Black & White ticking

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I gave up on ticking , I found the color had little to do with thickness, switching to denim comes in weights 7oz, 9oz 10oz ( .022)12oz it seems more consistent , just make sure its 100% cotton. The other patching I like is #40 pocket drill cloth tight weave
 
Well I found a place on ebay that measured the thickness for the old blue n white ticking .020" so I ordered some of that. I'll look at Walmart next time and probably buy some of the black and white just to test it.

Really would like to try linen but that's a bit more difficult to find locally so I can measure it.
 
When Mother remade all her feather pillows in the mid 1950s, the ticking had rows of pink and blue flowers instead of stripes, Dad's overalls were blue striped and Grandpa's khaki pants were made of drill.

I'm pretty sure the print is applied after the fabric is woven and has nothing to do with the type of weave or the thickness. A bright light should help choose a tight weave (driil/twill will be diagonal) and the trusty apprentice micrometer will tell the thickness. A burn test will prove it's cotton. I've always used precut patches just because I'm lazy buy now I'm inspired to take trip to a thrift store micrometer in hand. I imagine those blue chambray work shirts must be about 15, flour-sack curtains about 20, muslin might be as thin as 10 for that hard to start gun.
 
Really would like to try linen but that's a bit more difficult to find locally so I can measure it.
I bought a 1/2 yard of linen a couple days ago at Hobby Lobby. It measured 0195 unwashed and 022 washed. It didn't seem to have any sizing in it.

When washed it didn't have all the crazy unraveling and fraying along the cut edges that are seen on #40 and ticking.

Here's a picture before washed.

20250121_103921_copy_367x490.jpg


And this is after washed. The fuzzy edge on the right side was like that when I bought it.

20250122_074634_copy_333x607.jpg


I don't know when I'll have a chance to try it. Sometime when this cold spell and wind abates.
 
I bought a 1/2 yard of linen a couple days ago at Hobby Lobby. It measured 0195 unwashed and 022 washed. It didn't seem to have any sizing in it.

When washed it didn't have all the crazy unraveling and fraying along the cut edges that are seen on #40 and ticking.

Here's a picture before washed.

View attachment 377772

And this is after washed. The fuzzy edge on the right side was like that when I bought it.

View attachment 377773

I don't know when I'll have a chance to try it. Sometime when this cold spell and wind abates.
Would you happen to have the lot number for the linen? It seems like that would fit perfect in my rifles.
 
The only linen I tried was too loose in weave, and shredded with 80 grain loads in my .54 long rifle. I have settled on drill cloth or denim for that rifle; tough and .023 or .028 thickness with a .530 ball.

ADK Bigfoot
 
You need to check every bolt of material you looking at. There is mattress ticking, pillow ticking, etc..
I have found the measured thicknesses are all over the place. I always take my dial caliper into the store to check.
 
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