Thursday, July 05, 2007

Otto Floto Dog & Pony Show 1902 #2


Scan10027, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

"Canvas being paraffined, open top canvas wagon in the background".

Posted by Buckles at 7/05/2007 05:53:00 AM

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A very interesting photo ;
I'm curious about this Method & Procedure . What was the formula the Paraffin had mixed with it & to what percentage to liquefy it adequately etc. - & what was the procedure , how long it took to dry or set etc.

06 July, 2007 08:35
Buckles said...

This is the way they used to water-proof canvas, a very dangerous job since the combination of chemicals used were combustible.
A good friend of mine Lee Bradley, died when the parrafine he was applying ignited.
In Mexico after the marquee was treated, it was drug across an electrical cable with a bare spot and the whole thing virtually exploded. What a sight, right out of a Bruce Willis movie.
And as is generally known, during WW2 the Army had priority on all the water-proof canvas and the Ringling Show had to return to the old method, resulting in the 1944 Hartford fire.

06 July, 2007 12:06
Anonymous said...

As a boy (1950) I did this with my Grandfather to his Canvas Duck Hunting Equipment & seam to now more vividly recall ; VERY CAREFULY Heating Kerosene ( maby in those 55 gal. drums in the background )in a Wash Tub over a small Charcoal Fire Pit & including the Paraffin Bricks which melted , than painting this Solution on to the Canvas to evaporate / dry . I might think a bit of Linseed Oil might have been added also making it even more of a " Formula " ? The Low Heat allowing this Mixture to Emulsify temporarily . AND even when Set / Dry , still retaining its Highly Flamable Qualities as Buckles points out .
The Polys & Acrylics of today have been Major Advancements in many related Fields .

07 July, 2007 08:50

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