Thinner Pillow Ticking?

[Pete Gaimari]

Paul...I'm going to give you a fish slap.

I only order by phone. I think I know all the muzzeloading suppliers, but maybe not, because up to this point I haven't found thinner pillow ticking than .018 online. Keyword is online. I guess I need to go to Wallyworld. ( I really hate that place)

I know I can get all size patches. I have .010, .015, and .020, but none of it is pillow ticking. I have this thing about using the striped material.

I'm into details and amused by little things. :wink:

 

[MikeChapin]

If you're not too in love with the stripes, you could try 8 oz. canvas duck or denim. This stuff runs about .015.

 

[JMinnerath]

Thanks for that one Mike.
8 ounce canvas duck is a lot more meaningful, at least to me, than something called pillow ticking.
If a guy could ever run across an old tent an awning supplier, you could probably get all the scraps you wanted for free.

 

[Birddog6]

You may also find you are measuring differently than others do. Some compress tightly with a mic, some compress til the roll on the dial slips, some squeeze the bejesus out of it, some barely touch the material & take a reading.
What you measure a .015 may be my .013, so who is measuring it makes a dif. And what you are measuring it with makes a dif as well.

But the main thing above all of it is, it don't matter what it measures, as long as it works for You.

Keith Lisle

 

[David W.]

You may also find you are measuring differently than others do. Some compress tightly with a mic, some compress til the roll on the dial slips, some squeeze the bejesus out of it, some barely touch the material & take a reading.
What you measure a .015 may be my .013, so who is measuring it makes a dif. And what you are measuring it with makes a dif as well.

But the main thing above all of it is, it don't matter what it measures, as long as it works for You.

Keith Lisle

On micrometer/caliper usage and reading: Yes, many people incorrectly use these instruments. Even as a mechanical design engineer, I had to attend classes on the proper way to use them. Measuring hard materials is one thing, measuring soft materials such as fabric is entirely different.

Find a good quality instrument (e.g. Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Mitutoyo) especially if you are going to use these in any gunsmithing projects.

Most people use too much pressure when measuring fabric. If the fabric can not slip between the jaws, too much pressure has been applied. If the fabric slips through the jaws without some resistance being felt, too little pressure has been applied. Fabric compresses (of course) and practice is helpful to get proper readings.

Measurements should be taken on different places on the cloth. The thickness will not be the same through out, from side to side or from end to end on a bolt of fabric.

The instrument must be calibrated. Most bargan basement precision devices are not worth the effort. Buy a good one with a standard included!

Measurements CAN be taken with calipers, but micrometers do a much better job.

Not trying to make it rocket science, but still, what's the use if it isn't done properly? :idunno:

Keep your tools CLEAN! :grin:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

To be honest. I'm not measuring at all. I've just bought online so far. I buy what TOW says it is.

 

[David W.]

They will be pretty close to being right, Capper.

 

[MikeChapin]

You may also find you are measuring differently than others do. Some compress tightly with a mic, some compress til the roll on the dial slips, some squeeze the bejesus out of it, some barely touch the material & take a reading.
What you measure a .015 may be my .013, so who is measuring it makes a dif. And what you are measuring it with makes a dif as well.

But the main thing above all of it is, it don't matter what it measures, as long as it works for You.

Keith Lisle

Whatever works for you is the key. :thumbsup:

I use touch to come up with thickness. I use some old Ox-Yoke that I know the thickness of for reference and go from there. You just have to keep in mind new fabric on the bolt is pressed with sizing so appears thinner than when washed. That comes with practice.

"Thanks for that one Mike.
8 ounce canvas duck is a lot more meaningful, at least to me, than something called pillow ticking."

10 oz. duck or canvas is about .022 where 10 oz. denim runs about .020. There is some variation between manufacturers but that is pretty close.

I have seen pillow ticking run from .015 to about .022. It all depends on the manufacturer. The stuff you get from Ben Franklin runs about .022 to .023 where fabric store ticking runs from .015 to .018 depending upon the brand.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Well, Pete, I am sorry to break the obvious news> They don't Make PILLOW Ticking in all sizes! :idunno: :surrender: :hmm:

Get over it. YOu often have to find different materials to get the correct thickness you need for this USE.

I have found some pillow ticking that measured .012" for me, but the way people use micrometers makes a difference in how the measurement comes out.

FYI, I was trained to tighten the stem of the micrometer down on "soft materials", until the material could still be moved between the stem and anvil, but just barely. We tightened the stem down until the fabric could not move, and then backed it off until we could pull the fabric out. This gave us the MOST CONSISTENT readings on fabrics, and other soft materials. With PRACTICE, I was able to get as good with my old, .001" micrometer, as I could get readings with my newer, .0001" micrometer, with the " click adjustment" on the stem. We took multiple readings, and averaged the results, BTW.

As others have noted, there are variations in the thickness of fabrics, too, with the material along the edges often thicker than when measurements are made towards the center of the cloth, on a bolt, or yard of cloth.

The 'Sizing" put in fabrics, to make them lie flat, and tight on a bolt, also affects the final thickness. Most everyone understands that the fabric has to be washed at least Twice to remove the sizing, before a good reading on the fabric thickness can be made. Removing the sizing is necessary to allow the fabric to absorb, consistently, any lube you use on the patch.

Some people don't know that new fabric has a " Sizing" added to it( Sizing is a starch-like substance.) I am sure this is NOT a new concept to one of your experience. I only offer this information for other readers who are new to shooting BP guns. :bow:

 

[2172]

flint62, thanks for an informative post. I use a micrometer, and, since I tighten it consistently, am probably getting a 'useful to me' reading. I'll try your methods, and see what I'm really shooting...Hank

 

[kelleyjk]

To be honest. I'm not measuring at all. I've just bought online so far. I buy what TOW says it is.

Hey Capper, I dont think they measure them at all!

- bought .018 Ox Yokes fit just fine

- ordered .018 Ox Yokes from TOW but they sent some .018 "Eastern Maine" and I found them way too tight

Maybe the Ox yokes was too thin, maybe the substitutured ones was too thick, bottom line, I cant trust no stinkin labels man

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I guess it's a crap shoot. I'll have to start to measure. I've been too trusting on what the package says.

 

[bigbuckdn]

gues i found some of my own answers here will have to check wally mart also cause 0.18 loads real hard have to rap it down all the way. 0.15 patch was tight but livable however it did not hold out as good as the ticking.
100 shots from now who knows maybe 0.18 will be fine.

 

[twobarrel]

I bought 5 yds. of pillow ticking at Hancocks that measures .0090 before washing. They have several thicknesses.

 

[Josh Smith]

A .015 patch is about as large as I can get down my barrel. All the pillow ticking seems to be .018. Anybody sell .015 ticking?

Hi Pete,

Sir, if you'll shoot me your snail-mail, I'll go grab some material I use. Tight weave, thin, doesn't burn though, and shoots more accurately than I can, even from shallow rifling. Actually, it's scary accurate. I've been regularly putting balls through the same hole at 50 yards with this stuff lubed with 50/50 beeswax/olive oil. Just barely a cloverleaf. Been taking to looking at the target backing to make sure I did, indeed, put all balls on target!

The long rifle most certainly was not doing this with pillow ticking. I think it was just too thick and squashed the ball.

This combo has worked in two rifles now, and I need to get more material, so I'd be glad to send you a bit along with a few lubed patches to see what you think of that vs. the mink oil you like to use.

Gotta mail something else out anyway!

Let me know,

Josh

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Josh,

I appreciate the offer. My patches are working perfect. 2" at 100 yds today. About as good as my eyes can do with open sights. The patches look perfect after I fire them.

That's not my problem Josh. I got this thing about wanting to use the striped pillow ticking.

It's a personal thingy. :wink:

Thanks again.

 

[Josh Smith]

Josh,

I appreciate the offer. My patches are working perfect. 2" at 100 yds today. About as good as my eyes can do with open sights. The patches look perfect after I fire them.

That's not my problem Josh. I got this thing about wanting to use the striped pillow ticking.

It's a personal thingy. :wink:

Thanks again.

You need Superman pillow ticking! :thumbsup:

 

[Tumblernotch]

When our local wall mart stopped carrying fabrics I bought out the last of their ticking, the red I got miced out at .013 after washing, the blue .016. I have found the color doesn't relate to the thickness. One roll to another of the same color will vary. The actual thickness has to do with how the loom was set that day! :hmm:

You definitely can't go by the color. I bought some red striped ticking just for s--ts and giggles awhile back and it measures .018" just like the blue. Of course if it hadn't I wouldn't have bought it.

 

[Rhett Griffith]

Yep! I once bought 4 different colors at the same time, thinking that I would at least get a couple of different sizes to try. When I got home to my caliper (which I had forgotten to take to Wally World with me in the first place), all of the fabrics were the same thickness! :cursing: Luckily, my .50 seems to love .018" material!

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I hate WallyWorld. I drove 60 miles today to find some pillow ticking, and got this.

"Oh we're sorry sir. We don't stock fabric anymore."


:cursing: