Recycled Bedsheets Make The Best Waterproof Tarps

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[MoonMan]

From now-on, when I need to learn something, I want this guy to do the teaching. No intro, no fluff, just the important stuff with clear delivery.

[ramadhanisme]

No added unnecessary duration, straight to the point, this is legit gold

[susanravella]

I have 9 horses and live in a cold, wet area. The horses' blankets stop being waterproof quickly, and are horribly expensive to replace. This is a game changer for anyone with horses!

Thank you for this video!😊

[DoctorPhilGud]

Dude legit. I came here for the waterproof sheet, but im taking this button knowledge with me for the rest of my life. Im absolutely blown away that i never knew how to do that and now im going to start using it all the time

[deltafour]

This is gold! I just made a sailboat sail out of a bedsheet using this method. Please, don't ever take this video down

[dlkline]

I used this compound and a brush years ago to waterproof a wide brimmed had so I could use it to hunt in rainy weather. Worked great and is still waterproof over 20 years later.

[LauraRealLife]

Last spring, I used naptha and silicon like you demonstrate here and brushed it on my convertible car's fabric roof - amazing! Not only did my roof stop leaking in the rain, whenever it snowed this winter, I never had issues with the snow melting and seeping through my car's roof! A new roof would have cost me $360; the current one is 6 years old but other than seeping/leaking, it's in great shape, hated idea of paying to replace it. A quart can of naphtha and a single tube of cheapest silicon cost me $11 total last spring, and I spent around an hour, maybe bit more, mixing it up and brushing it all over my car's roof. I did, however, have to throw the brush I used away as I forgot to clean it lol

[DerekCroxtonWestphalia]

I saved this video last year and I've just been waiting for the opportunity to try it. We really needed this because we wanted to leave our snow blower on the driveway rather than having to drag it uphill in the snow when we needed it, but, as he says, the cheap tarps you get in stores just disintegrate. So, how did it go?
First, I totally underestimated how easily the silicone would come out. It's one thing when you're squeezing out a little to seal something, but emptying the whole tube requires serious work. My hands are still sore from when I did it last weekend.
Second, I just had a heck of a time distributing the liquid easily over the sheet. All the liquid goes to the bottom, and once it was absorbed by the sheet, it was hard to get a sufficient amount on the rest. I did use his trick of wringing in the dry spots with a wetter spot and that seemed to work, but it was also hard to tell where the dry spots were. It isn't just the completely dry spots, either, but the places that got wet but not saturated.
We just tested it on a small part and I think it worked okay. The water definitely stayed on one side of the sheet and didn't leak at all -- as long as we were on a good spot of the tarp. The back side did feel a little damp when we were done. On the whole, I'm happy with the result and I'm planning on using it. I really want to come up with a better way of soaking the sheet adequately the next time, though. I think ideally I would buy a respirator so I could just squish the sheet around in an open vat, because then I could really see what I was doing and make sure all parts were getting plenty wet.
This is an awesome idea and absolutely fills a need cheaply and relatively easily. As with anything, there are some difficulties that aren't obvious from the video, but this is a trick that really works.

[johnthornton]

Very well presented and explained. Most refreshing to listen to and NO hideous music nor attitude nor posturing. Brilliant.

[knewsome]

Regarding the button technology, my grandfather used to use pennies, as they had a uniform shape and were plentiful (for the time). Interestingly, I remember him showing me when we were bird hunting and a button came off his jacket…and he field repaired with change in the truck’s ashtray. Later, I observed him use it with canvas tarps across his truck bed and across wood stacks. Nice reminder!!

[coenmulder]

For the buttons, I use little pebbles that come from a river. Pick the ones that are perfectly smooth and as round as possible. These won’t damage your tarp. In a pinch you could also use glass marbles.

[dreddmann]

this is freaking awesome. Not only did you explain what you did you showed us exactly what to use and showed us how to do it. With all the fake sh*t on YouTube this video should be given an award for being the most realist informative YouTube videos out there. People should get monetized for how real information is not by the amount of views and likes.

[elenatg]

I wish every video on YouTube would be like this one. Excellent!! From beginning to the point, clear, concise explanation + “button” bonus. Thank you.

[SoybeanAK]

If you don't have a pebble, just tie the line around a corner of the sheet with a little extra sheet sticking out, then fold that part back over itself, and tie around the bunch- the first knot becomes the "pebble" for the second! Brilliant video, thanks!

[PowerScissor]

This is a pretty cool idea.

Just an FYI if anyone is curious and doesn't have the time or space for a project like this. They make commercial shower curtains that are super tough, durable, flexible, and most importantly waterproof. It's like a canvas material. They might be a suitable replacement for a sheet dipped in silicone if that's what you need.

I've had them outside, in direct sunlight abiut 6 hours per day for years and they are still soft and flexible.

[VoodooTrashPanda]

Penguin Mode🐧

I still remember binge watching your channel during lockdown after the woodgas and firework videos popped up on my home page again. With life getting more complicated by the day, I had forgotten how much I enjoy your work. It feels like I’m watching science Bob Ross, always something new to learn; and I get to stand on the shoulders of giants so to speak. Since you always seem to include the things that *didn’t* work- I’m not starting from scratch.

And I learned that Mel Science existed from one of the other videos of yours I’ve watched today. My girlfriend and I are excited to try a couple of their kits.

You’re an inspiration mate, may enthalpy always be in your favor.

[MrThatguyuknow]

I don't know how you always manage to knock it out of the park with your ideas, but you do.
update: I combined this with your can stove project to make a CAMPING SAUNA. My life is complete.

[SF-likh]

I'm much more impressed by the cloth button at the end. The one used to tie in the cloak. I always used to walk around by holding both ends together with my hands. You learn something new everyday. Although I feel a bit stupid for having walked like that for so long

[scottbaker]

**ProTip:** When pouring from a spouted can, turn the can so the spout is on top; there is much less splashing because the air can get it more easily.

[DerBjjjg]

I saw this technique last year on skill tree. I used this technique to make a rain jacket for myself. It's not something fancy basically just a layer of fabric to shed the water. So i first sew the jacket without a zipper or buttons. I then soaked it in the solution and let it hang outside for about 2 days - mostly because i forgot it.
It was dry afterwardsso i put in the zipper and buttons and till now it really served me well.
I had to adjust my breastpockets. Because when it reains heavily the water would collect in there and i didn't really have a way to realease that water.