Patches

[Urban Coyote]

A search of this forum identifies quite a few sources people go to for the patch. There are different methods of how the patch is loaded, lube, patch cut and so on.

I get my patch material from a fabric store. Usually ticking, always a tight weave pure cotton material. I do this for a couple reasons, I'm too cheap to buy 100 packs of factory patches and usually there is consistency in the material. Some folks head to thrift stores micrometer in hand but I'd suspect there's more variability in the material than that from a fabric store.

Materials people claim to use;

* Commercial precut patches
* Cotton ticking
* Old tee shirts or underwear
* Whatever scrap can be found in the little woman's sewing stash
* Old denim jeans or jean pocket material
* Canvas
* Linen
* Irish linen, the stuff Fadala promoted that I've never been able to find.
* Split buckskin, I knew a gun builder who actually used the stuff
* And whatever can be scraped up.

Lubes are another crap shoot;

* Various commercial lube, T/C Bore Butter as an example.
* Various homemade concoctions
* Animal fats
* Factory lubricated patches
* Plant based oils
* Mineral oils
* Good old spit
* Whatever else folks come up with

I had a patch material purchased from a Ben Franklin Store back in the 1980s, best stuff I ever found, according to my memory. I now wish I'd have bought a bolt, that Ben Franklin Store is now gone. I recently jumped on line and found some vintage fabric that appeared to be what I'd bought from Ben Franklin and paid a premium for it, very close but no cigar. It occurred to me after I run out I'd have to rely on locating more of the vintage and that would be a hit or miss proposition so I'm back on the fabric store bandwagon.

How do you patch?

 

[necchi]

I was once lost like that.
Then I found the secret papers by Brother Dutch
Understanding and salvation can be yours too. Follow the path,,

Me? Denim, around .020-.022, with 1-6 or 1-7. But then do the other stuff that makes the load accurate beyond patch and lube too.

 

[FishDFly]

A search of this forum identifies quite a few sources people go to for the patch. There are different methods of how the patch is loaded, lube, patch cut and so on.

I get my patch material from a fabric store. Usually ticking, always a tight weave pure cotton material. I do this for a couple reasons, I'm too cheap to buy 100 packs of factory patches and usually there is consistency in the material. Some folks head to thrift stores micrometer in hand but I'd suspect there's more variability in the material than that from a fabric store.

Materials people claim to use;

* Commercial precut patches
* Cotton ticking
* Old tee shirts or underwear
* Whatever scrap can be found in the little woman's sewing stash
* Old denim jeans or jean pocket material
* Canvas
* Linen
* Irish linen, the stuff Fadala promoted that I've never been able to find.
* Split buckskin, I knew a gun builder who actually used the stuff
* And whatever can be scraped up.

Lubes are another crap shoot;

* Various commercial lube, T/C Bore Butter as an example.
* Various homemade concoctions
* Animal fats
* Factory lubricated patches
* Plant based oils
* Mineral oils
* Good old spit
* Whatever else folks come up with

I had a patch material purchased from a Ben Franklin Store back in the 1980s, best stuff I ever found, according to my memory. I now wish I'd have bought a bolt, that Ben Franklin Store is now gone. I recently jumped on line and found some vintage fabric that appeared to be what I'd bought from Ben Franklin and paid a premium for it, very close but no cigar. It occurred to me after I run out I'd have to rely on locating more of the vintage and that would be a hit or miss proposition so I'm back on the fabric store bandwagon.

How do you patch?

Teflon coated patch material, not traditional, but neither is Ballistol.

Another is 50/50 of WD-40 and Mobil One, good ole traditional stuff, no cleaning between shots.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Pillow ticking seems to be the #1 most popular patch material. As for the lube, that can be a life long quest. Search this forum for many ideas. Currently I am using beeswax/whale oil. But beeswax and other oils may work just fine for you.

 

[longcruise]

I started making a mental list of all the patch materials and lubes that I have used. My memory card burned up part way through. Shoulda wrote it down! It's the inevitable turd hunt that new shooters must endure. I know i did it.

In retrospect, all the lubes worked as long as they were applied consistently. Most of the patching worked too if the thickness was right.

Problems were most often due to bore and crown condition.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

We found pillow ticking at JoAnns, washed it have sued it ever since. A patch punch can be found just about any where. I got mine at Buffalo Arms.

"Silk, gets me 10 more yards" The Last of the Mohicans.

 

[mtfishn]

I recently started load development for a new rice .54 cal round ball barrel. Started with my tried and true .020 denim and spit shot OK at 25 then 50 using 55grFFF....adjusted my fixed sights to hit on at 100 with 90 grains. had trouble getting groups (under 8") at 100yds with heavier charges (80-90gr) using spit ...also trouble with commercial lubes. Tried some balistol/H20 1/6 after reading a few posts here. Group went to 3" at 100yds first try with balistol and 90 gr....then later in the day, another attempt trying 80 grains produced a similar sized group. Have had great success target shooting with spit lube in my .45, but would not work for me in the .54 with heavier loads.

 

[ArbiterThel68]

Pillow ticking seems to be the #1 most popular patch material. As for the lube, that can be a life long quest. Search this forum for many ideas. Currently I am using beeswax/whale oil. But beeswax and other oils may work just fine for you.

Just rub a bar of beeswax on the patch?

 

[Grenadier1758]

@ArbiterThel68, you will get better lubrication using oil for lubrication and the wax to add some thickening to the mixture.