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Cutting patches

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model14

32 Cal.
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
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I am new to PRB shooting and have a newbie type question. What is your method of cutting round patches from pillow ticking :confused:? Maybe square patches (which are real easy to make) work just as well :hmm:
Thanks,
Richard
 
You can make a cutter for round patches by grinding an edge on a hole saw. On the other hand, scissors or a fabric cutter work fine to make square ones which have performed just as well as the round in my guns.
 
i just cut a 12-18" strip as wide as the cal requires and cut at the muzzle works just fine for me some are more particular though...

the best thing to do is try a few ways and fine what's easiest for you that's the fun of it ...enjoy and welcome to the camp
 
Go to Walmart & to the fabric dept, buy a Deitz 60mm rotary fabric cutter, a cutting board, and a plastic cutting guide. CAUTION: This rotary cutter WILL cut off your fingertips in a heartbeat & you will not know it til you see them laying there. It is a Rotary Razorblade..... So Be Careful & set the lock on the safety guard when you are done. DO NOT EVER pick it up by the blade or guard !!!!

I can cut around 10,000 square 1" patches for my .40 cal in about 15 minutes. In a 2 hr session, I can cut enough patches in 5 dif sizes to last me for 5 years.........

Keith Lisle

PS: The deer nor the squirrels know what shape the patches were when the ball hits them...........
 
Patches cut at the muzzle actually are a square with radiused cornors!. So yes square patches will work as well. Myself I am a real klutz and can not seem to cut even squares. But I am a good machinist, so I make patch cutting dies and cut a few thousand patches in about twenty minutes. Then I have the edging around the patch cuts for cleaning patches. If you are interested in a patch cutting die drop me a P.M. I may have some you could use!
 
I got a email asking how I can do 10,000 in 15 min. , so I will explain.

I am cutting 5 layers of pillow ticking at a time. Each layer is 32" across x 32" long. 1" patches. 32 x 32 = 1024 patches per layer. Do it all twice & you have 10,048 patches.

Years ago I could cut 10 layers at a time. But as I got older I can't & it makes me real uneasy trying, & it is just easier to cut 5 & do it twice & have good clean cuts & not be afraid I am going to cut off a finger if the thing breaks.

The board has measurements marked on it. 1" is easy to follow. 1.25 is a lil harder as you have to make sure you lined up correctly each time on both ends.

When you make all your cuts one way, you lift the guild, rotate cutting mat 90 deg, put the guide on & cut the other way all the way across & you have all your square patches cut. Put them in a ziplock bag & mark the size & yer done.

If 3-4 guys go together & buy the mat, guide & cutter, you will have about $15 each in it, & it will last you all a lifetime & not much expense. All of you buy a couple bolts of material, you can cut a lifetimes worth of patches for all of you in half a day. I just bought it myself as I didn't have anyone close shooting bp at the time.

Keith Lisle

Note: When you find a bolt of material that is the correct size thickness you like, I suggest you buy all of it, as it is getting more inconsistent every year. Used to be able to rely on the SKU# but that is a thing of the past too. Apparently they are all buying in bulk & don't care about consistency, just bulk price.
 
One thing I might add to what Keith said is buy the fabric store cutting board pad,not a wood board or bench top, dulls the rotary blades very quick.The dress makers pad I use is a smaller one but they go up in price big time for the big ones.I normally only use mine for flannel cleaning patches.I personally have a set of hole saw blades I sharpened for my different sized pathes/ balls get them an 1/8 " bigger in size they cut a patch an 1/8th smaller being its made to cut an outside diameter hole...Been there done that...Ray
 
Correct, you want the board from the fabric dept.
I bought all of mine at Wal-Mart in the fabric dept. & it is some kind of tough teflon or something. Flexible but yet the blade doesn't cut into it.

Keith Lisle
 
I took the easy way out and married a quilter.
Unfortunately for my wasteline she also thinks it's normal to grind her own grain. Uh, gotta go. It's breakfast.
PS,
Get one of those blade sharpener gadgets too. They're well worth the money.
 
I guess it is what you define as work. :idunno:

In the same amount of time you cut up a yard of pillow ticking into 1" nice even patches with scissors, I have 5,000 of them cut. A rotary cutter is easy to use & fast as all get out, once you have done it 3-4 times. If it was too hard I couldn't do it ! :rotf:

:thumbsup:

Keith Lisle
 
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