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Ticking

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Joined
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Have yet to make a purchase as there are many suppliers and various patterns and thicknesses. Can users here give a recommendation to a newbie using ticking strips, please. I have just used the round prelubed variety but the idea of better encasement of the ball in even fashion is something I want to switch to. Have a great knife for the task but just need some material to use it on...
 
Joeann fabricks you can by the yrd or less just make sure 100% cotton I like denium 10oz and drill cloth 40 they also have pillow ticking /matress ticking(thicker) take a caliper with you you get what you want and great looks from the ladys:ghostly:
Thanks but closest store is 6 gallons of gas away (I used to use miles or more commonly time of travel) and not in stock anyway. It is not able to be ordered online from them.
 
if you have old jeans handy 100% cotton lower leg of mens is(knee/seat area gets warn thinner) 10oz denium the ladys and kids are 8oz also look at any flea market or thrift store for linen table cloths or napkins
 
Thanks but closest store is 6 gallons of gas away (I used to use miles or more commonly time of travel) and not in stock anyway. It is not able to be ordered online from them.
Just checked JoAnn Fabrics web site. Shipping is $2.99. Most times there is a coupon for 50% off. There is a first-time buyer's discount of 25%.

I am a user of JoAnn Fabrics #40 Cotton Drill Cloth from the utility cloth selection. It's consistently 0.018" thick with reasonable compression to 0.011"
 
Just checked JoAnn Fabrics web site. Shipping is $2.99. Most times there is a coupon for 50% off. There is a first-time buyer's discount of 25%.

I am a user of JoAnn Fabrics #40 Cotton Drill Cloth from the utility cloth selection. It's consistently 0.018" thick with reasonable compression to 0.011"
Just checked JoAnn. Closest store 70 miles away but OOS anyway. Minimum order is 2 yrds and shipping is $9.95 for a total of basically $20. I'll keep looking but thanks for the info
 
Have yet to make a purchase as there are many suppliers and various patterns and thicknesses. Can users here give a recommendation to a newbie using ticking strips, please. I have just used the round prelubed variety but the idea of better encasement of the ball in even fashion is something I want to switch to. Have a great knife for the task but just need some material to use it on...
So you have a problem. Because the fabric makers aren't bound by as nearly tight standards as you and I need for using a patched round ball.

So fabric, as I'm sure you know, is often treated before it's put on a cardboard form, and then sold as a bolt of cloth. This makes it easier for the manufacturer to measure out the proper amount, easier for the fabric shop to do the same, AND it reduces the amount of damage to the cloth from the machines that are winding it around the form.

Because of this stuff, often called "sizing", most folks wash their patching material to remove it and to tighten up the weave. This then results in a thicker fabric than when we measured it at the store. Which is often a good thing. The problem comes in when we have found a fabric that when washed, was say .015-.017 thickness, and worked very well in our rifles. BUT the manufacturer changes something..., and when washed the stuff shrinks up more, and it's now .020 thick when compressed. NOW our round ball is too tight with that patch for our bore, and we are back to "square one". That tiny increase in thickness after shrinking won't normally matter to the fabric company, AND could easily revert back to the old results, in a month or a year.

It's very frustrating.

So about the only thing that you can do if you can't get to a fabric store, is to look for fabric sellers online, and see if they have "samples" or "doggie bag" offers, where you can buy a small piece of cotton, linen, or a mix of the two fibers fabric, large enough to wash and shrink and test the fit in your rifle.

LD
 
So you have a problem. Because the fabric makers aren't bound by as nearly tight standards as you and I need for using a patched round ball.

So fabric, as I'm sure you know, is often treated before it's put on a cardboard form, and then sold as a bolt of cloth. This makes it easier for the manufacturer to measure out the proper amount, easier for the fabric shop to do the same, AND it reduces the amount of damage to the cloth from the machines that are winding it around the form.

Because of this stuff, often called "sizing", most folks wash their patching material to remove it and to tighten up the weave. This then results in a thicker fabric than when we measured it at the store. Which is often a good thing. The problem comes in when we have found a fabric that when washed, was say .015-.017 thickness, and worked very well in our rifles. BUT the manufacturer changes something..., and when washed the stuff shrinks up more, and it's now .020 thick when compressed. NOW our round ball is too tight with that patch for our bore, and we are back to "square one". That tiny increase in thickness after shrinking won't normally matter to the fabric company, AND could easily revert back to the old results, in a month or a year.

It's very frustrating.

So about the only thing that you can do if you can't get to a fabric store, is to look for fabric sellers online, and see if they have "samples" or "doggie bag" offers, where you can buy a small piece of cotton, linen, or a mix of the two fibers fabric, large enough to wash and shrink and test the fit in your rifle.

LD
Good to know -- thanks!
 
With ticking I prefer the mattress ticking which is thicker. But My favorite now is heavy canvas which compresses to about .024". To use that canvas results in a very tight fit. But there's a way to make it easily loaded with the wooden ramrod. Polish the muzzle crown so it's a smooth transition into the rifling instead of the sharp, patch cutting crown usually found on rifles. Plus I've found that TOW mink oil and Hoppes #9 BP Lube/Cleaner. I like mink oil lube in the woods and the Hoppes for all other shooting. As mentioned in the responses to your question there are a lot of materials that will work. Just get tough material and wash it at least once to remove the starch (sizing).
 
With ticking I prefer the mattress ticking which is thicker. But My favorite now is heavy canvas which compresses to about .024". To use that canvas results in a very tight fit. But there's a way to make it easily loaded with the wooden ramrod. Polish the muzzle crown so it's a smooth transition into the rifling instead of the sharp, patch cutting crown usually found on rifles. Plus I've found that TOW mink oil and Hoppes #9 BP Lube/Cleaner. I like mink oil lube in the woods and the Hoppes for all other shooting. As mentioned in the responses to your question there are a lot of materials that will work. Just get tough material and wash it at least once to remove the starch (sizing).
Gotcha -- Thank you
 
Don't be stuck on striped ticking. The stuff Jo-Jan now sells is thinner than it used to be. My micrometer puts it at 0.012". Jo-Jan, Walmart, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby all sell thick tight weave cotton cloth that works well. I also have a "hippie" all natural fabric store that has some nice cloth.

Use only cotton or linen. I have never seen suitable linen, so cotton. No blend fabrics. IF you are not sure you can burn a little sample. If you get any melted plastic it is no good.

Bring your micrometer. Compress the cloth significantly but don't spring the tool. You definitely want to go tighter than the clicker. If you don't have a mic, it is time to get one.

I prefer to cut at the muzzle over precut patches. I used pre cut patches of years but switched lately.
 
Don't be stuck on striped ticking. The stuff Jo-Jan now sells is thinner than it used to be. My micrometer puts it at 0.012". Jo-Jan, Walmart, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby all sell thick tight weave cotton cloth that works well. I also have a "hippie" all natural fabric store that has some nice cloth.

Use only cotton or linen. I have never seen suitable linen, so cotton. No blend fabrics. IF you are not sure you can burn a little sample. If you get any melted plastic it is no good.

Bring your micrometer. Compress the cloth significantly but don't spring the tool. You definitely want to go tighter than the clicker. If you don't have a mic, it is time to get one.

I prefer to cut at the muzzle over precut patches. I used pre cut patches of years but switched lately.
Good to know. There is a Michaels not far...I'll give them a look. Thanks
 
If you have a good caliper just use that; it's what I do. I measure the material compressed by squeezing the jaws together with thumb & fingers of both hands as hard as I can.
 

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