Making oil cloth without linseed oil

I’m making oil cloth for my triple layer winter window curtains today. The base layer, next to the window will be a homemade oil cloth which with earn me a few badge bit points in textiles :PEP Transform 1 of yard fabric into oilcloth.

I don’t want to use linseed oil as I’ve read bad things about boiled linseed. Can I use another oil - peanut, olive, coconut, tung? Coconut would be my prefferd option but searching the web is fruitless as the system is gamed for selling ads not giving me the information I want.

Have you used anything other than linseed oil to make oil cloth? I have read that traditionally other oils were used but can’t find any examples. I’m guessing sailors would have used fish or whale oil.

Maybe I’m over thinking this. The Badge Bit links to “How to make oil cloth” tutorial - so if I follow it, then I’m meeting the requirements?

I don't know anything about oil cloth but I buy pure raw linseed oil on Amazon.

Making oil cloth takes advantage of linseed's ability to harden and oxidize quickly.  
I don't know any other natural oil that can do this as well as linseed.  

I'm curious to know more about your concerns with boiled linseed.  There are lots of different types that go by that name, some have some concerning additives, others are just pure oil.  

Perhaps an alternative is to use food-grade unboiled linseed, or as the grocery stores here call it "flax seed oil"?

r ranson wrote:
I'm curious to know more about your concerns with boiled linseed.  There are lots of different types that go by that name, some have some concerning additives, others are just pure oil.  

Perhaps an alternative is to use food-grade unboiled linseed, or as the grocery stores here call it "flax seed oil"?

Took me a while to find . . .

When I was doing the nest badge Oil Kitchen Woods I did some background reading and came across this https://richsoil.com/wooden-spoon-care.jsp

I’ll use the boiled stuff for this project and food grade flax oil if I need it on kitchen projects.

Thank you both

I was wondering about using beeswax?  I looked at the BB and it said oil/wax.

Anne Miller wrote:I was wondering about using beeswax?  I looked at the BB and it said oil/wax.

Historically, an oilcloth is usually non-food safe.  Like raincoats, tarps, or bags.

A wax cloth is something like we use on food.  The problem with wax is that it is difficult to impregnate the cloth and make a firm bond with the fibres.  So where it bends it wears out quickly and loses the advantage (waterproofness mostly) of the wax.  The food wax cloths are easy to pop in the oven for a min or two to redistribute the wax.  

Also, because it doesn't bond with the fibres like an oxidized oil, it can melt if exposed to heat (like being left in the sun).  

You can also order raw linseed oil in bulk from a place like Jedwards and use orange essential oil (you can also get that at the same place) to 'boil' or thin and mix that up.  You never actually boil anything.  It might be less noxious.  Although EOs are fairly potent and you still want to have good ventilation.  I discovered this 'recipe' when I wanted to oil my floors and I didn't want turpentine or mineral spirits in my house.  We added the same oil to beeswax and carnauba wax to make polish for other wooden things in the house.  

Also, I think it smells a whole lot nicer.  I'm thinking to make some oilcloth with mine for goat and sheep shells and maybe some paniers for the goats when we're hiking. :)

Orange oil is cracker jack at getting coffee pots and mugs clean from stains, and also excellent at getting wooden countertops clean.  All you need is a little bit and a good scrub brush.

Nissa Gadbois wrote:  I discovered this 'recipe' when I wanted to oil my floors and I didn't want turpentine or mineral spirits in my house.

Can I ask why Turpentine is something that you avoided? Was it the fumes in comparison to the Orange Oil? No judgement, I've just been on a weird turpentine knowledge binge ever sense I learned that it is 'natural'.