I'm never buying patches again!

[longfowler]

tonite I stopped at the gunshop on the way home from work, to get supplies for this weekends Primitive Biathlon. He had the 3f goex & caps, but was all out of the .010 patches, which is what I really needed! I was so bummed...until later on, while I was headed to my gunroom to put away my stuff, this old dropcloth caught my eye. you see, when we bought this house we went down to the local comecial laundry & bought a bunch of old sheets to use while repainting. I measured a section, and it's exactly .010! it seems to be 100% cotton, nice tight weave. It's about 6 ft by 8 ft( a twin sheet?) & by my math, that's some 6000 square inches, so if I cut it into 1-1/2 in. squares, I'll get about 4000 patches, minus a few from having to cut out the paint droplets.

that's a LOT of patches.

and - I've got several of these sheets!

So I figure I could shoot 50 shots a week, for 8 years, on one sheet. now I might finally use up that big 3 lb can of crisco I've been saving!

 

[jtmattison]

Sounds like you're all set.

Take a piece of the sheet and burn it with an open flame. Make sure it chars and doesn't melt. If it melts, it's not 100% cotton.

HD

 

[flaming canvas]

What caliber are you shooting to need that big of a patch?

 

[RC]

ya mite wanta consider gettin a good patch knife and just cuttin the sheet in strips then at the muzzle..lil squares may get boring..... :thumbsup:

 

[longfowler]

I use them in my .50 smoothbore. and my wife likes 'em in her .54 New Englander. I cut them big so you don't have to be fussy about centering the ball. and I almost always load from a block, so I don't use strips. I don't even carry a patch knife!

 

[RC]

:grin: that's why I said "ya mite wanta consider gettin a good patch knife "" :haha:

 

[longfowler]

I know, I should, just to be more HC. I have some nice ones made out of hacksaw blades. but I hate getting patch lube on my hands!

 

[RC]

:shocked2: ""but I hate getting patch lube on my hands!"" but it makes the lead an powder taste better!! :thumbsup: :blah:

 

[Little Wattsy]

Im VERY new and still playing withall the options and variations but DAM it seems that "store bought" patches are EXPENSIVE. Here in Oregon they range $6 to $7 a hundred. (For perspective I bought cast .45 cal pistol slugs, 230 gr, at $5.90 a hundred. Seems like lots of options are cheaper then that INCLUDEING the kids pillow case. :hmm:

 

[RC]

if yer talkin pre lubed,, thats still a lil high, i usually buy oxyokes(rightmor? someone here will know..) but, dry patches, $3+ a bag.. lube them yerself,, or theres a guy on here that has some .010 sheets.... :thumbsup: :haha:

 

[biliff]

Im VERY new and still playing withall the options and variations but DAM it seems that "store bought" patches are EXPENSIVE. Here in Oregon they range $6 to $7 a hundred. (For perspective I bought cast .45 cal pistol slugs, 230 gr, at $5.90 a hundred. Seems like lots of options are cheaper then that INCLUDEING the kids pillow case. :hmm:

Try Sportsman's Warehouse out in east Portland. They have unlubed precut for $4/100. Still ain't cheap.

 

[rafterob]

I thought everybody used pillowticking and cut at the barrel :shocked2:

 

[biliff]

I thought everybody used pillowticking and cut at the barrel :shocked2:

Being a clutz, I try and avoid holding a rifle, greased patch material and a sharp object all at the same time.

 

[Stumpkiller]

tonite I stopped at the gunshop on the way home from work, to get supplies for this weekends Primitive Biathlon. He had the 3f goex & caps, but was all out of the .010 patches, which is what I really needed! I was so bummed...until later on, while I was headed to my gunroom to put away my stuff, this old dropcloth caught my eye. you see, when we bought this house we went down to the local comecial laundry & bought a bunch of old sheets to use while repainting. I measured a section, and it's exactly .010! it seems to be 100% cotton, nice tight weave. It's about 6 ft by 8 ft( a twin sheet?) & by my math, that's some 6000 square inches, so if I cut it into 1-1/2 in. squares, I'll get about 4000 patches, minus a few from having to cut out the paint droplets.

that's a LOT of patches.

and - I've got several of these sheets!

So I figure I could shoot 50 shots a week, for 8 years, on one sheet. now I might finally use up that big 3 lb can of crisco I've been saving!

I find it much easier to tear them into 1-1/2" strips. No knife or scissors needed and the little cut thread pieces don't get in everything.

Last time I was at Joanne's Fabrics I bought six YARDS of 52" wide 0.018" ticking. I don't like having to go to fabric stores often. :wink:

 

[Big Lee]

Here's a thought cut those sheets into strips, lube load loading block and cut at block. You might be able to get a few more patchs per strip that way.
Big Lee

 

[Geraldo]

Way back when I was more HC, I used to tie a strip of ticking to the strap of my shooting bag, used spit to lube it, and cut it at the muzzle.

 

[Rafsob]

I don't like having to go to fabric stores often. :wink:

Know what ya mean. Don't even like going there with the little woman. :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I used to hate going to the fabric stores, or to the lingerie departments in Department stores, because of the terrible looks I would be given by the old bitties that tend to work there. I went to one lingerie department with my second wife, where just to prove my point, we separated and entered the store at different times. She stationed herself so she could see me, and any of the old bags who worked in the store. She saw how mean the woman stared at me, and how rude they were to me when I asked for help. When she then joined me, so that it became obvious that we were together, the mood and demeanor of the old witches change instantly!

Fron that day since, I actually now enjoy going into those stores, and staring down the old bags. I absolutely refuse to allow them to treat me badly, and when a saleslady does, I insist on speaking to the manager, and demand that I receive an apology for the rude treatment. I am over 60 years old, now, so I can get away with a lot of this that I could not do when I was much younger. So I am enjoying my new powers! I am very polite, and manage not to swear or curse about women most of the time. I dress well, for the occasion, bathe, shave, etc. so they can't have any complaint about my appearance. MY last war with the old bitties, was in a Walmart, where I was " Rescued by a much younger( 30 something) salswoman who helped me find pillow ticking, after I got the rude sneer, and scowl from some old bag that also worked there. You should have see the look on the old bag's face when I pulled out a micrometer to measure the thickness of the ticking. The younger woman was not phased at all, but the older one was. Priceless. :thumbsup:

 

[Walker357]

Personally, I enjoy the confusion of the clerks when I use my micrometer to measure the cloth.

As far as the ladies undies department goes, wait until your wife is about 50 feet away and hold up something real skimpy and holler "Hey darlin, how about we get you this!". My wife don't want me to go shoppin with her anymore.... :grin:

 

[longfowler]

hey, you know what would be funny? go into walmart and ask to but a single 1-1/4 strip of pillow ticking!!!! the look on the "old bitties" face ought to be priceless!!