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Forgot to wash ticking

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Down East

32 Cal
Joined
Jan 27, 2021
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Location
Maine
Well as a flummoxed newbie I cut some pillow ticking for patches. Was so proud of myself - until I realized I'd forgot to wash and dry the material first as recommended. Didn't cut that much so wondering if it's OK to just lube and use these unwarshed patches rather than try the unimaginable? Thanks.
 
Try and see how it works. It may not take up your lube as easily as you would like, but it will work. I have heard a number of folks say they do not wash their new patch material. Always considered washing the sizing out of patch material more of a should rather than a must. Or as previously suggested put the material in a stocking (or a little laundry bag made for washing delicate items - there may be one around your washing machine, but don’t get caught) and wash and dry it.

As a self proclaimed ‘flummoxed newbie’, you will soon find other things that knock this out of your top 25 silliest things you did list.
 
Well as a flummoxed newbie I cut some pillow ticking for patches. Was so proud of myself - until I realized I'd forgot to wash and dry the material first as recommended. Didn't cut that much so wondering if it's OK to just lube and use these unwarshed patches rather than try the unimaginable? Thanks.
Just use a bag designed to wash delegates. Its a mesh bag with zipper. Put patches in and wash. They will Frey, but it's ok.
 
If you decide to wash them and don’t have a nylon or wash bag just put them in the sink and soak them good then put in a sock, tie it shut and wash and dry. I’m frugal and wouldn’t spend on a special bag etc.
 
As others have said you CAN use them as is BUT the material will hold the lube much better and grip the ball /rifling much better also. You can hand wash it in warm water with a little dish soap in the sink and lay it in the sun to dry ;) :thumb:.
 
I purchase yards of the heavy denim, about .018. I take it home, cut it into strips about 2" wide and as long as the material is wide. I roll it up and place in my shooting box or bag and when shooting, I put a little moose milk on it, load and shoot. Never wash the material. I don't do spit patches so I'm not sure what it would taste like with out washing.
For hunting, I use a little bear grease on a few cut patches and run a piece of monofilament line through about 10 or 15 of them down the middle. Tie a knot in one end and the other end on my bag strap. When I load, I just pull one off of the knot, pulling it through the patch, load and fire.
Mike
 
I recently shopped at Joann fabric for blue pillow ticking. The stuff was India was heavily sized and stiff. The made in China fabric much more supple. I would wash both and then iron flat to get rid of wrinkles. I cut them to size with scissors or an arc punch. Working on grinding teeth off 1 1/2" diameter hole saw, bevelling the flat end and removing the pilot drill bit to "drill" through cardboard sandwiching the fabric. Going to old 100 per cent cotton blue denim jeans as they are close to .020" thick. McClura's method of pulling pre cut patch off a string attached to shooting bag strap is an old method and I use it for spit patched patches. You'd have to lick and swallow a lot of sizing on the unwashed patches to sicken yourself. I had to spit patch dried Ballistol/water lube (1"3 ratio) on my patches to keep them from smoldering. Did not taste good. I did not swallow the spit.
 

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