Patch fabric

[Black Powder Guy]

I can't remember the fabric name at Joann's Fabric we use for patches. HELP.....

 

[GriscomRun]

Drill Cloth

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I can't remember the fabric name at Joann's Fabric we use for patches. HELP.....

Blue or red striped pillow ticking. 100% cotton.
Larry

 

[Black Powder Guy]

I got it. A past post from here,#40 pocket drill cloth.

 

[Erwan]

I can't remember the fabric name at Joann's Fabric we use for patches. HELP.....

You don't need a special mark of patches fabric for that: go to your favorite fabric store with your micrometer and choose the good cotton you need. Generally in the USA, the pillow tissue is the most used...

 

[Grenadier1758]

Today, I went to my local Joann's and promptly went to the utility cloth aisle. I had to violate one rule and asked the lady at the cutting table where the utility cloth was. Without batting an eye she gave exact directions and soon I was at the right aisle and I verified they had a bolt of my favorite, #40 drill cloth. What got my attention was the five bolts of pillow ticking. A blue woven striped bolt made in India and two blue striped and two red striped bolts made in China. The pillow ticking made in India was much ticker the the ticking from China. There was no difference in thickness between the Chinese tickings. The India ticking had far more sizing. The drill felt about as thick as the ticking from India but had less sizing. The drill cloth was from India.

So, when you go to JoAnn's for fabric, pay close attention to the country of origin and be sure to wash out the sizing.

 

[mortarman]

I've never had any luck finding drill cloth at my local Joann's.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I got out my micrometer and my digital calipers to measure the pillow ticking from India that I bought recently at JoAnn's Fabrics. Both the micrometer and the calipers registered a thickness of 0.015" thick with the sizing and 0.011" compressed. My JoAnn's Fabrics Drill cloth (also from India) after washing will measure 0.018" and about 0.012" modestly compressed. The ticking is in the washing machine and I will measure it again after I get it dried.

@mortarman, you will have to find the rack with the utility cloth. There will be the tickings, pillow and mattress and some other cloth. Nearby will be the muslins and Osnaburg lining fabrics. You may also want to look at the 100% cotton duck cloth. These will be in different colors that make finding the shot patches easier. Different stores will stock the fabric on shelves according to some reasoning known only to them. You just may have to bite the bullet and ask for help. I have had luck doing a search of the website for the local store and searching for utility cloth. I hope you can have some better luck on your next search.

 

[James Dietz]

I prefer the red pillow ticking! It shoots straighter than blue!

 

[garypl]

I normally use red or blue stripe pillow ticking or #40 cotton drill for patches. Today I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics and they had blue striped mattress ticking that felt thinner and softer than the pilllow ticking. I bought a couple of yards of the mattress ticking and put a small piece under the faucet and the water rolled right off of it, so it does have sizing that I will need to remove by washing. Will measure thickness when I have a minute to see how the mattress ticking compares to pillow ticking. Both were made in China.

 

[exPAtriate]

Isn't India the largest grower of cotton?

My rifled Renegades like Wally world blue ticking, the 56 SB gets patches cut from old jeans.

 

[Pete G]

Don’t overlook the Wal Mart sewing center. Not all stores have one, however.

 

[Acorn Mush]

Do a search at the Jo-Ann website for “unbleached drill fabric”. Item number is 683532.
I ordered some last year and received it by mail. Now the site says “not available for shipping”. Haven’t the faintest idea why.

 

[William O.]

I can't remember the fabric name at Joann's Fabric we use for patches. HELP.....

Here at the local Joann's it's called mattress ticking. Tight weave and 100% cotton. Just have to wash the sizing (starch) out of it before using as patching.

 

[ETipp]

Isn't India the largest grower of cotton?

My rifled Renegades like Wally world blue ticking, the 56 SB gets patches cut from old jeans.

I just went through this two weeks ago.

Someone gave me some red ticking. I was thankful for it. After I ran out of some other ticking of the same thickness, I tried the free stuff. My accuracy was all over the place. After recovering some fired patches, they were blown apart fairly bad.

Thankfully, I had just received a bunch of ticking from October Country of the same thickness. Using the same lube, my accuracy went back to very good.

I found out that the free ticking came from WalMart. I threw it away.

The difference between the two materials of the same thickness. This was with only 20 grains of 3F Swiss.

 

[Tenring]

So I guess what your saying is the Walmart ticking is trash and it figures, I’ll get it from Joann’s.

 

[GriscomRun]

Acorn - I had the same experience. Even called them about it. They seem kinda flaky on things and could not give a reasonable answer to the shipping question. Since they will ship other things, why not fabric ? But do be aware of trying to return a fabric item. Likely won't take it.

Also regarding pillow ticking - thickness and tightness of the weave - look for the country of mfg. Get the item made in India if you can.
The Chinese fabric is not as thick or as tight. Just sayin.

When I was looking for Drill cloth back in the spring. I had a terrible time with 3 stores in my county. Websites would say " in stock " but that was not the case. So I expanded my search of stores and found one a lot farther out in the next county. Only being mildly dumb, I called them first to be sure. I even asked the lady for a stock check. She was great, and did - and they did have the Drill cloth in stock. So I drove the hour over there and got 4 yards of it.
Also picked up some Red pillow ticking for the T/C.

Bottom line -- watch where the fabric is made . . . . and take a Micrometer with you to measure the thickness. Calipers will give a false reading.

 

[Robin101]

I always take my micrometer with me, the gals at Walmart and Joanns get a kick out of it and some even know what your measuring for.
Robin

 

[Grenadier1758]

I normally use red or blue stripe pillow ticking or #40 cotton drill for patches. Today I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics and they had blue striped mattress ticking that felt thinner and softer than the pilllow ticking. I bought a couple of yards of the mattress ticking and put a small piece under the faucet and the water rolled right off of it, so it does have sizing that I will need to remove by washing. Will measure thickness when I have a minute to see how the mattress ticking compares to pillow ticking. Both were made in China.

I brought my micrometer to JoAnn's to compare the pillow ticking made in India to the "mattress" ticking made in China. A slip measure between the anvils of the micrometer measured 0.016" for the pillow ticking from India and modestly compressed was 0.011". There is a lot of sizing in the India sourced pillow ticking. The material sourced from China has a slip measure of about 0.015" (both the blue striped and the red striped) and compresses to 0.008". The material is soft, indicating that there is not a lot of sizing. The degree of compression does indicate a loose weave as my washed drill cloth measures 0.018" and compresses to about 0.013". I am not recommending the mattress ticking sourced from China as I feel the weave is too loose to really perform as a gas seal around the ball.

Historically, mattress ticking was a heavier fabric than pillow ticking and that Chinese fabric is not mattress ticking to me.

I did find their rack of cotton duck canvas of 100% cotton. It measured 0.021 and compressed to 0.016. The bolt I checked out was high visibility orange and once I get it washed and find time to go to the range, I'll compare it to my drill and the recently purchased pillow ticking.

 

[Acorn Mush]

Bottom line -- watch where the fabric is made . . . . and take a Micrometer with you to measure the thickness. Calipers will give a false reading.

I agree about careful selection regarding country of origin, and do take my micrometer with me as well.

A Jo-Ann store about 15 miles away from me supposedly has 20 or so yards in stock. As soon as I am able I will be visiting them and making a substantial (for me) purchase.