Need help with locating some patching material

[Tom A Hawk]

Walmart had some blue stripe in that thickness.

 

[08Desert Trapper]

My sources are all out, and or have the wrong thickness. Looking for some bulk blue stripped pillow ticking. Every place around me has downsized the thickness to .013. Looking for .017/.018 thick 100% cotton.
Any help would be appreciated.
Larry

What through your clothing drawer???

any old hundred percent cotton T-shirts or underwear ???

that’s perfect patching brother!!!!

we have patching all around us and we just don’t realize it

 

[doubleset]

A pinch mic. , will give a true thickness because it pinches the fabric down to true thickness ,

Oldwood makes an important point, but there is no "true fabric thickness" here. The thickness is a measured thickness, and that depends on how it's measured -- what instrument is used and how much pressure is applied to get the measurement result. What's really important is your consistency in doing the measurement. People can achieve sufficient consistency (by feel) using a cheap digital (or even dial) caliper or by using a true micrometer that controls the pressure in determining the measurement reading. My expensive Mitutoyo digital micrometer may make achieving that consistency a bit easier, but I use my cheap Harbor Freight digital calipers because it's easier and certainly close enough.

Given that you can get consistent measurements by using whatever tool you choose, then you need to associate patches having those measured thicknesses with how they perform in your particular gun with your particular ball. Once you get the "best thickness" -- given that consistency in your measurement, so you can do it again and again -- you're good, and always look for that thickness (measured in the same way) when you go to get more patch material. Someone else might get a slightly different measurement (of the same material) using a different caliper or micrometer. So you might get 0.015" and he might get 0.017" -- consistently for the same material. Or you might consistently get 0.015" with the your micrometer and 0.017" with your caliper for the same material. That difference doesn't matter. All that matters is that you can consistently use the same measuring tool to get your measurement, and then associate patches having that measurement with how the patches work in your gun.

So don't obsess over choosing a particular measurement tool, and don't obsess over achieving a particular degree of pressure when you apply it to the material. You don't need to know the "true thickness" (there really isn't one in any simple sense). All you need is reliable consistency in how you do the measuring. Commercially made patches are reliable (when they are, and some aren't!) not because they measure a "true thickness", but because they achieve a high degree of uniformity in the thickness as they measure it.

 

[Flint n Steel]

Hobby Lobby, 30% fabric sale. I bought 5 yards. Will last me my whole life and perhaps enough for pouch lining or a simple shirt...

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Are your measurements with the material compressed or relaxed, makes a difference.

I use a micrometer. The twist spring loaded end gives the same pressure each time one measures.
Call it whatever you want, but consistency is the key for me. Thanks for the reply.
Larry

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Check out Walmarts Duck cloth.

Ha Ha, that may be the perfect patch material. You have no idea what I am dealing with............My son in law! He needs patching, & don't have time to get it, but I do. He is a one track minded person. He wants only what I described in my original post.
Thanks,
Larry

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Hobby Lobby, 30% fabric sale. I bought 5 yards. Will last me my whole life and perhaps enough for pouch lining or a simple shirt...

HL is one of my failures at this date. A year a go, yes. I am hopping they will get some thicker back in.
Thanks
Larry

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

What through your clothing drawer???

any old hundred percent cotton T-shirts or underwear ???

that’s perfect patching brother!!!!

we have patching all around us and we just don’t realize it

I totally disagree with you! You are talking cleaning patch material.
No thanks.
Larry

 

[Cruzatte]

Find a quilting supply store in your area, and take a micrometer with you. There are several such shops in Omaha.

 

[springfield art]

My sources are all out, and or have the wrong thickness. Looking for some bulk blue stripped pillow ticking. Every place around me has downsized the thickness to .013. Looking for .017/.018 thick 100% cotton.
Any help would be appreciated.
Larry

Wonder if the downsized stuff is coming from China or someplace? I got my stuff at Jo-Ann but years ago. Don't know what they have now.

Three of the six gals that work in our area Jo-Anns never even blinked when I came in there looking for patching, they new what I was up to. The one gal told me her dad used to shoot at rendezvous all the time so she's been through this many times before. lol

Hey, Flintlock, that's really neat! I bought a gun mag at a bookstore once and the cashier gal asked if I was going to the Gun Maker's Fair! She knew about such doin's.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’ve ordered patch material from BurlapFabric and BigDuckCanvas in the past. Last order I got 2 yards x 60” wide each of ticking and 10 oz canvas from BurlapFabric for less than $20 plus shipping (other items were ordered so not sure of exact shipping). The ticking measures .015” thick, .012” compressed, and the canvas .022”, .0165” compressed, at least the way I measure. I use a radius anvil micrometer for the compressed measurement, which I have found the more important of the two measurements.

 

[user 34300]

I recently bought some 0.017" off white fabric from Jo-Jan.

I use a micrometer. I go tighter than the clicker but not so tight as to spring the frame of my mic. It was explained to me that the thickness as compressed is what matters. When describing the thickness of cloth it is important that everyone do it the same. The boys over at ALR consider what described as the standard way. There are some pretty sharp and experienced folks over there, I trust what they say.

I recall in the seep recesses of my memory that Harbor Freight canvases are a decent source of thick patch material. Anyone have any experience on this?

 

[DixieTexian]

Nobody has suggested silk for an extra thirty yards yet?

 

[jim mencken]

get mine at October country they have all sizes call it daisy patch

 

[SDSmlf]

I recall in the seep recesses of my memory that Harbor Freight canvases are a decent source of thick patch material. Anyone have any experience on this?

Who knows what actual material HF canvas is made from? You would think that canvas is made from only cotton? HF stuff might be cotton, might not be cotton. Would not count on it for patch material. Guess you could buy one and do a burn test on it.

It’s like the pure cotton labeled cloth that can be found at places like WallyWorld. Yes the cotton used is pure, but the material is a blend and not 100% cotton.

 

[flntlokr]

My sources are all out, and or have the wrong thickness. Looking for some bulk blue stripped pillow ticking. Every place around me has downsized the thickness to .013. Looking for .017/.018 thick 100% cotton.
Any help would be appreciated.
Larry

I just trot down to my local fabric store, calipers in hand, and rifle through the stuff called 'cotton duck'; it's a light canvas that stands up well as patch matertial. Usually unbleached or white, several thicknesses. I wash the yardage twice to soften it up, then fold it so I have about 10 layers, and sew it across so the stacks don't slide around. I punch the patches using an arch punch of suitable size, and store the cut patches in pill bottles. When I need ready patches, I add lube to the pill bottles and let it soak the whole stack at once. If you relly need stripes to make them shoot straight, you can add them with a felt pen before you add the lube. (lol) The lady at the fabric store caught me measuring thicknesses, and when I took my selection to her for cutting, she looked up at me with a little grin and said 'You're going to shoot this out of something aren't you?' (not her first rodeo obviously).

 

[J. Paul]

Main thing is to be consistent when looking, then when found buy several yards. Over the last 50 years, mine has been blue stripe, red stripe, yellow stripe, plain and some solid colors. For cleaning patches, I buy flannel fabric (Also makes fantastic char)

 

[necchi]

Ha Ha, that may be the perfect patch material. You have no idea what I am dealing with............My son in law! He needs patching, & don't have time to get it, but I do. He is a one track minded person. He wants only what I described in my original post.
Thanks,
Larry

Well he might be S.O.L.
Kinda reminds me of a person, who as a child never liked Onions or Mushrooms,, but as a teenager order them as extra's on a Pizza!
Help him grow-up,, and expand his likes.

I moved to Denim decades ago when I found that all the local stores pillow ticking offerings lacked what I needed for proper patch.
Denim is for the most part still %100 cotton and has many different thickness's available

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Well he might be S.O.L.
Kinda reminds me of a person, who as a child never liked Onions or Mushrooms,, but as a teenager order them as extra's on a Pizza!
Help him grow-up,, and expand his likes.

I moved to Denim decades ago when I found that all the local stores pillow ticking offerings lacked what I needed for proper patch.
Denim is for the most part still %100 cotton and has many different thickness's available

Necchi you are hilarious!! My son in law is already grown up to about 265 pounds of truck driver. You aren't gonna tell him anything, except "Supper is ready". He is lovable, but not trainable! Thanks!
I will agree that denim and or even canvas is good stuff.
Larry

 

[Doc]

Larry, why limit yourself. Store bought Bridgers Best a very constant thickness and a very tight weave. Is available in sizes from 32 to 75cal. In .010, .015, and .020. For myself I E-mail “The Gun Works” and have it delivered to my door in a few days. Just lazy I guess.
Doc,