Patching Material for Patched Round Balls

[Enfield1]

I was with my wife in the Hobby/Fabric store. I saw what looked like .15 bed ticking. They had entire bolts of it in stock. I got the lady to cut me a yard of it, only $6.99 for a square yard. I cut out some patches and lubed them while watching tv. I tried them with .490 round balls in my Lyman GPR. They work great. I’m never ordering patches again. I‘ve been shooting that rifle for 17 years and just now catching on to this. Sure, it’s a little more work, but things cost money and I’m trying to be as self reliant as possible.

 

[Flintlock]

Good going, I refuse to buy patches when they are so easy to make. I can buy a couple yards and don't have to worry about ordering more or if the local store still carries them. Same with lube and everything else.

 

[Captndan]

If you are shooting a 50 cal. Outers cleaning patch works perfectly. No scratching like other material. Holds lube well.

 

[GANGGREEN]

They claim that you should wash cotton ticking to take the sizing out before shooting. Not sure how much difference it makes, but I presume they're softer and more pliable after washing.

 

[EC121]

The dryer also tightens up the weave.
I bought a rolling cutter, and my wife already had the self-healing board for the cutter. She wouldn't let me use her cutter.

 

[ord sgt]

I was with my wife in the Hobby/Fabric store. I saw what looked like .15 bed ticking. They had entire bolts of it in stock. I got the lady to cut me a yard of it, only $6.99 for a square yard. I cut out some patches and lubed them while watching tv. I tried them with .490 round balls in my Lyman GPR. They work great. I’m never ordering patches again. I‘ve been shooting that rifle for 17 years and just now catching on to this. Sure, it’s a little more work, but things cost money and I’m trying to be as self reliant as possible.

As long as the material is 100 percent cotton you are good. If it has polyester in it, no so much. Do a burn test before shooting. Poly will melt.

 

[Grimord]

get my patch material from JoAnne's Fabric Store. I wash and dry it first then fold several layers (5-6) of fabric slightly wider than the patch I want and use a sharpened hole saw in my drill press to cut the patches. In an hour I can make patches for all my BP guns to last me a year or more of shooting.

 

[Flintlock]

I cut my patches square, can't tell the difference between them. I've been finding pillow ticking at Walmart for half the price.

 

[L W Smith]

I was with my wife in the Hobby/Fabric store. I saw what looked like .15 bed ticking. They had entire bolts of it in stock. I got the lady to cut me a yard of it, only $6.99 for a square yard. I cut out some patches and lubed them while watching tv. I tried them with .490 round balls in my Lyman GPR. They work great. I’m never ordering patches again. I‘ve been shooting that rifle for 17 years and just now catching on to this. Sure, it’s a little more work, but things cost money and I’m trying to be as self reliant as possible.

You are right things are getting very costly and it’s a lot more fun and can even be done better doing things yourself if you’re a little bit handy...and by far more self satisfaction and appreciate .I cast my own RB and bullets and make my own bullet starters and a lot of other tack or hardware...just a lot of fun ...

 

[Grenadier1758]

They claim that you should wash cotton ticking to take the sizing out before shooting. Not sure how much difference it makes, but I presume they're softer and more pliable after washing.

Its perhaps stronger than a claim. The patching right off the bolt has a starch like sizing to improve the feel on the bolt. It also makes the fabric more difficult to compress. Washing the new fabric removes the sizing, drying in a dryer tightens the weave and the patching will absorb lubricant better and being tighter in the weave will fill the grooves better. The washing and drying makes a great improvement.

 

[McClura]

I have been buying denim, .018 thickness. I buy several yards at a time when I find it. The ladies in the Fabric store at first thought I was crazy for carrying in a dial caliper and 1" Micrometer but they got used to it and was actually fascinated by the fact I was getting this for primitive shooting. I used to get some of the stripped looking mattress material but that all but dried up or it went to polyester/cotton mix. If hunting I will lube a strip of this and put in small shooting bag and load a few in a loading block. For shooting matches I would just lay out a strip about 2' long and lube with my Moose Milk real good. It would load easy and clean each time I would load.
I made a small Green River Patch Knife and made it razor sharp. I would set in the floor with the material and cut approximately 1.5 to 2" strips from a yard or so. I would then roll them up and put rubber band around each 5 rolls and drop the in my shooting bag or range box. Never washed or dried them.
I have been doing this for 46 years. **** a note- This is for my .54 and .62 caliber flintlocks that are rifled. I buy .012-.015 for my .50 cal flintlock.
On my smooth bore and round ball I use about a .010 silk.

 

[Rifleman1776]

That is a very popular patch/ball combo. Do wash before using. I pre-lube mine, tear in strips to use and cut at muzzle. Works for me.

 

[Crane Senior]

I was with my wife in the Hobby/Fabric store. I saw what looked like .15 bed ticking. They had entire bolts of it in stock. I got the lady to cut me a yard of it, only $6.99 for a square yard. I cut out some patches and lubed them while watching tv. I tried them with .490 round balls in my Lyman GPR. They work great. I’m never ordering patches again. I‘ve been shooting that rifle for 17 years and just now catching on to this. Sure, it’s a little more work, but things cost money and I’m trying to be as self reliant as possible.

This is a great way to go for patches. First wash the “cotton” material and then put in the dryer. I cut into strips so I I can lube with either mink oil or a wet lube and store in containers that have either held herbs or pills for use a couple of days before I shoot. This ensures that the lubricant of your choice is evenly distributed though out the patch. Saves money and lets you pre-cut, cut at the barrel or prepare your loading block.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I was with my wife in the Hobby/Fabric store. I saw what looked like .15 bed ticking. They had entire bolts of it in stock. I got the lady to cut me a yard of it, only $6.99 for a square yard. I cut out some patches and lubed them while watching tv. I tried them with .490 round balls in my Lyman GPR. They work great. I’m never ordering patches again. I‘ve been shooting that rifle for 17 years and just now catching on to this. Sure, it’s a little more work, but things cost money and I’m trying to be as self reliant as possible.

The stuff at the store has sizing in it. Wash the material about three times in your washer for best shooting results. Also, be aware there are different thicknesses of pillow ticking. I use a .17 for some rifles and a .22 for others.

 

[BadDaditood]

On woods walks I use saliva for lube... that sizing tastes terrible.
But not as bad as the mattress ticking a club member got from his brother who worked for the New York State Prison system.
They still laugh when they say “cut around the yellow stains”

 

[SAJones]

Have always used pillow ticking: wash twice, cut strips as needed. Also buy white flannel for cleaning patches; again, wash twice. Bought some once that said 100% cotton, but testing (burning) showed some synthetics. Never had a problem w/ JoAnn's 100% cotton.

 

[hanshi]

Buying the material and cutting your own is cheaper and makes it easier to control quality. I get material wherever I can find what I like to use. Wash it - I iron it so it's not a wad of wrinkles - and that's it.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’ve ordered patch material from BurlapFabric and BigDuckCanvas in the past. Last order I got 2 yards x 60” wide each of ticking and 10 oz canvas from BurlapFabric for less than $20 plus shipping (other items were ordered so not sure of exact shipping). The ticking is .015” thick, .012” compressed, and the canvas is .022”, .0165” compressed, at least the way I measure it.

As others recommended, wash a time or two in hot water and DO NOT use fabric softener.

 

[Cody2306]

Hi Cody new here. How do you find the pillow tickin thickness ? Or is it all kinda the same?

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Go to the store with your dial caliper or micrometer. The ladies will love watching you mike each bolt. Make sure you are getting 100% cotton, no synthetics. Yesterday I went to Walmart and bought two yards from each of two different bolts of pillow ticking; .015 and .018, compressed.

ADK Bigfoot