Making Pre-Cut Patches?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Guys, what are some simple, quiet methods for making pre-cut shooting patches? I live in a cheap upstairs apartment so hammering them out with a punch is out of the question. I also don’t own a drill press.

Anyone have any ideas? I wish someone made a punch or something for this. Any tips would be much appreciated, thanks!

-Smokey

 

[Grenadier1758]

Cut squares with a scissors. You can trim the edges to make the squares octagon, but the square patches will work pretty good.

There are rotary fabric cutters at JoAnn's that cut faster than scissors. Get the backing board and the cutter.

 

[Carbon 6]

Guys, what are some simple, quiet methods for making pre-cut shooting patches? I live in a cheap upstairs apartment so hammering them out with a punch is out of the question. I also don’t own a drill press.

Anyone have any ideas? I wish someone made a punch or something for this. Any tips would be much appreciated, thanks!

-Smokey

Buy a $10.00 hole saw of your preferred size, remove the center drill, chuck it in a drill press and grind the teeth off, finish sharpening with a file or stone.
Shazam! you now have a rotating cutter.

 

[EC121]

He said he doesn't have a drill press. A rolling cutter and back board is quick and easy, and you can slide it under the couch when you are done. I also trim the corners to make octagons. Besides a drill press wastes as much as it makes.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

For .50 + .54 caliber, lay a quarter on the fabric, draw around it with a pen and cut out the circles with scissors.

 

[Carbon 6]

He said he doesn't have a drill press.

Sorry, guess I missed that part.

Besides a drill press wastes as much as it makes.

Mine only wastes what isn't needed anyway, and the speed and convenience would be worth the waste if I did have any.

 

[ppg1949]

Smokey you said you don't have a drill press but do you have hand drill either corded or battery powered? If yes, then what Carbon 6 said can be done? I cut my 54 & 58 caliber a little larger at about an inch and eighth square. Then trim the corners as mentioned above. If needed, more of the patch can be trimmed off at the barrel with a patch knife but I use scissors.

 

[Carbon 6]

Smokey you said you don't have a drill press but do you have hand drill either corded or battery powered? If yes, then what Carbon 6 said can be done?

I think a hand drill would be a wee bit difficult as it would want to walk if you weren't perfectly perpendicular, but the drill could be used to sharpen the bit and then you could squeeze the bit and cloth between the jaws of a vice, to cut the patches. of course you would need a vice, some wood blocks and you would have to remove the drill shank, fold the fabric a dozen times, but it would work quietly and easily.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Cut squares with a scissors. You can trim the edges to make the squares octagon, but the square patches will work pretty good.

Yes square patches work pretty well.

LD

 

[mooman76]

Round patches don't shoot any better than squares. If you collect a patch cut at the muzzle, after it is fired, it is not really round anyway. I been using scissors for years. Works great for me and you can do that while sitting down in front of the television.

 

[russellshaffer]

I have been using square patches but if you want to cut round ones the fabric shops sell really neat curved scissors for not too much money. Then you can do what mooman suggests and relax in front of the tv.

 

[renegadehunter]

I do exactly as EC121.
Wife already had a rotary cutter (think pizza cutter, but sharper) and backing board. I cut a thin slat of wood 1-1/4" (I have a .54 cal) wide (I find it easier to use this rather than trying to keep the material in line with the backing board lines) to lay down the material for a cutting width and then cut strips. I then stack about 5 strips at a time and cut 1-1/4" squares off the strips with scissors. Last I trim all the corners of the squares, about 5 at a time again, to make more of an octagon. The last is just preference, like LD said square works fine.
If you haven't ever messed with making your own before this, make sure to wash the sizing out of the material you buy, hot with no detergent, and also make sure to put it into a nylon or delicates bag or else it will come out an unraveled, stringy, tangled mess. I had read to use a delicates bag, but failed to remember when I first washed some and it cost me a fair amount of material after I cut all of the tangled strands off and cleaned the edges up again with scissors.

 

[Carbon 6]

Round patches are easier to center on the bore and easier to finger lube, for me anyways.

 

[longcruise]

I'm not wanting to throw turds at this topic or the participants, but this whole obsession with round patches seems like a waste of time, energy and resources.

I think the focus on round is based on the observation that vendors sell them.

I'm not challenging the personal preference of individual shooters but rather the actual value of creating round or octagonal patches. As acknowledged by several participants, the square patch is every bit as effective as a round patch and is much simpler to make.

It's pretty simple to make square patches by taking a stip of material and folding it over eight or ten times into a length equal to the width and cutting through the folds with knife or scissors. It's also quick and easy to make the strip by making a small knife or scissor cut on the edge of the material and tearing it off to cut into squares or cut at the muzzle.

Everyone should do things according to their own preference, but for folks just starting out in the game, this topic can easily leave them thinking that making round patches is somehow important or advantageous.

 

[Carbon 6]

What can I say, I like round patches.
Tried square patches and cutting at the muzzle, I went back to round.

I do recommend everyone try all three methods and choose your preference, I have.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I'm not wanting to throw turds at this topic or the participants, but this whole obsession with round patches seems like a waste of time, energy and resources.

you need to check out this site. It discusses accuracy with square/round patches. It also has an article on fur trapper rifles which is an eye opener.

 

[Pete G]

I use a washer of appropriate size for a pattern. Fold fabric over a few times and trace around pattern then cut out with scissors.

 

[Carbon 6]

you need to check out this site. It discusses accuracy with square/round patches. It also has an article on fur trapper rifles which is an eye opener.

I couldn't find anything about Square/round patches or about making pre-cut patches.

A direct quote or link would have been nice.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I use a hand drill with modified hole saw. Lay fabric on soft pine board press hard and square on fabric and mash the trigger for a second or two.

 

[longcruise]

I don't see the exact information either.