pre-waterproofed and UV proofed) versus something sturdy like "utility canvas" or "duck canvas". I figure I could get the cheaper stuff and waterproof it myself, but is the UV treatment really that necessary? I'd hate for this thing to fall apart after a year of events because it sat in the sun.
The "sunbrella" brand was $21.95/yd base price, while the "duck" canvas was $10.49/yd base price, and the "utility" canvas was $5.49/yd. With my 60% off coupon I could order a single massive sheet of the utility and cut it myself to size for nigh on $3.29/yd! But will it hold up? It seemed sturdy enough.
Doing more research, I came across a product called ray and rain which lets you water proof and UV proof in one go, but again, is it really necessary? Many of the SCA sites I've scoured mention the importance of water proofing, especially if you don't use wool or after you scrub/clean/bleach your tent because it got mildewy as those actions/chemicals break down previously-applied water proofing. Other sites say that water proofing isn't necessary at all regardless of the material. Not one of them mentions UV protection for the fabric.
Lastly, I'd like to ask about coloring the fabric. It would seem easiest to simply buy the canvas/wool/linen pre-dyed and I'd love to do that, but if it is incredibly cheaper to buy it all in a natural shade and color it myself, then I'd do that in a heartbeat. Some of the websites mention dyeing, though I've had horrible luck attempting to dye things with "Rit" brand; are there other, better choices? Other sites mention painting the fabric, though some mention problems with cracking, flaking, over-insulating, lessening the water proofing ability of the fabric, and other aesthetic problems. What methods have you used?
Thanks in advance for your info!
I checked out some fabric at Jo Ann's because I received some kick * coupons in the mail for black friday, but I was confused as to what cloth I should be buying and what price I should be paying for it.
I do realize up front that I'll be paying more in a brick-and-mortar than online, but I wanted to check the material out in person and I'm open to getting it from any source that's affordable (painter drop cloths?). Looking at the fabric, I'm not sure if there's any important difference between "outdoor" canvas (like Sunbrella brand which is pre-waterproofed and UV proofed) versus something sturdy like "utility canvas" or "duck canvas". I figure I could get the cheaper stuff and waterproof it myself, but is the UV treatment really that necessary? I'd hate for this thing to fall apart after a year of events because it sat in the sun.
The "sunbrella" brand was $21.95/yd base price, while the "duck" canvas was $10.49/yd base price, and the "utility" canvas was $5.49/yd. With my 60% off coupon I could order a single massive sheet of the utility and cut it myself to size for nigh on $3.29/yd! But will it hold up? It seemed sturdy enough.
Doing more research, I came across a product called ray and rain which lets you water proof and UV proof in one go, but again, is it really necessary? Many of the SCA sites I've scoured mention the importance of water proofing, especially if you don't use wool or after you scrub/clean/bleach your tent because it got mildewy as those actions/chemicals break down previously-applied water proofing. Other sites say that water proofing isn't necessary at all regardless of the material. Not one of them mentions UV protection for the fabric.
Lastly, I'd like to ask about coloring the fabric. It would seem easiest to simply buy the canvas/wool/linen pre-dyed and I'd love to do that, but if it is incredibly cheaper to buy it all in a natural shade and color it myself, then I'd do that in a heartbeat. Some of the websites mention dyeing, though I've had horrible luck attempting to dye things with "Rit" brand; are there other, better choices? Other sites mention painting the fabric, though some mention problems with cracking, flaking, over-insulating, lessening the water proofing ability of the fabric, and other aesthetic problems. What methods have you used?
Thanks in advance for your info!