pillow ticking

[como]

Can anyone tell me how many times to wash this ticking and if the water should be hot? Also should I pre cut the patches before I wash. How to cut them out and with what? Can I cut them in squares or should it be round?

 

[bdarin]

One washing should be enough, 2 if it makes you feel better. Hot or cold wash, doesn't matter. So what if it shrinks a little? Cut the patches after you've washed the stuff....easier that way. Round patches, IMO, are better, wrap more evenly around the ball, but square patches are easier to cut with scissors and work just as well. You can get a round patch cutter, Dixie Gun Works sells them. 1-1/8" dia. patch for .50 cal. :imo: :results:

This reminds me of a story: went to JoAnn Fabrics to get some pillow ticking. The girl there obviously didn't know what I was talking about as she sent me back to where all the pillow stuffing material was. Bags of feathers and foam rubber. Brilliant. So I found my own denim and bought a half yard of that. She had no trouble knowing what denim was but pillow ticking must've thrown her. I'm surprised she didn't send me to the alarm clock section. Kids.....ya gotta love 'em. :shake: :youcrazy: :thumbsup:

 

[Rebel]

Wash before cutting as the edges get pretty frayed after washing. As for cutting, the easiest way is to go to JoAnns fabrics, or some other place that sells fabric, like WalMart, and buy a Rotary fabric cutter, and the cutting mat that goes with it. The mat is marked in inches. You can cut 4-5 layers at a time. Just lay your ticking out on the mat, use a good straight edge,(they sell those at the store too that are clear and marked in inches) and cut long strips. Then you can either use it like that, after lubing it, and cut at the muzzle, or just cut it into squares.

 

[Stumpkiller]

At least once, no more than twice. Warm water (hot won't hurt it, it's pre-shrunk) and then hang dry. Do not put it in the drier. It will unravel more and be overly "poofy."

Don't pre-cut unless you hand wash. You'll unravel the cut edges and small patches will disappear into loose thread, and if it is in long strips you'll never get the now-ropy & twisted mess untangled from the rotator in the machine.

I scissor cut mine into 1-3/8" strips and either 36" or 72" long depending on my mood after a single wash & air dry. I find the strips easier to carry, and either lube & load up in ball blocks or cut at the muzzle. Much less waste if you cut only what's around the ball when it's set flush. I cut off 2-1/2" sections to wipe between shots, so I don't need to carry but a couple strips in my bag. Sometimes I get fancy and thread a couple dozen pre-cut cleaning patches on a string (like a little book) so I can keep track of them easier. I've seen orignal bags with patch or cleaning tic strung this way.

If you cut to size, you either need a punch or a lot of time and patience with scissors. I'm guessing a pre-cut finished size patch should be no less than 3X the ball's diameter and no more than 4X. That's why cutting at the muzzle or on a ball block is nice. Every patch is perfectly centered and just the right size.

Square or round does not seem to matter for accuracy.

 

[Dave Poss]

I machine wash mine twice in warm water with a warm water rinse. I do dry mine in the dryer but DO NOT USE A FABRIC SOFTNER! It will make it smell good but leaves a residue in the barrel. I cut with a knife and tear it into sripes. Scissors would be "cleaner" than tearing ...I just don't have that much patience! I then cut the stripes into a length of about 1 and half feet and roll them up go to in my bag. I have found ticking to vary from.016 to .022,so be careful when selecting.

:m2c:

 

[iainofulva]

I prewash and tumble dry my ticking, mostly 'cause I'm lazy and impatient. I don't use fabric softeners either in the wash or in the dryer. I then cut my strips with sewing shears then cut my squares. I then stack my patches in little towers about 2 or 2 1/2 inches high, place them in the very non-period film cannisters and pour my lube in. The lube helps keep the edges from fraying, as does the neatly-placed storage job.

-Jon

PS. I found red/white ticking at Wal*Mart. That gets some attention.

 

[DanWalker]

I use Wal-Mart pillow ticking, the red&white kind - it is easier to find your used patches down range as not too many folks use the red & white. After maching washing once and air drying, I cut into strips that each have 4 red stripes (no measuring etc). I then trace and cut round patches using a Goex can screw on lid as the pattern. It fits real well on my 4-stripe strip (that's a mouth-full!) and yields a round patch that works extemely well on both my .45 and .50! The tracing and cutting is a little tedious, but it gives me something mindless to do while sitting in front of the **** tube!

 

[gordy]

I use the Wal-Mart blue stripe.For quick reloading I like the ball-block!One wash seems to remove the sizeing.I have some over size ball-blocks I use at the range,hold 16 lubed patched balls.When hunting I mostly cut at the muzzle.I've tried different brands of prelubed precut patches but centering the ball is easier with the blocks or cutting at the muzzle. :thumbsup: :imo: :results:

 

[Chickenfax]

Is there a difference in thickness between the blue and the red ticking?

I'd go and see for myself but I'd rather not go into a Wal-mart unless it is of absolute necessity.

Thank you.

 

[musketman]

Is there a difference in thickness between the blue and the red ticking?

Unless the color distinguished a difference in the ticking's weight, I would say no...

The color is nothing more than decretive...

 

[bdarin]

Ditto Chicken on that WalMart thing. Can't stand going into that trash barn. :no: :nono: