Hi Y'all, yesterday I posted about my patches, and I realized that I would soon need to find and "dry lube" new ones. I found a Joann's fabric store. Me and my calipers went there. The nice woman said that she had never seen anyone measure fabric like that before. lol I explained what I was doing and long story short, she said I was better than her history teacher. lol I bought a yard of canvas. I was able to squeeze it to .017. I washed and dried it in the drier. Big mistake! Don't use a drier! Now it shrunk, and is to too thick. it is now .019. I cut some strips and am hanging them with heavy weights. This may help, but I have to go back to Joann's and search for something a little thinner. Hey, if this was easy, everyone would do it! lol This process is actually fun for me!
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In search of new shooting patches
- Thread starter Harmonica Bob
- Start date
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Here is an update. I went back to Joann's. I found some denim fabric that is just right! Denim has a fine and a coarse side. Fine side towards lead, coarse side towards steel. Here is what I learned about what I looked at today. Pillow ticking was too thin. Duck cloth was too thick. Drill cloth was too thin. Denim costs more, This applies only to the samples I measured today! Now I have to buy some machine shop, water solable, cutting oil. I mix this one part oil, and 7 parts water. After washing, and air drying! no drier! I cut the cloth into 2" strips, soak and evenly dry, then store in plastic bags. The 60 X 36 inch piece of denim I bought with a 40% off cupon a nice lady gave me, will last about 25 years. That's longer than I will last! Unless I still shoot smokepoles at 95. lol
Harmonica Bob:
For future reference.... Walmart has cotton duck (ticking) in .015" I buy mine there. I think last year I paid $3.90. a yd. for it?
Just an FYI.
Good luck with your experiment. Water soluble cutting oil is great stuff, but MAN it stinks!! Be careful, it can get sticky if it dries out naturally? Kinda' reminds you of Molasses?
God bless:
Two Feathers
I’ve never tried that recipe before, 7:1 ratio, does it remain slick after time? I’ve always used olive oil, or MAP as a lube.
I'm good with fabric now. The cutting oil I used in the past had no oder. I have tried to reasearch it and there is more than one type. I had to order a gallon from Amazon. I didn't get it yet. It is blue and the cutting oil I ran out of was blue also. Mixed with detergent and water it is a great black powder solvent and rust preventer! I put some soft iron screws and nuts in a jar with plain water, and also in another jar with my home made solvent. A year later the ones in water had completely disolved, and the ones in the milky blue liquid were perfect! If the stuff I ordered works out, I will tell you. Thanks!
The water based cutting oil I used in my machines at work was dark Brown and really stunk!! It got sticky too. I'm glad to hear that your experiment is panning out.:~))) Yes, please let us know about the outcome?
God bless:
Two Feathers
NAPA has a cutting oil that emulsifies in water. I bought my bottle about 20 years ago. The formula of the NAPA oil may have changed over time. Some, like me, have had good results using the NAPA oil mixed in 7 parts of water. Ballistol will also emulsify in water and has been recommended many times, but Ballistol does have an odor.
I have been using the #40 cotton drill from JoAnn's for quite some time with very good results. It measures 0.017 to 0.018 and compresses to about 0.012". I do wash my cotton drill cloth and dry it in the dryer. I rely on the washing and drying to tighten the weave and remove the sizing.
I have been using the #40 cotton drill from JoAnn's for quite some time with very good results. It measures 0.017 to 0.018 and compresses to about 0.012". I do wash my cotton drill cloth and dry it in the dryer. I rely on the washing and drying to tighten the weave and remove the sizing.
DuncNZ
54 Cal.
I switched to Ballistol after I found that patches lubed in cutting oil rotted in a few months , the Ballistol ones don't seem to have that problem , and Ballistol is non toxic . I use Mattress Ticking for my smooth bore patches , I'm not sure if it is the same as pillow ticking or tougher
I always go and checkout the cloth remnants pile in the stores first. They usually have remnants left over from the ends of the bolts of cloth. These usually are sold at clearance prices.
It seems that there are several types of cutting oil. Some are better than others for this purpose. I asked a machineist friend for some. He gave me a pop bottle full. It was blue in color, had no order, and turns milky blue when mixed with water. I have patch strips that I did over 30 years ago. They are still perfect! However, I mixed the last of it with water and detergent to make rust inhibiting black powder solvent. I ordered a gallon of a blue, cutting/cooling, and rust inhibiting fluid. I can't be sure it is the right stuff until I get it. I learned this from Dutch Schultz. All he said was to use "water soluble oil". If it's the right product, I will post the details. Dutch taught me to put all my balls in the same hole at 50 yards. With no wind and no human error. lol I use my bench rest compatition gear to work up loads and such. The wind is another matter! lol When I practice shooting, I try to shoot off hand.
The Appalachian
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A worn out stained torn long sleeve button up carhartt shirt measures .018" and contains a LOT of patch cloth. It chars perfectly for char cloth so I know it's 100% cotton. I cut strips, melt some Track mink oil, soak the strip, and while still hot squeeze off the excess as I pull the strip over the edge of the mink oil can under my finger. Leaves a perfect amount of lube on the strip. A patch knife at the muzzle makes it a patch. Good way to repurpose an old shirt instead of just tossing it.
@Harmonica Bob, Dutch Schoultz originally recommended the use of the NAPA cutting oil until he began getting reports that the formula had changed and no longer produced the desired accuracy. I guess I bought my bottle before the formula change. Dutch then switched to using a mix of Ballistol and water. My NAPA oil is brown and makes a milky liquid. I don't worry about patch deterioration as I lubricate the patch before I cut the patch at the muzzle. I hope your new bottle of cutting oil works for you.
Dutch was a great and smart man! After learning from him, I killed more deer than I could count! The idea of dry patches is best for hunting. You can leave it loaded for the whole deer season!
I like the idea of the dry patch, and have used balistol and water, but i haven't got the accuracy I want yet. I started with 5:1 and worked up to 7:1. I have good luck with mink oil, so I imagine I need a more slick mixture than the 5:1. I'm thinking about trying 4:1 and see what I get. My pillow ticking is .015 compressed after washing and drying, and the fit is pretty snug, goes in like the Dutch book says. I'll try to get it done and let you know how it goes
SwanShot
36 Cal.
I have some heavy drill trousers left over from when I worked for a living. I don't have the faintest idea how thick they are. I just cut some patches off them and tried it in my Renagade 54. Worked a treat.
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SwanShot
36 Cal.
Ok, so having written the above I had to find out; They are .016I have some heavy drill trousers left over from when I worked for a living. I don't have the faintest idea how thick they are. I just cut some patches off them and tried it in my Renagade 54. Worked a treat.
Please tell me about the "Dutch book". Can I get one? Dutch sent me phamphlets, and this is what I learned from. When I sent him a 50 yd, one hole group, he sent me a diploma. "Dr. of Blackpowder Accuracy" lol. That was over 30 years ago, and I don;t have that stuff anymore. I still have the diploma in a frame. lol If I remember correctly, having too much lube will give you virtical groups. I think? (thinking is dangerous for me) lol
The "Black Powder Accuracy System" can still be purchased as Dutch's daughter is maintaining the web site. The system is now 94 pages long with all sorts of good information.
http://blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
http://blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
Yes, I got mine off E bay. It was an electronic file I have saved on my computer.
I just ordered it! Thanks!
