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Patch Material

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Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
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Location
Bucks County Pa.
I have 2 guns that shoot great with .010 patches. Can anyone tell me what material I can buy that would be that thickness? I've purchase mattress ticking but that is .015 and I would need a hammer to start a ball. I want to make my own patches rather than the prelubed which I have been using.

All advice appreciated.

Mike
 
What size RB are you using? Might be easier to use a smaller ball. Pure Linen is thin and very strong if you can find it. If you have something to measure with, go to a store that sells cloth and measure. No polyesters or non-natural cloth. If you ask, they may even be able to help you. Make sure it has a good tight weave.
 
Agree with mooman76.

Take a pair of calipers or a c-mic and measure the "compressed" thickness of what you are using now, and then take them with you to check material at a fabric store. C-mic is best, but calipers are fine as long as you apply pressure the same when you measure what you currently have and then the fabric at the store. I like calipers with a thumb wheel, the ones without give different readings if you apply decent pressure to them in different spots on the battery case area (digital).
You want 100% cotton or linen. You'll need to wash whatever material you buy to get the sizing out, make sure to put it into a "delicates" bag or nylon before washing or it'll unravel and be a mess when it comes out of the washer. I forgot that part when I bought my first batch...won't forget again.

I have some linen material I bought to try that doesn't shoot well in my rifle, it measures .011" compressed. I read that linen doesn't compress as much as cotton and it was a good idea to buy about .005" under what you really wanted, but I didn't find that to be the case. They just aren't thick enough for my rifle. I'd throw some in an envelope and send to you if you want to try them? I bought the material at a local Joannes. PM me your address if interested and I'll send them. Unless the father-in-law's CVA I haven't worked up a load for yet likes them, I don't have a use for them.
 
I have 2 guns that shoot great with .010 patches. Can anyone tell me what material I can buy that would be that thickness? I've purchase mattress ticking but that is .015 and I would need a hammer to start a ball. I want to make my own patches rather than the prelubed which I have been using.

All advice appreciated.

Mike


Try Jo Ann's Fabrics, The Log Cabin, or Dixie Gun Works, last 2 sell un lubed..
 
Renegadehunter, I sent a PM but not sure if I did it right.
Mike
Agree with mooman76.

Take a pair of calipers or a c-mic and measure the "compressed" thickness of what you are using now, and then take them with you to check material at a fabric store. C-mic is best, but calipers are fine as long as you apply pressure the same when you measure what you currently have and then the fabric at the store. I like calipers with a thumb wheel, the ones without give different readings if you apply decent pressure to them in different spots on the battery case area (digital).
You want 100% cotton or linen. You'll need to wash whatever material you buy to get the sizing out, make sure to put it into a "delicates" bag or nylon before washing or it'll unravel and be a mess when it comes out of the washer. I forgot that part when I bought my first batch...won't forget again.

I have some linen material I bought to try that doesn't shoot well in my rifle, it measures .011" compressed. I read that linen doesn't compress as much as cotton and it was a good idea to buy about .005" under what you really wanted, but I didn't find that to be the case. They just aren't thick enough for my rifle. I'd throw some in an envelope and send to you if you want to try them? I bought the material at a local Joannes. PM me your address if interested and I'll send them. Unless the father-in-law's CVA I haven't worked up a load for yet likes them, I don't have a use for them.
Question please . I need to buy a decent caliper long overdue. Is the c-mic your talking about the type that looks like a c clamp? And are they better than the regular calipers? any info appreciate, thanks Art
 
The harbor freight calipers although cheap, they work quite well. I myself wouldn't get a plastic one though. The ones that look like a C-clamp are actually micrometers and do finer measurements.
 
Question please . I need to buy a decent caliper long overdue. Is the c-mic your talking about the type that looks like a c clamp? And are they better than the regular calipers? any info appreciate, thanks Art
Micrometer is a better name for me to call them. They have a clicker on the end that makes it easy to measure the same every time. Once it gets tight it will click. Measure everything by just going one click and you get consistent measuring. Calipers take a bit of fooling with to get the pressure the same every time. I use them daily for work, so I'm pretty comfortable in using them in a consistent manner.
 
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Micrometer is a better name for me to call them. They have a clicker on the end that makes it easy to measure the same every time. Once it gets tight it will click. Measure everything by just going one click and you get consistent measuring. Calipers take a bit of fooling with to get the pressure the same every time. I use them daily for work, so I'm pretty comfortable in using them in a consistent manner.
Ok thank you
 
I recently found about a yard of pillow ticking under the wife's sewing machine. My first thoughts? Now I don't have to buy any more pre-lubed patches. I have some Bore Butter and can make my own lubed patches. Loading is easier, accuracy is still pretty good. I did some shooting yesterday to test the pillow ticking patches with my 50 cal T/C Renegade and about 40 yards away a couple of 2 liter bottles flipped me off, too bad for them...........he! he!
 
Question please . I need to buy a decent caliper long overdue. Is the c-mic your talking about the type that looks like a c clamp? And are they better than the regular calipers? any info appreciate, thanks Art
What you are calling c-mic is in my opinion, is much better than ‘regular calipers’. I have and use both for different purposes, but for measuring patch material, the c-mic is the way to go.

What follows I have posted before. I have found that if you can find one, a radius anvil micrometer works even better than a standard micrometer for compressed measurements of patch material. As an example, with normal pressure on a regular micrometer, a piece of denim may measure about .022” thick, however, this is NOT the important measurement. What is important, at least in my opinion and experience, is the compressed thickness. In this case, about .0155”. Also very important is how consistent you measure that thickness. I use a micrometer with a radius anvil and apply normal torque pressure as I measure. The radius anvil allows for a small area to be easily compressed. Hope following photographs help explain.

upload_2019-9-25_11-20-43.jpeg



upload_2019-9-25_11-21-30.jpeg



upload_2019-9-25_11-22-3.jpeg



Below are two more photographs showing measurements of a different lot of denim. Normal measurement is .018” thick. Compressed, .0085” thick. With .012” deep grooves would expect it to fail spectacularly as a patch material.

upload_2019-9-25_11-25-1.jpeg



upload_2019-9-25_11-25-21.jpeg
 
I have a very inexpensive (off-shore made) Vernier 4" caliper, pocket size. I can pinch the jaws alone tighter like tweezers to get a compressed measure without the material being fluffed up. I never cram the jaws tighter with the adjusting wheel! Just pinch the jaws themselves with your fingers, they seem to measure OK. I put the material deep into the jaws on the flat part, not the knife edge. Tinhorn
 
I have used unbleached cotton 'duck' for years (woven in multiple directions, and doesn't unravel much). It comes in a few different thicknesses. Buy small pieces of whatever is offered, and find out which works for you. I take my caliper to the fabric store, and measure each bolt (I squeeze the jaws as was mentioned by someone else in order to get a compressed measure). Last time I got some,(2 yd.) The girl who cut it folded it up and said 'Now you're going to go shoot his out of something aren't you?' Obviously I've been there before, and word was passed. I admitted that was the case, and invited her to come up to the range on one of our shoot days to see what happens. Don't know if she did, but it doesn't hurt to try to recruit when you can.
 
Most of the ml supply houses sell strips of cloth in proper thickness. It’s more expensive then thumbing through cloth at the store, but it’s untreated, pretty uniform, and comes in a big pack. You can get .1,15,2 as needed.
 
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