Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Well, today I have received quite a few samples of currently available canvas types. The modern canvas is dramatically different from the raw looking stuff we are used to seeing on vintage military vehicles, but all types seem to have positive and negative aspects.

The fabrics below, are all from one supplier. They sent me three different types to inspect. The serated edges of the majority afforded me opportunity to test their resistance to tearing, with impressive results.
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First style, and by far largest selection, are obviously rip-stop material. They are a thick, quite stiff material, and feel like a Poly fabric. Rip-stop isn't for me, because of the chequered pattern. I think you could tie a piece of this to a bogged 4X4 and pull it out without tearing the stuff. It really feels that strong, and I did try (without success) to tear it apart. It just laughed at me! The weave is too tight for canopy use anyway, in my opinion.
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Next ones are similar density and weave, minus the tell-tale rip-stop chequered pattern. Poly fabric again. It looks good, and would be worth considering for some projects. It is very stiff though, so you may not want to use it where 'billowing' canvas look is appealing. This stuff wouldn't flap much in a tornado. Probably good thickness for home awnings, vintage caravan annexes and squatters chairs. You foreign folks, look up squatters chair in google. As with the previous selection, weave is much finer than military canvas of decades ago. This type also mocked my puny attempt to damage it.
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These next two are similar in appearance to the second photo BUT they are thinner material. I would be quite happy to use this for my side curtains and similar sized applications. It would keep it's shape nicely, in uses where that would be desirable, but this fabric is sufficiently thinner in feel, making it a better choice for a range of applications. This one ticks the boxes for any future side curtain manufacture I do. Remember, I still have the dismantled original curtain/s used as pattern to have a pair of new ones made, to copy from. I'll need to improve sewing technique before tackling those. The pair I had made for the restoration truck a couple of years ago were probably done in this material. A visit to the workshop tomorrow afternoon will confirm that, but I'm fairly confident. While maybe not the range of colors to choose from, I wouldn't be upset with using the one green shade shown here. There may be other colors available, but I didn't get them in the batch of samples I received. In keeping with the trend, material has the same feel and look of the previous two types, so I'm confident they are synthetic materials also. Oh, and I couldn't tear these buggers either! Is it too much to ask that I manage to rip one sample, just a little bit? Apparently it is!
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This last image shows all the samples together. It's an impressive range. All are waterproof, surprisingly tear resistant, and none could be persuaded to fray. While no description accompanied my samples, I'm prepared to wager they are all very colorfast. Can't say that about the cheap, 100% cotton tarp materials, manufactured in India and the likes. As I said, all have positives and negatives, but if you're looking for longevity over replication of exact appearance, these will outlast religion!

I'll post another suppliers range in next posting, along with some visual comparison between both lots and the Indian/Pakistan made cotton canvas currently available everywhere on earth.

[David Dunlop]

Nice to see the modern options available, Tony.

Might also be worth seeing if you could get samples from any supplier of the 100% cotton items in as heavy a weight as possible. I think the original wartime stuff was in the order of 18 to 16 oz. I don't think they worried about thread count for that stuff.

Different mills probably have different production capabilities. Some can probably waterproof and mould protect on site, but most may not. Any dyed canvas is going to bleed like a stuck pig if it is not waterproofed, so the fact it might bleed just means the cloth has not been treated in any way. That probably opens up canvas products to a larger potential market for sales. If the buyer happens to be a tent maker, they may purchase bulk canvas in any colour and waterproof etc themselves, have it done by the canvas manufacturer or outsource that part of the work to a 3rd party company.

It might be cost effective to get a 100% cotton heavy weight canvas untreated in the colour you want and then apply suitable coatings yourself.

Also, I wouldn't worry about shrinkage too much. All canvas shrinks when wet, Even the treated stuff. It's the nature of the beast. My M38 top was a Beachwood Canvas product out of the USA. It was a nice relaxed fit in the summer heat and would snug up a bit in colder Fall/Winter weather. But get it wet in the Summer and it would tighten up so much a group of Taiko Drummers could have performed a concert on it! Same thing used to happen with my M37 top come to think of it, though not so much the end curtains for some reason.

You could always stitch up a one foot square of whatever you end up working with, soak it, toss it in the sun to dry and see what sort of shrinkage you get before and after waterproofing. That would give you a good idea of the wiggle room you would need to factor in for the actual parts making.

Keep up the great research!


David

[Private_collector]

Now another supplier.
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This material is different again from the previous post. A considerably thinner material by comparison. Fine weave again. Not 100% cotton. Nice and strong is the theme with the modern materials, and this is no different. I did get the impression this one could tear, and I didn't test that to destruction. I only have these three narrow pieces, and did not want to destroy one.
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This stuff is possibly woven even finer than the ones examined earlier. I don't know where this material would be best used, if at all. Yes it's colorfast. Yes it's completely waterproof. It's also OK colors. My hesitation is the thin gauge, mixed with the fine weave, makes this feel kind of like paper. Even multiple thicknesses, like would be needed to make side curtains, may look too thin. Although very thin, it is not as flexible as I would want, and I don't know where this material would be used on restorations. In all honesty, I wouldn't use this type.
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Here is a closer view comparison between new canvas and the much more coarse 100% cotton fabric coming out of India & Pakistan. If a gun was held to my head, and I was forced to use modern fabric, I would prefer the canvas of second last photo (showing just khaki and black) from previous post. You can see from the photo above, that there is a huge difference between coarse cheap cotton tarp material and the modern, too fine looking varieties. I'm in no doubt modern fabric is MUCH better wearing, weatherproof, and colorfast, but I believe the desire for wider range of uses has forsaken it's widespread use in military restorations.

For my needs, the coarser, (and potentially trouble prone) cotton canvas from India just looks so much better insitu. Provided you are aware of it's limitations, you can work around most areas of possible future issue. For example, yes it's gonna fade if left outdoors forever. So don't store the vehicle exposed to the element all the time, without some additional form of protection......... like a poly/plastic tarp over the areas of concern. Better still, give the poor old thing a sheltered home. Also, the cheap canvas is much more likely to fray around the edges, and avoiding this is simple. Make sure all edges are hemmed well, and take care with handling the product until this is done. I'm quite sure the original canvas of 70+ years ago wasn't given the same care and attention we provide now, so ours will have greater longevity, I hope!

While I am appreciative of receiving the canvas samples for inspection, their use in my applications is limited. I would happily use it on a number of areas on my grey truck, but I can't see it getting much of a look with the restoration vehicle. It doesn't give me the right visual appearance, I'm afraid. I know there are countless other manufacturers and types of canvas products which I haven't had opportunity to inspect, and I expect those too would be aimed at a market that clashes with the look and feel we are wanting. As long as the factories in second (or third) world countries are pumping out the coarse 100% cotton material, that will most likely be my choice. My truck will always be garaged and protected from the elements, so that makes a range of complications with cheap canvas nul and void. The propensity of cheap canvas to stretch, or indeed tighten under certain circumstances, can be made to work in my favour, provided I am aware of this and make allowances at time of fabrication and practical use.

[Private_collector]

Had a play around with my canvas tarp, draping it unceremoniously over the sunshine cab roof.
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These 2 photos are taken from front driver side corner. The 'tuck' under at front, is how the canvas will sit over the metal piece that runs across and tightens into place with two brass wingnuts. I hadn't realised there was a very obvious seam down the middle. I don't fancy that at all. Apart from the seams having highly visible thread, it looks ugly to have a line right at the highest point, where the steel tube will hold it in prominence. Grrrrr.
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The metal parts that form part of the rear cab window are now primed and ready to be incorporated into that project, which is the next thing i will tackle. I'm working my way up to the cab roof cover!
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[Mike K]

If you feel that the Indian canvas is not strong enough . Maybe consider two layers of it sewn together ? Nobody will notice any difference and it will have a heavy thick original appearance

[Private_collector]

I think it will be OK if I use strong thread (which I already have) on all stitching, and double seams all round. If I make allowances correctly, the slight stretch will work in my favor, because the raised up tube in the middle means without stretch it won't sit right at the rear. The tricky bit will be getting the stretch tension just right. If I am out by a little, that can be corrected, I think, buy the tension on the lacing through eyelets down at the back.

I'm happy with the cheap canvas. It looks right, when viewed in person, but when looking at the photos I took today, it looks all sort of wooly and overly fuzzy. In reality that's not the case. I also see the photos have highlighted very minor defects in manufacturing where a lump may appear in the weave. To be honest, I don't think the original canvas would be any better quality, so it's probably fairly representative of how it once looked, all those decades ago. Looking at examples in museum photos, theirs are rather poorly fabricated and sewn. If I get it taut and fitting well all round, I'll be alright with the result.

Incidentally, I made a remark some days ago, about having leftover material to use for my 25pdr spares roll. Noooooooo, there won't be enough for that or anything else larger than a gear boot cover perhaps.

[Mike K]

You know this already. Before you do any sewing , throw the canvas over the washing line outside, give it a good soaking and let the sun dry it , it will shrink about 1" - 2" all round .