I was at Jo Ann's Fabrics today with the wife and finally spotted some Drill cloth. Been wanting to try it since I heard of it. Anyway I noticed they have all utility cloth at 50% off this weekend. I don't know if it's all or just local but thought I would pass it on. I picked up 2y instead of 1.
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Fabric for patches
- Thread starter mooman76
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JoAnn's is where I usually go, and get some odd looks when checking fabric with a micrometer. :haha:
Pocket drill cloth is my patching material of choice. Good score. I also look for bargains on the diaper flannel for cleaning patches.
Was at JoAnnes yesterday for their 50% sale to pick up some of that drill cloth...been using it for years. Wouldn't you know, they were out of stock. Bought some pillow ticking instead (the .54 Renegade prefers it over the drill cloth...go figure), but only a yard, as I still have a bunch to go through.
The JoAnnes flyer is the only one that catches my eye before they all get tossed in the Recycle bin on Wednesdays.
The JoAnnes flyer is the only one that catches my eye before they all get tossed in the Recycle bin on Wednesdays.
zimmerstutzen
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Stopped at a yard sale friday. Got several yards of real linen in various thicknesses for a whopping $2.00 I am set for a few months/years.
Billnpatti
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Grenadier1758 said:
:metoo:
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Ya know...Cloth isn't necessarily a requirement....for accurate shooting....I've used sisal rope and tree inner bark for patch material with success....
meanmike8665
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Are you serious? Just because you can does not mean it is the best choice, unless you only care about minute of deer accuracy! Pillow ticking, mattress ticking, duck, pocket drill, twill and a host of other fabric all work! To the OP thanks for the info about JoAnn's. We buy our years supply of diaper fannel for cleaning patches on Black Friday. We have found good deals at both JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby. We buy 10 yards at a time and I will start cleaning in 2 1/2 inch square the weekend.
Michael
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:rotf: ...Wasn't advocating that anyone give up fabric....
But sisal rope shoots a bit better than "minute of deer"
Ok! it was a one time experiment....to prove that all that you need is the ability to impart spin....and it worked...that's a 5 shot group.
the flier was all me, not the rope. :grin:
But sisal rope shoots a bit better than "minute of deer"
Ok! it was a one time experiment....to prove that all that you need is the ability to impart spin....and it worked...that's a 5 shot group.
the flier was all me, not the rope. :grin:
meanmike8665
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What distants?
Michael
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22860 millimeters...... :haha:
meanmike8665
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Wow, thats a lot of millimeters. Did you shoot that off a bench rest? Oh, what kind of measuring device did you use that has that many millimeters. Or did you just measure in yards?
Michael
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The measurement was done with a laser rangefinder and converted mathematically... :haha:
Shooting was most likely done offhand...as that is how I normally shoot...although it may have been rested but not benched....honestly can't remember....I would have to find my original post and see if I noted it.
The results surprised me but drill cloth or pillow ticking is far superior...
Shooting was most likely done offhand...as that is how I normally shoot...although it may have been rested but not benched....honestly can't remember....I would have to find my original post and see if I noted it.
The results surprised me but drill cloth or pillow ticking is far superior...
meanmike8665
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FYI, 25yd is not a great test for accuracy testing. A smoothbore will usually shoot much like your target,even with a bare ball.
Michael
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Tell that to my smoothbore... :haha:
FYI..I was aiming for the top left corner of the square....and that square is only about 2"x2"
Good enough for my squirrel rifle and good enough for head shots... :v
FYI..I was aiming for the top left corner of the square....and that square is only about 2"x2"
Good enough for my squirrel rifle and good enough for head shots... :v
zimmerstutzen
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fine linen as in table cloths, is usually rather thin. And unless it has been washed or is very very old, it has sizing which keeps the linen somewhat thinner than after the sizing is washed out.
That brings us to some folks theory of patching. Slow motion video has shown us that there is some extent of blow by of smoke and gasses regardless of how tight the combination. You can load an extra tight combination that requires a mallet and tungsten short starter to swage the patched ball into the bore. But the seal, doesn't get that tough again when being forced back out by ignition. The patched ball does swell some due to obturation, (the hammering effect from behind caused by ignition) but so do most patched ball combinations. now we know that a combination that is too loose, affects accuracy and fouling, but where between 5 pounds of pressure to load the patched ball and 150 pounds of pressure is the seal as good as it gets? The rifling configuration can effect this, so some guns with square deep grooves may require much more pressure to swage the patched ball into sealing the corners of the grooves. On the other hand shallow round bottom rifling may take much less pressure to seal the bore. The thickness and tightness of the weave affect the ability to swage that patched ball. In some guns, a thin loosely woven patch and larger ball can more than adequately seal the bore. A heavy nap on flannel can seal the bore as well as .022 ticking. The idea is to seal the bore with as little deformation of the ball as possible. A mallet and starter undoubtedly deforms the ball. My target barrel has oval bottom grooves that are deeper along the lands than in the middle of the groove. The grooves are 5 or 6 times wider than the lands. As a result, I could shoot very well with a .005 muslin patch and .445 swaged ball. Easy to load, sealed the bore adequately and very very accurate. So the thickness of a material does matter, but only to the extent that the bore is sealed.
That brings us to some folks theory of patching. Slow motion video has shown us that there is some extent of blow by of smoke and gasses regardless of how tight the combination. You can load an extra tight combination that requires a mallet and tungsten short starter to swage the patched ball into the bore. But the seal, doesn't get that tough again when being forced back out by ignition. The patched ball does swell some due to obturation, (the hammering effect from behind caused by ignition) but so do most patched ball combinations. now we know that a combination that is too loose, affects accuracy and fouling, but where between 5 pounds of pressure to load the patched ball and 150 pounds of pressure is the seal as good as it gets? The rifling configuration can effect this, so some guns with square deep grooves may require much more pressure to swage the patched ball into sealing the corners of the grooves. On the other hand shallow round bottom rifling may take much less pressure to seal the bore. The thickness and tightness of the weave affect the ability to swage that patched ball. In some guns, a thin loosely woven patch and larger ball can more than adequately seal the bore. A heavy nap on flannel can seal the bore as well as .022 ticking. The idea is to seal the bore with as little deformation of the ball as possible. A mallet and starter undoubtedly deforms the ball. My target barrel has oval bottom grooves that are deeper along the lands than in the middle of the groove. The grooves are 5 or 6 times wider than the lands. As a result, I could shoot very well with a .005 muslin patch and .445 swaged ball. Easy to load, sealed the bore adequately and very very accurate. So the thickness of a material does matter, but only to the extent that the bore is sealed.
Tell that to my smoothbore as well, mm. Believe me, I've tried it v. various diameter patched RB's and various patch thicknesses, and the patched RB's always shot more accurately than the bare balls @ 25 yd.
Also, as per Clyde's use of sisal rope, tow wads fore and aft of the bare ball may be worthy experimenting with. Duelist1954 has had outstanding success with them, so it may be an option.
As for material for patches, take a micrometer with you to your favorite fabric store and check out 100% cotton pillow ticking, especially that made for outdoor use; 100% cotton denim (comes in various weights/thicknesses); and muslin, i.e., the stuff that looks like a painter's drop cloth, also 100% cotton.
Also, as per Clyde's use of sisal rope, tow wads fore and aft of the bare ball may be worthy experimenting with. Duelist1954 has had outstanding success with them, so it may be an option.
As for material for patches, take a micrometer with you to your favorite fabric store and check out 100% cotton pillow ticking, especially that made for outdoor use; 100% cotton denim (comes in various weights/thicknesses); and muslin, i.e., the stuff that looks like a painter's drop cloth, also 100% cotton.
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Just to clarify, My balls were not bare .....They were patched with rope tow....Maven said:
Speaking of thin linen, I was in an antique shop and hanging on a mannequin was a nightgown with the "robe" over it. The two layers of linen were so thin you could tell if a dime was heads or tails thru both garments. Closer inspection showed it was not worn out, but hardly worn, if ever. It wasn't much more than wearing nothing.
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