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Limited lifespan for silnylon?


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Home Forums General Forums General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion Limited lifespan for silnylon?

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  • #1290676
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    Is the lifespan for silnylon limited? I am wondering if perhaps my rain chaps no longer are waterproof (actually I kind of wonder if they ever really were waterproof, but I digress.) I'm curious, however, if silnylon stops being waterproof after a while.

    #1883864
    Richard Nisley
    BPL Member

    @richard295

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Piper,

    Yes. Other than Shield from Thru-Hiker, every retail DIY silnylon that I have tested is less than the threshold for rain proof at 1,500 mm when new. It only gets worse since wet flex degrades the coating; it becomes less waterproof with each use. The degradation curve is hockey stick shaped. It starts degrading fast and then slows down.

    The good news is that it is an easy problem to solve. Just paint one side with “1:3 slurry of Silicone and mineral spirits” to rejuvenate the coating.

    #1886049
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    Richard, I beg to disagree slightly. I've found a 5:1 ratio of "Odorless" Mineral Spirits to GE silicon (by volume) is the best light coating for silnylon. 3:1 ratio is for seam sealing only.

    Had the 5:1 coating on the top 1/2 of my TT Moment for the past 3 years and so far no "mist-thru" in the heaviest of rains.

    #1886078
    Jim Colten
    BPL Member

    @jcolten

    Locale: MN

    Richard, I beg to disagree slightly. I've found a 5:1 ratio of "Odorless" Mineral Spirits to GE silicon (by volume) is the best light coating for silnylon. 3:1 ratio is for seam sealing only.

    WELL … that depends entirely on how waterproof you want it to be. If one is REALLY concerned about the issue then use GE Silicon II undiluted!

    But that said … like Eric, I've been content with the results from treating with the 5:1 slurry. Except that I used 5:1 by weight instead of volume (not sure how different that is)

    #1886082
    drowning in spam
    Member

    @leaftye

    Locale: SoCal

    How do you guys get the slurry to mix well? I've tried it a couple times, and it seems like the silicone sinks to the bottom and the mineral spirits turn milky white.

    #1886087
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    > How do you guys get the slurry to mix well?
    Its very, very hard to do, especially with the hardware store cartridges.
    And while you are mixing vigorously, the trace water in the solvent is making the silicone start curing.

    Cheers

    #1886416
    Harald Hope
    Spectator

    @hhope

    Locale: East Bay

    I haven't done this yet, tents are still new enough, but I've read a few people here say to use a drill with a clothes hanger wire bent to form a sort of whisk shape. Makes sense to me, same idea as a blender vs using a mortar/pestle to make pesto… good luck ever getting the pesto smooth with mortar and pestle, easy with a power tool, I know, I tried that for a while (pesto by hand that is, same idea, oily thing mixing in with something you want to blend perfectly into the oil). Power whisk type thing is what I would do in this case, then add in a bit more mineral spirits and whisk again with drill if it starts setting.

    This is one reason I decided not to use silnylon fabric on my recent backpack project, I was debating it, but opted for very nicely coated 70d, which, if you add in the extra weight of coating again silnylon, starts looking better and better all the time. Keep in mind there's a huge range of coating thickness and quality for pu coated nylon too.

    #1888099
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    I just put it in a one pint jar with a tight lid and shake a lot then use. Every 5 minutes I put the lid back on and shake again. Repeat until you're done or must mix a new batch.

    This work especially well for the 3:1 thicker mix for seam sealing.

    #1888138
    Greg Mihalik
    Spectator

    @greg23

    Locale: Colorado

    "How do you guys get the slurry to mix well? "

    I use a 1 quart yogurt container because it is Deep.

    Then I stick a piece of 'J' shaped coat hanger in the variable speed drill. (The upward tip on the 'J' keeps it from hanging up or slashing the side of the container.)

    About a minute later on SLOW the deed is done.

    #1888153
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    It can be VERY simple…
    Get a small can , I used tuna cans but a cut down soda can will do, a small paint brush, paint thinner and the silicone.
    Put a blob of silicone in the can. add a little bit of paint thinner , mix in with your paint brush. Add a bit more thinner, mix in and keep doing it till you get the consistency you like.
    Thick olive oil is what I aim for.
    Takes me well under a minute to do…
    You can see that at the start of this video :
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYjOkxR4sgc&list=UU0PuLUKvG7Fxxex5BMVK4vw&index=6&feature=plcp
    BTW, I do dozens of tents a year so if I thought there was a faster or easier way I would do it…
    Franco
    ( I just seam sealed a Notch. Used about 2/3 of an ounce of silicone. I have now a small plastic bowl from which the silicone can be peeled off from when dry so I keep re-using that)

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