• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

pillow ticking question

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Howie1968

40 Cal.
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
789
Location
Lufkin,Texas
I just went and bought 3 more yards of 100% cotton pillow ticking. im going to cut in strips to use in my .50,.54 and .58 calibers how wide do I make the strips? does it vary by caliber. most commercial patches I buy say .50 to .59 caliber, another question. do I cut along the stripes or against them? im wanting to lube them as I tried a few spt patches today and the spit patch route just is not for me, minds well have stuffed a cotton ball in my mouth. I was toying with the idea of some pam on the ticking possibly olive oil. looked at TOW and they have commercial lightly oiled patches. I wonder what they are oiling with/ ive got a lot of bore butter I bought on clearance. so far the reaction hasn't been real positive on using it. I know what ever I come up with for patch lube it will have to be done lightly
 
I cut length wise. make em 1.5 inch should do well for all calibers. Use a bunch of different lubes and see whats best. OR...getcha the Dutch Shoultz system for $20.00, try it and if not pleased get yer $$ back. He mentions DRY PATCHING. Worked for me and many others. Actually have not heard of any that actually gave it a run that didnt get their $$ worth and then some.
 
Doesn't matter which way you rip the strips.

Try olive oil, mink oil, sheep tallow or lard. I used Bore Butter for years with no problems but eventually switched to Bear grease/oil.
 
jdw276 said:
I cut 3 stripes for under 50 cal, 4 stripes over 50 cal.
Black Hand said:
Doesn't matter which way you rip the strips.
Ok Howie,,
If you cut it,, your going to make a mess, there'll be loose threads falling off all over the place as you handle the strips.(messy)
Ripping is good,, try just a little bit at a time until you get the hang of it. You should learn about warp and weft threads of making fabric,, but basically if you rip it one way it comes off clean,, rip it the other way the fabric gathers/bunches and get's all funny as ya pull.
The lady at the fabric shop,, has a job of selling you fabric,, she didn't necessarily cut it right,, she just sold you X amount of fabric, it's up to you to use it.
Just make a short little snip,, and rip,,
Width, 1 1/2" might be a little tight for the 58,, go for a 2" strip as you learn.
I'm not going to touch this thread about lube,
But AZmntman lead you in the right direction,, if you follow the guidance of the papers from Brother Dutch,, you'll be shooting X's on fur or paper real soon.
 
If you cut at the muzzle you will soon learn how wide to make yer strips. I keep the uncut cloth in a baggie until needed. When I need more I just tear an aprox. 2" wide bit off and use that. At the end there may be a little waste but not enuf to fret about. Two more thoughts, but these may get some backfire. :shocked2: If you cut wider than needed, extra material shoved down the bore above the ball does not affect performance. Orientation of the stripes does not affect performance.
 
HOWIE.
YOUR SYSTEM OF JUDGING HOW MANY TICKING STRIPES IS FINE BUT DEPENDS RATHER A LOT ON ALL TICKING CLOTH HAVE STRIPES THE SAME WIDTH AND SEPARATION.
THE SHOOTING PATCH MATERIAL SHOULD BE WIDE ENOUGH TO GO ARORIND THE NALL WITH A BIT OF EXCESS MATERIAL LEFT OVER THAT YOU WILL CUT OFF THE AFTER YOU HAVE PUSHED THE BALL SO THAT THR FACE IS A HAIR BELOW THE FACE OF THE MUZZLE..
MORE IS BETTER THAN LESS BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE BALL HAS A GOOD "BELT" OF PATCHING MATERIAL AROUND IT TO FORM AS PERFECT A SEAL AS POSSIBLE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IS "HOW THICK THE PATCH MATERIAL IS WHEN CRUSHED BETWEEN BALL AND BARREL WALL.

THE STRIPES ARE A DISTRACTION TO ME, NEVER TRIED USING THEM.

DUTCH SCHOULTZ
 
BROTHER SCHOULTZ SPENT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OF LAST WEEK WITH A GUNSMITH WHO ALTERS AMERICAN MODERN RIFLES SO THAT THEIR RANGE IS EXTENDED TO A MILE OR MORE.
I ASKED HOW THIS WAS DONE AND THERE WAS ABOUT 35 STEPS IN THE PROCESS ALL INVOVING STRESS RELIEF, AND MINOR ADJUSTMENTS INVOLVING CHANGES OF 2 OR 4 THOUSANTHSOF AN INCH EHRE AND THERE. LIEVING ME IN A WELTER OF CONFUSION..
I TOOK HIM TO SEE OUR MAGNIFICENT NATUONAL MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT AND OUR SPECTACULAR ST. LOUIS ZOO,
I DIDN'T REALIZE HOE MAGNIFICENT AND SPECTACTULAR THAY HAD BECOME IN THE 40 OR SO YEARSSINCE I LAST VISTED BUT I DID BOTH HOBBLING FROM BENCH TO BENCH.

THIS SMITH SELLS THESE TO TO LONG RANGE HUNTERS BUT MOSTLY TO MILITARY SNIPERS IN THE FIRLD. HE SHOOTS BLACK POWDER FOR FUN AND TRIES TO CONVINCE OTHER BP RIFLEMEN TO CONSIDER THE SYSTEM BUT THEYWOULD ALL RATHER STICK WITH THE EXPERTS AT BASS PRO SHOP OR CABELAS.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING ABOUT ALL FFIREARMS BUT MOSTLY MUZZLE LOADERS..

DUTCH SCHOULTZ
 
I rip (cutting makes a mess) off strips as I need them. About 2” or so works great for 58 caliber, at least for me. Wider is better. Wouldn’t get carried away making too many strips until you find width that works for you.
 
Smokey Plainsman said:
Using strips of cloth and cutting at the muzzle is a fairly modern invention.

The old timers much preferred pre-cut patches. That's what I use.
:rotf: here we go again,, :wink:
Provenance Please? :idunno:
 
I like and use winter grade windshield wash fluid.
It is comprised of water, liquid soap and alcohol which are all friendly to black powder use.
Spit patching is OK for instant use but no good if your going to stay loaded for some time.
It dries out quickly and has salt in it.
Animal fat is good because it does not have salt after rendered and does not make tar in combustion.
I don't care for pillow ticking but if one uses it then cut the strips the same way it tears most easily. I much prefer cotton shirt felt that is .020 thick. The weave is tighter and the cloth stronger against tearing in any direction.
 
What Necchi and SDSmlf said: tear, don't cut.

Also note that what most of us use is mattress tick (0.015" and thicker). Pillow tick is thinner.

I make mine about 1-3/8" wide for my .54.

Just make sure to set them at the muzzle with the pattern aligned vertically. :haha:
 
No, I totally disagree about tearing patch strips. Take a piece of what ever material you want to use and check the weave tightness under a bright light.
Now tear the cloth and check it again as opposed to cutting it. I think you'll note a partial weave separation as the cloth stretches before yielding to the tear. This both opens the weave pores and weakens the fiber strength.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top