# canvas covered loads



## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Fellers, been wanting to do some canvas tarp covered loads because it seems that could be easy and provide some load variety for flat cars. I know that like in scale military modeling that some would do tarps with tissue paper soaked in white glue cut in half with water. But that seems a bit fragile for some outdoor railroading. I had thought about using some fabric of some sort and then thought about coating that in polyester resin (like used in fiberglass work). But that is messy and stinks. I remembered some gal years ago at the flea market selling pins that were originally cloth images cut from fabric from the sewing joint and I thought she said to make them stiff that she used E6000. I bought a piece of fabric and used E6000 and it wasn't stiff afterwards, just kind of rubbery. So wondered if any you guys had ideas and/or experiences you could share?

Doug


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Doug. 

For my narrow gauge wagon I used painted canvass. Once it was glued on and trimmed, I used an exterior housepaint to seal the canvass. 

If you go to a haberdashery store or art store, one can get canvass at reasonable price per metre. 1 metre or yard can yield a number of tarps, awnings, shades, etc. From there you can weather, fade, tear, shape and paint to your needs pretty easily.

Go for a fine texture as that's the sort of detail you want. I'd use a exterior wood glue to add stiffness and mold to the desired shape, then paint / decorate.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

A couple of suggestions I have seen used.

1) Paper towels which are dipped in a diluted white glue mixture. Dilute the white glue with water (and a drop or two of dishwashing liquid) at 50/50 or more water to glue. Take the paper towel and cut to rough size. Dip in the glue mix and form into the final shape you want. Then let dry. You can do the tea stain before playing with it as once dried the stain will stay there. Gives an effect of really good canvas.

2) Muslin. This is a cheap, coarse cotton cloth which comes in various weaves. Treated the same as the paper towels. Gives look of rougher canvas.

Hope this helps.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

I had some success using a method similar to what Rich has described above. I used tissue dipped in the glue mixture, dried over a wooden block form that I had oiled and rested the whole thing on an oiled piece of glass. The vegetable oil was meant to aid in releasing the finished product. It seemed to help as long as I didn't wait so long that the oil became gummy. As the glue dried but was still damp, I was able to work creases and flaps into it to try to give the illusion of flapping as the load is pulled around my layout. I also used a tea wash to achieve a base colour for the canvas, enhances with craft paints once all was dry.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

If you don't mind spraying the things once the glue has dried, you can use Titebond II (or 3) with a cloth of your choosing. The glue will dry with a yellow tint, though, so you'll have to then go in and spray the finished cover a canvas-y color then wash/stain it to highlight the texture. The advantage of the Titebond glue as opposed to regular white glue is that it dries waterproof. Many white glues will not, so they won't like getting wet.

Later,

K


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

First of all regarding the waterproofness of the glue, that just makes me think of all the times on fleabay I have bought handmade cars and they always are never finished and/or are weathered or the like and I at least would want the cars sprayed with matte clear for protection so I wash the cars first for good paint adhesion and they didn't use waterproof glue and I ned up needing to reassemble the cars.

One of the things that made me think of doing some tarp covered loads was that recently on fleabay I saw one of those old cast foam tarp covered loads that the seller was calling a rock formation (typical seller not knowing what they are selling and giving wrong info). One reason I didn't bid as the paint job just didn't seem right. I wish I could find some good pictures of some old canvas tarp covered loads to get a good feel for how the colors should look. And I will admit, I am usually too lazy to use an airbrush and do most of my painting with spray cans.

Doug


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

I bought this Berlyn Goose #6 from Jonathan Bliese about three years ago. He did all of the detail work. Notice the "canvas" tarp at the rear of the bed. The really nice touch he added was the "water ring" added to the top of the canvas. I have NO idea how Jonathan made this tarp. Jonathan is definitely a craftsman.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin,

The off color is why I indicated common white glue. Once you get the material to the color you want the Titebond will change it slightly, agreed. As an alternative you can always spray it with a rattle can of flat or semi'gloss (depending on your preferences as to a finish) to seal it from the weather. At least that is my prefereence.


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

That is one of my concerns, getting the colors correct. That is why I would like to find some good photos of old canvas tarped loads. Seems today all I see are those cheap plastic tarps.

Doug


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi,

Unbleached and of the cheapest version would be a off white or cream color, with possibly a brownish or pinkish cast due to the yarn the canvas was woven with.

The web will show some colors under a search for 'unbleached canvas'; it would not last long in that color - due to use and the steam loco on the front and possibly back as well of the train the covered load is on.

I make mine from a block of polystyrene foamed packing, and wrapped up with the 'tarps' made from good quality pre-creased (scrumple it up but not too much!) writing paper, using PVA both on the polystryene and the tarp when it has dried to stiffen and strengthen it. The load is then added onto a base. so in real life it could with a crane of some sort (or derrick) - it is supposedly heavy, to make it easy to load, and then 'tied' down with thread. If the load (hay) is light add a slightly larger than the load, styrene sheet for the base, and wrap the tarps edges underneath, and use some wood glue or such to glue it down onto the roughened (to allow the glue somewhere to grip) styrene. 

I model C.1880, and in the Sundance book on the Colorado Central RR on page 336 there is a photo of a sheeted load. 

Here is a photo of a three sheet covered load with well used sheets or tarpaulins on a base.

Yours Peter.


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Did some looking at Hobby Lobby and saw that Mod Podge has an outdoor glue. The frightening thing about it is that the instructions say it should be recoated periodically but I guess that is full time outdoors and I will clear coat it anyway. So need to find time to try it and see what I get.

Doug


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