Wal-Mart Flannel?

[No Deer]

Last time I checked it was something like $2.67 a yard, but many are print and kind of hokey! The bed sheet idea may be a better option if you're not into colors! :wink:

I bought a whole bolt of their-all cotton flannel at a buck a yard when our local store shut down their fabric department. Dandy stuff for muzzleloader cleaning and lots of other stuff. Parted out about half of it to buds for the same price as intended, but the rest is mine. All mine!

My shoulders are broad and my ego is strong, so I'm not bothered by the razzing. Can I help it if the stuff is baby blue and covered with cute little penguins? :rotf:

I had some patches made from Muppet material my wife had left over :thumbsup: worked out very well.

I recently bought some flannel from Wal-Mart that has worked out very well. Don't remember what it cost, but I did the math and based on how many patches I could get from a yard, the cost per patch was much less than buying precut cleaning patches.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Some may think that it makes no difference what the cleaning patch is made of.....next time try wiping up water with synthetic nylon Teflon t-shirts. You can push the water around for days and nothing will happen.
While you are at the fabric store get some real linen or cotton for your shooting patches.
I bought a few yards of dish towel material years ago and use it for shooting patches.
My cost is less than a cent per 5 shots. And I have enough for five more years.
I brought along my micrometers to get .015 thick material. I don't really care what pattern is on the material.
Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

I think this is similar to another current thread. I use Wal-Mart baby blanket flannel for my cleaning patches. Color not important. If something is on sale, that is what I get. I have an old pair of tailor scissors I use to cut the patches into approximately 2" squares, perzactness not critical. I swab with spit to only dampen patch. Real wet not needed and can cause problems.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I agree 100% I have used synthetic and synthetic blends for cleaning....Cotton is far superior at the task...IMO....Compared to synthetics....
They are more absorbent...Plus I can repurpose them by turning them into char cloth.

If anyone has a specific synthetic or blend they would like to recommend ....I'll give it a second try.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I Color not important.

Well,.....White sure makes it easier...

 

[dledinger]

When I go to Walmart I have a hard time finding good help.....but not at Jo Anne's.... :thumbsup:

I actually do very well at our local store.

I buy cleaning patches, simply because I don't like cutting them. However, the lady in our local store is super with shooting patch materials. I wandered the isles looking for material a few months ago while she was busy. I checked everything I could and found nothing.

She saw me with my micrometer and said, "you must have a musket". I agreed, of course, to keep things simple.

I handed her a small shooting patch and she commented on the type of weave and material in terms way over my head, and then walked me right to the roll of cloth that matched precisely. She had no need to wait on me measuring with the micrometer, haha, but did anyway. She was spot on.

Anyone, one good experience to share from the local wally-world.

 

[necchi]

Not at Wally, but I have the same story at a local Joannes, long story short the Lady Clerk knew just what I was doing,, we talked about her 45 flint lock and found out we attend some of the same events! Ya just don't recognize a fellow skinner when you see them in street clothes.

The problem is most guy's are just plain too bashful to walk into a designated fabric shop.

 

[dledinger]

Necci, Regardless of where they work, these ladies that have worked in this field for a long time tend to be very savvy and a tad salty.

We'd be fools to be too bashful to capitalize on their knowledge.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I agree 100% I have used synthetic and synthetic blends for cleaning....Cotton is far superior at the task...IMO....Compared to synthetics....
They are more absorbent...Plus I can repurpose them by turning them into char cloth.

If anyone has a specific synthetic or blend they would like to recommend ....I'll give it a second try.

Baby flannel is a good absorbent material. Be aware if you plan to repurpose your cleaning patches into char cloth, baby flannel contains fire retardant. We have had personal experience at our annual rendezvous fire start. The flannel was cheap but no one could start a fire.

 

[necchi]

We'd be fools to be too bashful to capitalize on their knowledge.

Your right, absolutely, :thumbsup:
My mother was a seamstress, I grew up sitting on her lap while she was running her machine. I have 5 sewing machines in my house right now :redface:

But those poor single young guy's just don't know what to do in a fabric shop.
Here's the drill guy's;
Walk in,
Ask one of the Ladies; "Could you point me to the Cotton Flannel"?
She; "What are you looking for"?
You; "Oh, plain white will do"
She will point or walk you over there.
Say Thank you and start browsing the stand up bolts of fabric, do not make a mess un-folding the fabric.
The price on top of the bolt is the price for one yard's length off the bolt as it's un-rolled, the top of the bolt will also tell ya how wide it is, usually 36" or 48".
So 1 Yard-36" wide will get ya a 36"x36" square of cloth.
When you find what you want, take the bolt off the shelf and walk it up to the big table in the middle of the store.
(it's the cutting table)
If there is nobody there,, they'll see ya and come around soon.
When it's your turn, put the bolt down on the table the lady will ask "How much do you want"?
Now here's the kicker,, they don't understand inches! Fabric is sold by the "Yard"(36"),, you can buy in 1/4yrd increments(9"),,
So you say, "A yard and a half please"
Or,
"A quarter yard as a sample",, you can get a lot of patches out of a 9" long 36" wide piece of cloth to experiment with.
She'll cut off what ya want, fold it, either scan the bolt or hand write a slip of the cost then hand the fabric and slip to you,,
She will put the bolt back where you found it, you just walk up to the till with your fabric

 

[Rifleman1776]

Not at Wally

Sadly, very true at our local store. They rotate people from department to department. Meaning most never get properly trained in any one department.
Almost everyone, except check-out people stock food shelves when the trucks come in.

 

[mooman76]

Very true of a lot of big chain stores. Home Depot used to have allot of experts that you could depend on to ask questions. Now it would seem allot of the time when I ask, it seems like I know more than they do. Those big stores that handle many different departments are the worse. They rotate people around and some think because they work in a certain department, that they know more than you or they can give unqualified or even dangerous advice. Kind of sad really. We want to save money so we go to a big chain store and put Mom and Pop stores (that have the knowledge) out of business.

 

[Walker357]

Not hard to find good help in JoAnnes, find the most mature looking clerk and smile at her. When you get to my age group the selection narrows a tad. :grin:

 

[Snakebite]

I had posted on another thread that I use Walmart baby flannel. It comes in white, blue, yellow, pink and with little animals, doesn't really matter. I just cut it in strips and then cut the strips in squares, too easy, too simple. It's soft and absorbent, I'm assuming it's all cotton, doesn't really matter as long as it's absorbent, they are CLEANING patches.

 

[BullRunBear]

Mooman, We have a treasured hardware/general store in town run by the third generation of the same family. The kind of place you can get Lodge cast iron pots, a couple of screws, shellac flakes, Borax hand soap powder or a wind up alarm clock. We always start there when looking for an item. Their prices may be a bit higher than the chain stores but they have just what is needed and can tell you all about it. Love the place. Now if only they sold fabric.

Jeff

 

[William O.]

Usually the plain white cotton flannel I buy at JoAnn's is cheaper by a bit than what they've got with print but it doesn't make a difference. As has been mentioned, no need to wash it first as there isn't any sizing in it. I've tried cotton T-shirt material but it's usually too thin and I have to double it up on my jag. Once I tried the flannel I never saw the need to try anything else; it just does such a good job grabbing all the fouling and removing it. I swab between shots and I've found that a flannel patch that is just barely dampened with rubbing alcohol (70% & up) makes it work even better. No matter what you use, don't use too much as any leftover liquid in the bore will affect the next powder charge. I got a hang-fire once in my .54 when I used too much liquid on my swabbing patch. Click, sizzle-Whooosh boom! Darn near tore my shoulder off because by the time the charge finally ignited I'd lost my check weld. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction? Been there, done that!

 

[fleener]

I have always bought my cleaning patches. Earlier this year I went to Walmart and bought a few yards of flannel and with my wheeled cutter I cut a bunch of patches.

My patch size was not consistent, if I went slower it would of been a little better.

The materials perhaps should of been washed before I cut it. The material does not readily absorb fluids.

I used them for a while and quite a few cleanings. I have since went back to buying pre cut 2" square patches.

For most of my shooting I use 2 patches after every shot, and use more than most people.

Patches are a very small part of my expenses for shooting, so I decided I am better off just buying them.

FLeener

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm assuming it's all cotton

No need to assume. Just read the little label on the end of the bolt. I use only pure cotton as I am bigoted against synthetics being used in my muzzle guns for anything.