Patches-pillow ticking ...

[OBX-TXN]

Ok ... I got a yard each of two slightly different thicknesses of pillow ticking. What is the consensus ... wash the finishing starch out or leave it in ... ?And cut into patches ... or cut at the barrel ... ?

 

[necchi]

Both questions are consistently debated.
Wash and dry hot to remove sizing.
"tear" into strips and cut at the muzzle.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Wash it. I always use well washed flannel sheets for cleaning but once laundered pillow tick for patching.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The first question is easily answered. Wash the sizing out and dry in a hot dryer. The material will slightly shrink, making the patches slightly thicker to prevent blow by of the charge when the gun is fired.

You are going to have to try both precutting patches or using a strip of patching to cut at the muzzle. This is a case of determining what works best for you. For me, its the sharp knife and cutting at the muzzle. I get consistent application of patch lubrication and a uniform fit of the patch and ball.

 

[hanshi]

I precut all my patches. Pillow ticking is somewhere around .015"-.016" and if it works for you then use it. Mattress ticking is thicker and is what I use. It runs about .020" to maybe .022".

 

[coloradoclyde]

Wash it and cut into patches by whatever means tickles your fancy...

 

[nhmoose]

Wash it then cut

 

[Stumpkiller]

Or tear. I find tearing makes no "bits" of thread that are a mess.

 

[mooman76]

Wash but I prefer to precut my patches to sizes I need and since I have an array of calibers, I need pretty much all sizes.

 

[tenngun]

No difference in precutting or cutting at muzzle. Both are hc and both have drawbacks as far as convienvence is concerned. Nor is there a difference between round and square,
Wash a couple of times then shoot what you find best.

 

[necchi]

Or tear. I find tearing makes no "bits" of thread that are a mess.

Amen.
That's why I "tear" the fabric,, at least for the long strip. A little nip with a knife or scissors to start then tear off a wide strip.
(as wide as ya need)
Cutting it all into squares as layed from the bolt leaves all the warp and weft threads at odd angles and it's messy.
Tear a strip along the warp and all that's left is a strand or two on each side to pull,, nice clean strip.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I tear into strips and cut into squares...we don't need no stinking round patches! :wink: :haha: :shocked2:

 

[Kansas Jake]

Me too. Or cut at the muzzle. I do both depending on my whim at the time.

 

[OBX-TXN]

Well alrighty then ... washed it is ... then tear (or cut) into strips ... then try cut at the barrel or ... precut according to what suits my fancy ... or whimsy even ...

 

[hanshi]

You learn something every day. I had no idea the stuff would tear that cleanly. Guess I'll try it.

 

[azmntman]

:idunno: When I have tried tearing it unravels at edges super bad. I sneak wifes "do not touch" scissors and cut a clean edge. Till I get caught :nono:

 

[cynthialee]

:idunno: When I have tried tearing it unravels at edges super bad. I sneak wifes "do not touch" scissors and cut a clean edge. Till I get caught :nono:

:slap: Leave her good shears alone!
https://www.google.com/search?q=cl...nKvWAhUOwWMKHc2LB5oQ_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=585

 

[Don Steele]

Azmntman,
Next time she asks you want you want for a Christmas/birthday present...remeber "Good Scissors". :thumbsup:
That's how I resolved that issue, and got a really nice LEFT-hand scissors for Christmas. :grin:

 

[OBX-TXN]

Just wondering ... me favorite daughter in law (I only got one me two youngest boys being darn slackerds ... I only had children cause I wanted grandchildren) suggested pinking shears if I didn't want threads unraveling and she's uncanny right about things usually ... (meaning she's been right and I've been wrong ... twice.)

 

[Billnpatti]

I wash my fabric and then rip it into strips that I then cut into patches or sometimes cut at the muzzle.

Before washing your fabric, use a sewing machine to sew around the cut edges to prevent raveling. If you don't do this, the fabric will ravel in the washing machine and get all tangled up. If you don't have a sewing machine or don't want to bother with sewing around the cut edges, you can put the fabric into a mesh bag or an old pair of panty hose when you wash it. Of course, you can always just wash it by hand. After washing the fabric, it will be pretty wrinkled so I run an iron over it to smooth it out. Is it necessary? I don't know :idunno: .....maybe I'm just anal but it what I do.