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Author Topic: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?  (Read 2417 times)

Tom@Crewe

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1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« on: November 19, 2007, 08:43:34 am »

I am using some sections of tarpauling sheet on my circa 1880 -1900 boat, but what colour would it be?

I have seen Red, Blue, Green and Greys but they are all modern.
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RickF

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2007, 09:46:02 am »

In lieu of anything better I would go for a brown colour. Darker or lighter, dependent on how new or weathered the tarpaulin is supposed to be.

Rick
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John W E

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2007, 10:53:00 am »

Thinking about the colour, and wondering would the original tarpauline have been made out of sail canvas - so very light brown, possibly soaked in whale oil or something like that to waterproof it.

I would tend to go, like Rick F said, for a browny to a light brown colour.

aye
john e
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bigH

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2007, 03:13:28 pm »

  Hi Tom with ref; tarpaulins, Mellvills book on seamanship , says that tarps were made out of heavy sail material which was TARRED after being soaked in oil, the tar was thinned to a watery substance, (does not say what was used to do this)  this was then heated and spread by brush over the material and left for 7days to soak in, the resulting colour was a deep dark brown.   Apparently the seamen used a thinner solution on their wetcoats.  Harry
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walrus

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2007, 08:44:56 pm »

Pine/Stockholm tar was used on sailing ships as a waterproofer and preservative on ropework and lots more.It has a lovely smell and it's the first thing you notice on and old wooden ship.It is distilled from pine trees and could be thinned with turps. It is dark brown in colour
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Jonty

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2007, 03:12:33 pm »

  I've no interest at all in sailing ships, but that's the kind of information that makes this forum so interesting - and why I read all the posts. Like the previous discourses on the trials and tribulations of running big old marine diesel engines.

  Great stuff!
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barryfoote

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2007, 08:32:11 am »

I agree with Jonty. Excellent information. I did not know all that and it has saved me from making an error, which I have done before by having the tarp a dark green colour. Cheers.
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polaris

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2008, 11:25:00 am »


Dear Tom,

May I suggest Humbrol 110 (Matt), lightened with white to what you think looks right. This can give a nice 'sun whitened/salt whitened' light brown finish (have used this for the 4" HA Directors and the Stern DCT on a 1:96 Belfast and it looks good). You can obviously use a dark brown and do the same thing, but this depends on how dark you want the brown colour to be of course.

I have had to learn a great deal very quickly this last twelve months with all sorts of 'things modelling'... others have been very helpful to me on Mayhem, so it's good to be able to 'put something back'!

Regards, Bernard
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Bryan Young

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2008, 11:30:00 pm »

Tarpaulin is not the same as sail canvas. Much heavier. A weathered hatch tarp. will turn grey over time, no matter what colour it was when new. My experience only goes back to ships built around 1912 (they were old when I was aboard!) but the rotation of covers was the same during my cadetship (Ben Line) in the 1950s. 2 (sometimes 3, according to the prevailing weather) with the oldest one on the bottom. All turned grey very quickly though. Horrible things, but thats how it was before steel lids came in. Also, as an aside, when it was raining during loading/discharging canvas "tents" were rigged to prevent (hah!) the rain getting into the holds. Never worked unless the derrick plumbed the centre of the hatch, which with union purchase rig it never did. So lots of water gathered and went sloshing into the hold anyway. Even as a humble cadet I could sense stupidity coming from the mind-set of "it's always been done that way".
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White Ensign

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Re: 1880-1900 tarpauling colour?
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2008, 08:06:40 am »

Be carefull, some had used the new material "natural-rubber" at this time, invented by Charles Goodyear. Some ships had tarpaulins and canvas on board, which had been sealed with that India rubber. It`s colour was light grey when old and more like a egg-white when new.

Jörg
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