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Deuce seat covers

fpchief

Well-known member
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Location
South Alabama
I acquired some NOS covers and they smell to high ****. It's that oil canvas smell that has been sitting in a wrapper for 40 yrs smell. I have washed them 4 times, and left them in the sun and rain for about a month. Is there anything that can help them? I like the smell of "old military" but these things are too strong.
 

Jeepsinker

Well-known member
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Location
Dry Creek, Louisiana
That is the smell of Quarpel. It is the old military water and fire retardant chemical that was applied to all canvas back then. Only time and ventilation will get that smell down. It will never really go away until it rots. Speaking of which, Quarpel is also a mold, and mildew retardant, that is the four things the "quar", for quad meant.
 

Jeepsinker

Well-known member
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Location
Dry Creek, Louisiana
You can spray them down with degreaser and then wash them off, or spray them down with brake cleaner, but the canvas will decay much more quickly afterwards. The tents probably weren't brand new, and had a lot more airspace around and inside them to dissipate the scent. You'll get used to it. The seats have a heavier treatment to help resist butt wear.
 

fpchief

Well-known member
1,041
220
63
Location
South Alabama
Yea, just hated to possibly destroy them. May try my hand at possibly stitching some more of them. Have a heavy duty stitcher that I have never used.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
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Location
Woodinville, Washington
I just don't remember the tents and all smelling this bad.
I remember that smell to this day ! I actually grew to like it ! All the tents and seats and folding sleeping cotes had that smell. In fact every piece of canvas in the military had that smell. It would rub off on you and you would smell like it too after awhile. After a "long" ! day of humping with a full pack you could finally relax in your "pup" tent and get some rest. To this day that smell reminds me of sleeping !
 

JDToumanian

Active member
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38
Location
Phelan, CA
I like that smell too... It's a little strong when you first open up a sealed bag of NOS canvas, but I miss it after its faded away. I never knew it was called quarpel... It doesn't seem to be sold anymore, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for an old surplus 5-gallon bucket of it!

Jon
 

fpchief

Well-known member
1,041
220
63
Location
South Alabama
I like that smell too... It's a little strong when you first open up a sealed bag of NOS canvas, but I miss it after its faded away. I never knew it was called quarpel... It doesn't seem to be sold anymore, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for an old surplus 5-gallon bucket of it!

Jon
If I find some you are welcome to it.
 

fpchief

Well-known member
1,041
220
63
Location
South Alabama
I remember liking to too. Only deal now is if I go and just touch it in the deuce, I smell like it and the wife doesn't like it. Which therein lies the source of the problem!!!!
 

Jeepsinker

Well-known member
5,399
456
83
Location
Dry Creek, Louisiana
You won't find Quarpel for sale anywhere. It was classified as hazmat. Well, you may find some somewhere, long forgotten in the back of some old surplus or other building. It wasn't supposed to be sold to the public though.
 

JDToumanian

Active member
1,655
14
38
Location
Phelan, CA
You won't find Quarpel for sale anywhere. It was classified as hazmat. Well, you may find some somewhere, long forgotten in the back of some old surplus or other building. It wasn't supposed to be sold to the public though.
I thought for a second I'd blend up a batch myself, for my own use, but the Chemical Abstracts Service says quarpel is 1-(((1-Oxooctadecyl)amino)methyl)pyridinium chloride. Soooo, I guess not.

Jon
 
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