Beside pillow ticking

[Mike Boettcher]

Besides pillow ticking and store bought patches, what do you guys use for a round ball patch?

I'm asking because the Wal-Mart store here in town quit selling the .15 ticking and now sells the thicker ticking...which for me and my .54 Lyman is to thick. I used it once and almost had to hammer the ball down the barrel.

Has anyone used linen? Or maybe you know where a guy could buy a yard or so of the .15 ticking on-line?

Thanks!

 

[necchi]

Denim, Blue jeans fabric.
I've been using denim for at least 15yrs, it comes in a lot of varied thickness.
Works just fine.

 

[mooman76]

Doesn't have to be Pillow ticking. A good strong tight weave cotton material works as good. I've used cotton shirts out of my closet. Try another material or craft store.

 

[Mike Boettcher]

Doesn't have to be Pillow ticking. A good strong tight weave cotton material works as good. I've used cotton shirts out of my closet. Try another material or craft store.

Yeah...I think I'll take my barrel, a ball and my short starter to Wal-Mart and see if they have any other cotton material with a tight weave that might work. I may get some funny looks from people and they may kick me out!

But a guys gotta do, what a guys gotta do.

 

[Musketeer]

Just get yourself a cheap digital caliper from ebay and take it to your local crafts and fabric store (I like JoAnn's). I bought several yards of some material there a few years back that runs around .015". It's white with yellow stripes and flowers printed on it :haha: , but it's 100% tightly woven cotton and works great for patches. :hatsoff:

 

[pargent]

Old cotton drill work shirts

 

[Rifleman1776]

Old cotton drill work shirts

Used clothing is the poorest choice possible. Most are poly/cotton blends. Bad news. Plus as clothes wear they become uneven in material thicknesss.
Any pure cotton, or linen, fabric will do as long as it is a strong, close tight weave. I long ago used denim but most is pretty thick stuff. Will work but your ball size must match and, I believe give less accuracy with the smaller ball.
Keep shopping, especially when in another town.
My local Wal-Mart occaisionaly runs out of ticking but restocks eventually.

 

[pargent]

I did say cotton not a blend but cotton

 

[longcruise]

A well stocked art supply store will have bulk :haha: artists canvas on rolls and for sale by the inch (yes that says inch). It's graded by the oz. Just picked up some 7, 12 & 14 oz but have not range tested it yet. Ran out of the stuff I'd bought 20 yrs ago. :haha:

don't bother with hobby lobby or Michaels. They don't have the good stuff. Can probably be found online.

then there is the old reliable joannes pocket drill.

a really high quality patch material is worth obtaining a mold to fit it.

 

[Rick Son]

Silk?

 

[Rifleman1776]

I did say cotton not a blend but cotton

I know you said that. But, I haven't seen pure cotton shirts since.....well....long, long time. Just makin' sure.

 

[nchawkeye]

Seems I answered this before???

Cotton drill from JoAnnes works, ticking can be had there as well...Hobby Lobby sells ticking as well...

Track of the Wolf sells it too...

Do you have any fabric stores around???

 

[gunmaker43]

10 oz. pure cotton canvas. Used it since 1980....Tom

 

[Stumpkiller]

Mattress ticking - like pillow but thicker.

 

[shawn_c992001]

My work shirts from Aramark are 100% pure cotton.

 

[dikman]

I found some canvas that I didn't know I had and that seems to work fine. Last time I tried to find denim at the cloth shop and it was all a polyester/cotton blend! I just cut up some old jeans, but it's far too thick for my needs (so I used one leg to make a bag filled with stuff for bench-resting).

 

[ChrisHarris]

http://search.nancysnotions.com/?q=pillow+ticking&Search=&sp_cs=UTF-8

I bought 5 yards a couple years ago. Don't expect I'll run out anytime soon.

I know it's pillow ticking and you asked for alternatives. Lots of cheap choices here.

 

[Herb]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/1318809/
Read this post then come back.
I use linen and really like it. We just got a JoAnn store and they have one linen that works. It is pretty thin but OK. "WUJI Sand 100% Linen Suit" Item 400012991899 at $16.99 per yard and the same thing in "Ivory", number ending in 1639, same cost. I got 1/8 yard of each (a 5" wide strip). It mikes .012 and .013 and crushes to .008 or .009 (which is what your ball does to it in the bore). I like the thinner linen. It works in my .54 with the 50 grain target loads I shoot and I expect it to work with 80 grains.
I just called up the www.homefabricsonline.com store in my previous post and found 53 plain colored linens. If you phone the store they cannot tell you how thick the stuff mikes, but I think you can get samples of it. I will get Kendall Lobster Linen (yes, red) #170196 54" wide at $8.99 per yard. I think any of the plain colored ones (white, tan, cream, lobster, black, lime, yellow, blue, etc.) will work well. Some may be too thick. The store probably has coupons if you look for them. They are my first choice for patch material.

 

[Dphar]

Most of the ticking found in stores tears far too easy down the stripe to be reliable. I have given up on it after decades of use and now use Denim or 100% linen if I can get a good thickness. Linen can be ordered if you search the WWW. Have them send you a small swatch to measure.
Linen is less compressible and will work at slightly thinner than cotton.

I just found this 8 ounce weight but have not retried any. It should be of a useful thickness if the weave is tight. Might also be better if washed and dried to shrink it somewhat.
http://www.fabrics-store.com/first.php?goto=showarticles&menu=f&article=164

Dan

 

[mooman76]

I have used old military BDU material before that was still in good shape. Very strong and holds up good enough to reuse after fired although I do not. It is more like a slightly thinner denim.