Pillow Ticking

[CascadeRob]

I’m one of those that learned the hard way about ticking. There are no places to purchase it here other than perhaps WalMart. So, ordering is the only way.

What I have learned is that ticking can be of the same approximate thickness but can have an actual difference in weaving. I had some that was blowing apart. Purchased some new ticking from October Country and problem solved. Same thickness. Age may be a factor as well.

The last batch of ticking I received was very stiff, so washing was in order. That made the material more playable and easier to deal with. I always prelube all of my patches with TOTW Mink Oil, both sides. Nothing broken, nothing to fix.

That is one thing that is a shame these days. I tend to get upset about online conglomerates, and keep it local but I too have found, for just about anything these days 9/10 times online is your best bet.

 

[Bark-eater]

Ive heard of people taking a mic to the store.
I find tic works, blue tan or red
You just have to try it and see
Wash a few times before use in hot water
By the by
Lay your strips north south during waxing moons, east west during waining moons.
Unless your south of the equator

I haven't gone down this rabbit hole yet...

But have noticed differences in "feel" between ticking that comes from China compared to India produced cloth.

 

[flconch53]

Not all the same. Take calipers to the store and measure the thickness.

When you do measure, but sure to clamp down on the fabric with some force to get an accurate measurement of the thickness.

Thoroughly wash your fabric in hot water to remove the stiffening agent from the fabric. Dry on the hot setting.

Mics aren't C clamps
Learn to use a rotating handle mics properly. It doesn't matter what it squeezes down
With mics with a friction thimble you just are looking for consistency. What I see people suggesting with mics on line would get you fired in most machine shops

 

[Grenadier1758]

If its Cotton DONT "thoroughly wash in hot water" otherwise it will shrink and fray around the edges.
In fact theres little to no reason why you should wash pure cotton thats intended for use as patching material.

Actually, you do want to wash it in hot water and dry it as the shrinking tightens up the weave to make for a stronger patch and removal of the sizing allows the lubricant to be better absorbed throughout the fabric. Wash the whole sheet of fabric to minimize the fraying at the cut edges. You could of course hem or simply stitch the cut edge to minimize fraying, but the width of the hem is just about the amount of material that will be lost due to fraying. Review the tips that @Coinneach posted above with his thread of patch material.

There are more benefits to be gained from washing the patch material than not.

 

[Bark-eater]

Mics aren't C clamps
Learn to use a rotating handle mics properly. It doesn't matter what it squeezes down
With mics with a friction thimble you just are looking for consistency. What I see people suggesting with mics on line would get you fired in most machine shops

Traditionally, once one has thrown down the "your doing it wrong" gauntlet, the honorable explain how to "do it right"......

 

[Grenadier1758]

Mics aren't C clamps
Learn to use a rotating handle mics properly. It doesn't matter what it squeezes down
With mics with a friction thimble you just are looking for consistency. What I see people suggesting with mics on line would get you fired in most machine shops

I learned that lesson from my Dad, a tool maker. I wasn't fired, but if I wanted to use his tools I needed to heed the lessons.

Now Dutch Schoultz (of the procedure "Black Powder Accuracy) and I would debate about compressing fabric. He would always assert that I was measuring cloth as if it were a sheet of steel. I contended that you needed to know the uncompressed thickness and you got enough compression tension from the click of the micrometer to tell what you needed to know about compression of the fabric. Besides, the sizing in the fabric will give you a misleading result in the fabric store. Then, if the lead ball is sized right, the fabric and lead ball need to fit into that 0.005" of windage between the lead ball and top of the lands. Some of that is compression of the fabric and some of that is the shaping of the ball as it is swaged into the lands and grooves. Now I did find a micrometer that had been lost behind my Dad's tool bench for maybe 20 years and I don't mind so much abusing that one but the numbers are hard to read. I look for a patch fabric that under modest compression is slightly thicker than the sum of the depth of the groove and 0.005".

 

[flconch53]

Traditionally, once one has thrown down the "your doing it wrong" gauntlet, the honorable explain how to "do it right"......

Micrometers with a friction thimble are like a torque wrench( but don't use them for one). When you turn them down they slip with a certain amount of resistance. The marks on the thimble are thousands of an inch
You can buy a set suitable to most of the patch buying situations at Harbor freight for not much more than calipers. I hope this helps

 

[waksupi]

If its Cotton DONT "thoroughly wash in hot water" otherwise it will shrink and fray around the edges.
In fact theres little to no reason why you should wash pure cotton thats intended for use as patching material.

In the states, the material we get here has had starch added during the manufacturing process that needs washed out. Unwashed, aside from the stiffness, the patching doesn't want to readily take lube.

As far as frayed edges go, I rip strips, then cut the patches in squares of the right size.

So, I'm not "a-frayed"!

 

[Bark-eater]

Micrometers with a friction thimble are like a torque wrench( but don't use them for one). When you turn them down they slip with a certain amount of resistance. The marks on the thimble are thousands of an inch
You can buy a set suitable to most of the patch buying situations at Harbor freight for not much more than calipers. I hope this helps

If I had to ghetto rig something to get comparative numbers, I would burrow around in my junk pile and find 2 machined blocks and a way placing a fabric sample between them and rig a way to consistently compress them with the same force. For comparisons, precision measurement's can be made from the outside of the blocks. I actually have a bit of scrap yard junk that is 2 plates connected with linear bearings, that might work, if this was a "pressing" question. Of course there's probably a reason this gadget got scrapped.

 

[flconch53]

In the states, the material we get here has had starch added during the manufacturing process that needs washed out. Unwashed, aside from the stiffness, the patching doesn't want to readily take lube.

As far as frayed edges go, I rip strips, then cut the patches in squares of the right size.

So, I'm not "a-frayed"!

Yeah and that sizing doesn't taste very good if you spit patch.

 

[nhmoose]

Pinking shears get rid of fraying, just saying. WTF worried about fraying what mountain man would give a fornication.

 

[Coinneach]

I reckon visiting a few fabric stores wouldn’t a bad idea either lol. It’s a good thing my wife’s grandmother is a quilting machine she may be my new fabric contact

Actually, you do want to wash it in hot water and dry it as the shrinking tightens up the weave to make for a stronger patch and removal of the sizing allows the lubricant to be better absorbed throughout the fabric. Wash the whole sheet of fabric to minimize the fraying at the cut edges. You could of course hem or simply stitch the cut edge to minimize fraying, but the width of the hem is just about the amount of material that will be lost due to fraying. Review the tips that @Coinneach posted above with his thread of patch material.

There are more benefits to be gained from washing the patch material than not.

All I can say in reply is that I've used the unwashed material for pre-cut lubed patches with nary a problem, it absorbed the lube and seemed to hold a close enough weave when I recovered fired patches to check them. Understandably different manufacturers of the material may have different weaves and lack the "sizing" treatment.

Note the "Cold machine wash separately before use" on the marker that was attached to the roll I bought.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Coinneach, if you find your process to prepare your ticking for use is acceptable for your requirements, then continue. You are correct that the material will have a pretty tight weave as it comes off the bolt.

 

[Coinneach]

Th

@Coinneach, if you find your process to prepare your ticking for use is acceptable for your requirements, then continue. You are correct that the material will have a pretty tight weave as it comes off the bolt.

Thank you for contributing to our civilised discussion, I always make a point of reading and enjoying your posts sir.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Coinneach, glad to keep the discussion civil. A conversation practice more of us should follow.

I enjoy your posts too.

 

[Coinneach]

In the states, the material we get here has had starch added during the manufacturing process that needs washed out. Unwashed, aside from the stiffness, the patching doesn't want to readily take lube.

As far as frayed edges go, I rip strips, then cut the patches in squares of the right size.

So, I'm not "a-frayed"!

I prefer to cut strips and then square patches to pre-lube too, then have around 6 pierced in the centre with my vent pick hanging from my shooting bag strap; easy to get to and practical IME.
I dont like fiddling around with small containers trying to single out a lubed patch.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I was just thinking of my cotton socks with holes in them , got a good few

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Go to thrift stores. Many vintage pillows have covers made from pillow ticking. Many single size mattresses are covered with the blue striped pillow ticking, although you would end up with more ticking than you could use in 27 lifetimes. It could be sewn into cloth bags, clothes, etc.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Lee44ShooterCnB]

https://www.amazon.com/Roc-Lon-Cott...00%+cotton+ticking&qid=1736259975&sr=8-2&th=1

 

[Coinneach]

I was just thinking of my cotton socks with holes in them , got a good few

I wear socks until they're falling off my feet, made a good decision to buy up many new wooden Army socks shortly before retirement in 2007, they outlast anything else I've worn.