View Full Version : diluting silicone for sealing
Is Turpentine good for diluting silicone for sealing tents?
It says "Mineral turpnetine" on the bottle.
Is Turpentine good for diluting silicone for sealing tents?
It says "Mineral turpnetine" on the bottle.
Mineral spirits and turpentine are two different things. Make sure the can says "mineral spirits".
I don't know whether turpentine would work for thinning silicone, but why risk making a mess or not getting a good seal? I've sealed my Cloudburst with mineral spirit diluted silicone, and it worked like a champ.
Kozmic Zian
03-02-2004, 10:01
Yea....Turps. I've worked in oils and used terps and MS's as a solvent for years. Everthing that MS's can do, good clear Terpentine can do better, so if MS works as a solvent with Silicone(I never tried that), then probably Terps will also. Can you buy liquid Silicone? or some kind of seam-sealer that dosn't require mixing? KZ@
flyfisher
03-02-2004, 10:44
Is Turpentine good for diluting silicone for sealing tents?
It says "Mineral turpnetine" on the bottle.
I used paint thinner (mineral spirits) because that is what Ray Jardine recommended. It works, though it takes a while to disolve the clear silicone in the thinner.
I later read, in Hammock Camping, that Ed Speer recommended Coleman Fuel as the dilutant. I tried this. The silicone disolves faster and dries faster on the material. This is now my preferred method.
Of course, I am very careful with flame near the tarp and the solution until it has dried completely.
I used paint thinner (mineral spirits) because that is what Ray Jardine recommended. It works, though it takes a while to disolve the clear silicone in the thinner.
I later read, in Hammock Camping, that Ed Speer recommended Coleman Fuel as the dilutant. I tried this. The silicone disolves faster and dries faster on the material. This is now my preferred method.
Of course, I am very careful with flame near the tarp and the solution until it has dried completely.
WOW
many thanks for load of technical info.