permaculture

["Débora U. Barocas e Peter J. Webb" <petedeby@terra.com.br>]

Dear Yaya, if I can jump in, I'd say go for the boiled linseed with some bees wax. A good soaking of boiled linseed alone would do the job, but the bees wax will help the maleability. It is important to do it hot. Boil the oil and put the beeswax 'shaved' into it so that they melt together. It will be a bit messy, and because of the hot oil, you're better off using gloves. Get a decent stick to dunk the fabric in the hot oil so that it gets fully penetrated, then pull it out slowly (it will be mighty heavy, so think of something overhead to minimize your effort as you pull it out). It would probably be good to have a wooden structure to hang it over when you get it out ....let it cool and then tell us all just how you manage to get it hung. After it's on, you can give it a yearly paint with the same hot mix.

Linseed is the seed of the flax plant   Linum usitatissimum  thought to be an asian plant. The seed is pressed to remove the oil and the remaining 'cake'fed to animals. The seed, if soaked in water will form a gel or mucilage, which is an excellent demulcent and if drunk ( a desert spoon full to half a glass of water,) it will help constipation. The seeds are great mixed in bread.

As Lawrence mentioned, the oil has been used for it's drying properties in paints (oil based) for a long time. As a plant, it tends to exhaust the soil over the years, but is always worth growing as it has the most delightful blue flowers that will remind you to look up to the sky and give thanks for being a part of it all.

 The soaked cloth shouldn't burn from a spark; you'd have to hold a flame under it or have the stove up against it to be risky.

Regards  Pete