Patch material other than ticking

[doverdog]

I got a new gun and needed some material for patches, in the .014-.015" range. The ticking at Wally World all ran about .018-.019" and the stuff at Jo-Anne Fabrics was a whopping .022-.024". I was cruising the aisles in Jo-Annes, looking for an alternative, and came across some stuff call Cotton Sateen, used for lining drapes. It is a very tight weave 100% cotton and has proved to be exceptional. I have been using it to launch .600" balls, pushed by 80 grs. 3F, from my rifled .62. I have picked up some of these patches and used them again, and could have used them the third time, they were in such good shape. It is a little more pricey than ticking, going for $5.99 a yard, instead of the $3.99 a yard for the ticking. The price per patch worked out to 3/4th of a cent for me, much cheaper than paying $4 per hundred commercially. If you have access to a Jo-Anne Fabrics, and need .015" patch material, give this stuff a try.

 

[buckknife]

Superflint its always good to know there is sum good patch material available at a reasonable price.I do belive you could reshoot a patch if your using catwhiz for lube.Been shooten nuthin but catwhiz lately for lube and am convinced its good stuff :bow:
Today i was pushing 100gr of 3f in a 50 cal with 18 pillow ticklen,store bought tc and sum of wally worlds.Both held up with no burn holes and shot dead center when i did my part.Tried a 12 muslin patch and it held also but was not quite as accurate.
That catwhiz of yours is something else.I never ever have to swab the bore.I can load and shoot till im blue in the face or the horn is empty.
I want to thank you for sharing that close guarded recipe.Ive worked up good hunting loads in 4 rifles now with catwhiz and dont see no need to use anything else.The stuff works good.
Thanks again,maybe i will check out the patch material sumtime.

 

[Mr Nick]

I'll have to try Jo Anns. I want to try some .022" patches. I picked up some light 10oz cotton canvas at Wall Mart. It measured .021". I washed it a couple times but it seems pretty stiff. Has anyone tried the light canvas?

 

[oldmaster]

Ok, Now it's not a secret. What is this secret recipe for catwhiz? Please share with us.

 

[oomcurt]

I'd like to know also what it is...I'll tell ya right straight what it ain't. It is not from a cat..I tried squeezin our tom cat...just came back from the emergency room..the wife ain't talkin to me...alas... :grin:

 

[buckknife]

Superflint shared it with us a couple of times in the past,maybe he will do one more time.
If not i will sell you the secret recipe for a mere 500 bucks or you could just type catwhiz in the search with Superflints name :haha:

 

[doverdog]

The not so secret recipe for Catwhiz is as follows: Equal parts of Murphy's Oil Soap, Alcohol, Witch Hazel, and Olive Oil. The generic brand of Murphy's works fine, and the cheapest olive oil you can get also works. Just keep the proportions equal, and be sure to shake the bottle before using it. The olive oil does not emulsify and blend with the other stuff, and will separate in the bottle and float on the top of the mixture. It doesn't matter if you make a 4 oz bottle or a 55 gallon drum, just keep things equal. No heating or cooking needed.

 

[buckknife]

Ive tryed modifing the original catwhiz a number of times with different soap or oil or just more alkey or witch hazel but i always come back to the original catwhiz.I was on a tallow and lard kick for awhile but low humidity and hard fouling somedays just didnt work with out swaben,i dont have that problem with catwhiz.Just load n shoot.Over and over.
Took 5 bushytails the other day with the 36 and 40gr of 3f.Longest shot was 42 paces.Using catwhiz for lube.No swaben the small bore at all.Its a good lube for hunten :thumbsup:

 

[oomcurt]

Could you please tell me the type of alcohol? I mean is it denatured, rubbing, everclear?

 

[doverdog]

I am currently using 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, the stuff you buy in the drug store to use to wipe off wounds and such. I would think a Mason jar of good WV moonshine might work, if you wanted to waste it on that. :blah:

 

[strongarm]

I have used many different type of patch material. All have been natural or cotton, because synthetic can melt inside your gun. I have used canvas, demon, drill, drapery fabric, pillow ticking, flannel, and general purpose yard cloth.
There is a question though I ask of you. When you look for a particular size how do you do it. I go into a fabric store with a micrometer or a caliper and put a slight squeeze on the frabic to measure how it will react when seating a ball. Have you ever done that to a commercial patch like Oxyoke or Remington. If you do you will find a .015 is not .015 but rather .011 or so. All material stretches to some degree and they all absorb lube at a different rate so I take that into consideration.

Lately I have been using "drill" a fancy name for pants pocket material. In the store it measures .024 but after it is washed and lubed, it measure .0135 when compressed with the micrometer. You will find drill in several different thicknesses. Mine is called Drill 40. :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I go into a fabric store with a micrometer or a caliper and put a slight squeeze on the frabic to measure how it will react when seating a ball.

My Starett micrometer has a ratchet clutch and I close it until I get three clicks. Whether I'm measuring lead, brass or cotton. As far as I know it is the only way to be consistant unless you have some other way of measuring torque. I can get it down to 0.002" when measuring 0.018", but I can also go 0.010" past the zero setting with empty jaws using similar pressure. Never "honk & squeeze" a micrometer or a vernier caliper.

 

[George F.]

A friend of mine steered me to "drill", its alot closer weave than ticking.... bring your 'mike' to the fabric store.
........George F.

 

[Frank/Pa]

I never had much luck with patching material at the fabric store. I have come to rely on Ox Yoke patching. It may cost a bit more, but it sure is the best for consistancy and accuracy.

 

[Deadeye]

I've used Oxyoke a lot and had good luck with it but if you measure it, one batch may measure quite different than another batch that is marked the same. Does anyone know how these patch makers measure their patches? I've been trying to find
some .020 patching and I've noticed if I squeeze
tightly with my dial caliper I'll get a reading
about .006 larger than I get with a 1" mike because screwing the mike down has a bigger mechanical advantage than the caliper. I'd like to know what they use, caliper or mike and how hard they mike it. Squeezing down hard is the only way to get a consistent reading but doing that will be a lesser reading than oxyoke claims.
Anybody know?

 

[Marko10thivi]

Years ago, a friend turned me on to pure Irish linnen for patching. it is thin, and very strong. a yard of it will cost about $16.00, but it will last last you a lifetime. If you are looking for that one extra refinement for gilt edge accuracy give it a try. lubed by soaking in melted SPG, it tightened my groups up 1/2" at 50yds in my T/C .50 Hawken. I get 2" off the bench. Hornady RB, 70gr Goex 3fg.

 

[Deadeye]

Although almost everyone tells us how thick a patch they use, the fact that no one even tried to answer my question about measuring material, leads me to believe that no one knows how to measure a patch and that includes the factories that make them. By trial and error you can find out what works for you but how thick it is, you don't know because there's no standard for measuring it.

 

[Claude Mathis]

By trial and error you can find out what works for you but how thick it is, you don't know because there's no standard for measuring it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "standard", but most patches are sold with a given "thousands of and inch" measurement.

I measure the material with a micrometer before purchasing.

 

[dlemaster]

Deadeye
This it what works for me.
My micrometer has a small knob on the end of the knurled adjustment. This small knob has a click feature built into it. When I measure material or anything else for that matter using small knob I turn it till I get 3 clicks, this garantees that I'm using the exact same amount of pressure on what ever I am measuring, thus I get consistent readings.
I think you were asking how to get consistent measurements. Keep in mind everyone using mikes and caliper have different techniques so you may get different readings than someone else. Try and use the same tool every time you measure your material and develope a technique that allows you to use the same amount pressure. My Father who was a tool and die maker for 45 years taught me how to use micrometers and calipers, he said one of the SKILLS of a good machinest was to have a good technique to get consistent measurements. This was before micrometers were made with the feature that easily allowed consistent pressure with the tool.
See Stumpy's post on how he uses his micrometer.
I hope this helps.

Regards, Dave

 

[Deadeye]

I understand what you and Stumpy and Claude are saying. I'm used to using Mikes and calipers as I've been a gunsmith for 40 yrs. What I was trying to say was that since there is no standard,
no one uses the same method of measuring so you can't believe what's on the package and when you go to the fabric store you only know what your method and tool says( a mike and a caliper will read different )so when someone says I use .015 patch he may actually use using .012 or .018 depending on how or who measured it. Didn't mean to confuse anyone. Thought perhaps somewhere in the fabric industry someone had developed a standard way of measuring fabric. Apparently not.