White India Rubber cloth?

[jigadier brindle]

Pards,
While reading Recollections of a Maryland Confederate Soldier- 1861-1866 , I came across an interesting reference to white india rubber on p. 56 of that memoir which reads, "T. Harry Oliver, who had joined us as a volunteer private, left his knapsack one night on the fire and smoke escape flue, during one of these conflagrations and a fine roll of white india rubber, which he has bought from Maryland, sufficient for many blankets, was scorched through and ruined." Obviously, this particular roll was scorched during a run in with a heating element in winter quarters, but I'm curious if anyone has run across an extant example of white india rubber blankets for actual use in the C.S. army, or for any other use for that matter?

Yer pard,

-Nicholas Redding

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: White India Rubber cloth?

I have seen raw natural rubber first hand, during collection. It is milky white.

http://www.stat.fi/isi99/proceedings/arkisto/varasto/wats0768.pdf

[Cav_Maj]

Re: White India Rubber cloth?

Does anyone know of a source for the black rubber coated cloth like the ponchos and gum blankets are made from?

Brian Woodyard

[hardtack1864]

Re: White India Rubber cloth?

Go to www.skilletlicker.com and look under fabrics.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: White India Rubber cloth?

I got a sample of the rubberized cloth from Skillet Licker and I found that it was a bit heavy and the portion I recieved had some kind of weird looking metallic flakes in the rubber; almost like a fine powder embedded into the surface. It was not a coating or anything like that and I never did get the stuff out.

A guy I know has a stock of original late 1800's rubberized cloth and the stuff is like nothing I've seen before. The cotton is very fine, almost like a "pima cotton," and the rubber is shiney, deep black, and very thin. It does not peel up from the cloth anywhere. I've also had the chance to see a small sample of orignal rubberized duck cotton, which the man also has in his stock, and that's pretty neat too. I'm dying to make one of those 1850's kidney-shaped canteens from it!

Anyway, your best bet is to be wary of the modern rubberized cloth on the market, no matter where you get it. The impression I get is that the stuff is made for beltings and conveyor systems so it's pretty rigid, somewhat thick, and usually always synthetic or ingrained with synthetic materials. I suggest you contact as many Amish supply stores as you can....fabric stores, buggy and carriage constructors/repair establishments. I hear you can still get the thin, old kind of rubberized cloth which some Amish use to cover their buggys.

Brian White
Randolph Mess, USSS
&
Slackerz Saloon Mess, GHTI

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: White India Rubber cloth?

I got a sample of the rubberized cloth from Skillet Licker and I found that it was a bit heavy and the portion I recieved had some kind of weird looking metallic flakes in the rubber; almost like a fine powder embedded into the surface. It was not a coating or anything like that and I never did get the stuff out.

Sounds like ''weather and harsh element'' silicon rubber sheeting. This stuff remains pliable in cold weather and does not get sticky or melt in extreme heat. It is also relatively solvent proof. We use it on our boat as a foul weather cover.

[Cav_Maj]

Re: White India Rubber cloth?

OK, all well and fine, but back to my original question, does any body know of a source or company that has this? I have seen what Skilletlicker has and I've contacted him for a source and he is not willing to share the information, and I need to put out that why I want this is NOT for CW use, it is for making custom removeable liners for mototcycle saddle bags and tool bag rollups to protect the contents of the saddle bag/toolpouch in bad weather. My market is not in competion with any CW item vendor. Thanks for any information.
Brian Woodyard