Canvas Roof Care

I don’t remember if I have asked this here but sorry if I have. I have a Beachwood canvas roof that’s about 10 years old. Yearly I coat it with a stuff called Canvak canvas treatment..The canvas however is dry and stitches are coming loose. I called Beachwood and didn’t get anywhere besides Canvak. I have an old military top that was given to me by a serious collector. It is an m38 top from the 50’s. It appears to have some sort of oily coating. It is still soft and pliable if not waxy feeling. Could this be boiled linseed oil? Does anyone have any knowledge in this department?

 

May want to check on the Australian Drover coats and the sealer they use.

 

Do NOT use the silicone based waterproofing products, or worse the cloro-fluoro "forever" chemicals and PFAs.

But the old wax/oil tent treatment is hard to find these days. Search for NOS?

If you use linseed oil, thin it with Mineral Spirits (also hard to find the real spirits these days).

Maybe call some historic re-enactment tent makers for advice?
https://www.tentsmiths.com/product-category/non-tent-items/

 

I also use Canvak on an M38 top but I know what you are saying on the old, heavy canvas waxy feeling. I had a mil surplus cargo cover and whatever was on it got you filthy every time it was moved.
Barbour canvas jackets are heavy and waterproof. I got a tin of rediculously expensive Barbour wax for mine and it has no smell and a low melting point. You have to melt it for application and rub it in but it is way too expensive for a jeep top and there cant be any magic to the ingredients. All best applied on a hot day and rubbed in.
I’m not saying this is the right approach but its worth looking into some of the recipies that call for parafin, turpatine and boiled linseed oil and experimenting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGDK7tEFjdU