New Shooter Question about Pillow Ticking

[cynthialee]

"I run an iron over the material to get out the wrinkles"

Whatever for? Trying to impress BP chicks?

because there are just so many of us
:haha:

 

[Birddog6]

My advice is to buy a Little of each thickness, find a load that will work with each rifle with the same patch thickness & then buy more material. I have good accurate loads for about 14 dif rifles & all on a .016 pillow ticking.

That being said, all ticking not the same. You can go to JoAnns or Wallyworld or whatever, even use the same SKU# and the thickness will vary. Reason being dif machines, dif manufacturers made it & it is all bought in Bulk.

So find one ya like, then buy the whole bolt & you have material for the next 15 yrs. And it is not... gonna get cheaper. I think what I have I paid $ 1.98 a yard for some ? 10 years ago ? Prob. cost 3 times that now. Have enough to last me my lifetime & don't have to go hunt for it again.

Also, I should mention that you should measure the edges & in the middle of the material. I have one bolt that a 2" strip down one side of the whole bolt is .019 and the rest of the material is all .016. So check it several sports before buying it.

Keith Lisle

 

[ebiggs1]

I quite measuring it as it is so inconsistent. I just get a reasonable average of what I want and try a piece.
The best answer is your advice to try a piece and than buy the whole bolt if it worked well.

Besides you get all sorts of looks and stares by the ladies in the sewing isle as if you are nuts using a micrometer on the fabric. :shocked2:

 

[David W.]

Remember that screwing a Mic down tight is hazardous to the mic. This tight you are springing the mic an its give inaccurate readings. Try it with no cloth and you will likely see you are springing it significantly. Its why they have a "clutch".

This is absolutely 100% correct. I taught classes where I worked on the proper usage of measuring equipment. Micrometers and calipers must be handled correctly in order to give consistent readings and may be damaged if not used in the proper way. There is a reason the clutch is found on micrometers, otherwise it wouldn't be there.
I regularly calibrate my measuring devices with a gauge block to insure I have a proper reading. My advice is, don't mistreat your equipment!

Pillow ticking as purchased from a retail outlet has sizing, as we all know. The reason for the sizing (usually starch) is to reduce friction on the thread as it it travels through the loom. It allows the thread do move faster while deducing heat and at the same time, allows a tighter weave.

Natural fiber thread such as cotton are run through a starch bath, which lubricates the thread and polishes it; at the same time, it also reduces the thread diameter. Washing removes the starch, allowing the thread to return to it's original diameter, somewhat.

 

[David W.]

I forgot to add that special jaws are required for accurate measurements of cloth. That is one reason we get different readings, along with using inconsistent pressure.