Go to Sears and buy one of these
http://www.sears.com/skill-tech-1-...p-00940774000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2
Then you can use it to determine the exact thickness of your patches. When this current supply of store bought patches is used up, go to your nearest fabric shop and check out thier supply of 100% cotton fabrics. Use your micrometer to measure the thickness of each one until you find the thickness that you want. I have found that an excellent fabric is 100% cotton drill fabric. Drill is the kind of weave. It is a tight durable weave that is often used to make pants pockets. Because of that particular use, some places they call it "pocket drill". Yet, other places won't know what you are talking about if you use the term "pocket drill". So, just ask for some 100% cotton drill that is used for making pants pockets. You can also check out such other fabrics as pillow ticking, mattress ticking (just a bit thicker than pillow ticking), denim of various weights (just be sure that it is 100% cotton)and for the thickest fabric, if you need it, look at their light canvas. Just make sure that whatever fabric you buy, it is 100% cotton. Also, just buy a minimum amount at first until you have tried it and know that it is exactly what your rifle wants. When you find the exact fabric for your rifle, go back and buy several yards so you will never run out of that perfect patch. Don't forget to wash your fabric with
just detergent but
no fabric softeners before using it. As it cones from the store, it has a light starch-like materrial in it called "sizing" to make it look nice on the roll in the store. You need to get that stuff out before you use it for patching because the sizing will effect the way your lube is absorbed into your patches. After washing, I like to run an iron over the fabric to flatten it out before cutting my patches.
Making your own patches is much better than buying store bought ones and much cheaper, too. Plus, you have your choice of what lubes to use on them.
HINT: When you wash your new fabric, get a pair of your wife's old panty hose or one of those mesh bags for washing "delicates" in. Put your new fabric into one of these to keep it from raveling and wadding and tangling up in the raveled threads. If you don't do this, your alternative is to run the cut edges through a sewing machine to sew down the loose edges to prevent raveling in the washing machine and dryer. If you don't do one of these, you will need to pick all of the loose threads out of the washer and dryer and use some scissors to cut your way into the wad of fabric.
P.S.
Measuring fabric for use as a patching material is done in a specific way. If you don't know the proper way to measure the thickness of fabric using your micromenter, just send me a PM and I will tell you how to do it.
