Thinner Pillow Ticking?

[poordevil]

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


:cursing:
[/quote]

let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages!

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Our yellow pages are 1/2" thick.

 

[Tumblernotch]

We've got a couple of WallyWorlds around here like that. But we've got a lot of them and most still have it.

Look in the Yellow Pages under fabrics and don't forget to check out hobby and crafts shops. If you know anyone in your area who sews or quilts, ask them where they get their supplies. They may even have some scraps they don't use. There's probably not a lot of seamstress's who use ticking but they might have something else that'll do. :hmm:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I looked for fabric shops right after I started this thread. I only found one. I checked it out yesterday after Wally. They didn't stock PT.

I've been buying cut patches from TOW. I guess i'll continue to buy from them, but switch to the rolls of material so I can cut at the muzzle.

I'm disappointed I can't use PT, but cutting at the muzzle will be a step in the right direction. Maybe I can find some ticking at the bigger shoots. They have a lot of vendors. There's one coming up in May.

 

[Tumblernotch]

If you know what thickness you need and find it, buy as much as you can afford just in case it's a long time before you can get any more. When I stop at WallyWorld I buy at least 3 to 5 yds at a time because I never know when they'll quit selling it. I can still stop at JoAnn Fabrics but the way they've been closing those stores you never know how long it'll be available.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I had a pillow ticking experience yesterday.

Since I didn't see a fabric shop in our yellow pages. I thought we didn't have one. I was on my way to shoot, and my neighbor stopped me for another subject. At the end of our conversation I asked her if we had a fabric shop in town. She said yes, and told me where it was. It was hidden on a small side street i'd never been on.

Feeling good I walked in and asked "do you have pillow ticking?" I got a big smile when she said yes.

I went over to check it out, and it looked different from the prepackaged PT i've bought. For one thing it was black and white, and only printed on one side. It felt thin though, so I bought some.

I didn't have anything with me to measure it, so I just continued on to the range. All i had with me for lube was some Hoppe's 9+. I rub a little on a spot. Pressed the ball in level and cut it off at the muzzle. Hoping for the best I shoved the ball down the barrel. Nuts! It went down way too easy. I looked at the patch and it had a hole blown in it. Just for laughs I thought i'd try another with a fouled bore. No better. Loaded too easy and blew a hole in the patch. I'd guess the material to be no more than .010. I'll never know, because I threw it away.

:surrender:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have a nice, metal case for my micrometer, and they both go into my pocket before I leave home to go hunting fabric. The women at the fabric stores think its a glasses case, until I open it up and take out the micrometer.

The looks are PRICELESS! :shocked2: :rotf: :hatsoff: AND worth every penny of it.

 

[Tumblernotch]

I have a nice, metal case for my micrometer, and they both go into my pocket before I leave home to go hunting fabric. The women at the fabric stores think its a glasses case, until I open it up and take out the micrometer.

The looks are PRICELESS! :shocked2: :rotf: :hatsoff: AND worth every penny of it.

I get the same looks when I walk in with a 6 inch dial caliper sticking out of my pocket. I'm expecting someone to call the manager or security and say that there's some scroungy looking nerd lurking in the dry goods.

 

[erhunter]

What is DGW's website, and the name of their company? I am going to buy patch material I can cut off at the muzzle instead of precuts. I shoot an .018 pre-lubed Oxyoke 54-59 cal. right now. I miced the patch and it reads .0163, what thickness should I buy before washing. The Oxyoke seem to load a little tight.

 

[Grenadier1758]

If you want patch material that you can cut off at the muzzle, then go to your local fabric store. I use JoAnn's Fabrics. There you can buy pillow ticking, mattress ticking, canvas, denim and my favorite, (utility) pocket drill cloth. No need to pay shipping costs. Your sales tax will be less than shipping. JoAnn's will have on line coupons with significant discounts.

 

[Dibbuk]

You can also use worn out blue jeans, although the thickness may vary somewhat, due to wear. Also consider worn out 100% cotton T-shirts for either patching material, or just cleaning patches.

 

[Daniel Dickey]

I too would like to know approximately how much washing thickens the fabric. It sounds like you need to buy fabric slightly thinner than needed as it gets thicker after washing. Or maybe I’m just reading this wrong and not understanding.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I too would like to know approximately how much washing thickens the fabric. It sounds like you need to buy fabric slightly thinner than needed as it gets thicker after washing. Or maybe I’m just reading this wrong and not understanding.

How much the fabric changes after washing and drying depends a lot on the tightness of the weave of the fabric. Different sources of cotton will react differently as well as differences due to drying on a clothes line or in a hot dryer. Then most of the changes in thickness are overcome by the compression of the fabric as you load the patch and ball. Washing the sizing out will allow the material to compress better and hold lubricant in the material rather than on the material.

What I had to do was buy a 1/4 yard of fabric, take it home to wash and dry, then do the final measurement.

In terms of shooting for performance accuracy a thicker patch is better especially if you use a short starter. But in the end, patch, ball and barrel must be integrated to get the best performance for your application.

I know this doesn't make an informed selection of fabric at the fabric store any more precise, but this hobby isn't altogether precise in the first place. All we can do is practice at being consistent.

 

[gholt93083]

Use linen rather then cotton it is a tighter weave thus thinner.

 

[Caterpillar Hunter]

I washed some Cabelas 0.018", traditional blue striped pillow ticking . This was a 1/2 sq. yard piece. After washing and drying in a hot dryer it measured 0.022". Dry bulk pillow ticking fabric (1/2 sq. yard) from Eastern Maine Shooting Supplies that measured 0.020" before washing ended up measuring 0.025" after the wash. The patch thickness measured right out of the package seemed to be spot on, so I'm guessing the post-wash measurement with the micrometer was accurate too. Hope this info helps.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Use linen rather then cotton it is a tighter weave thus thinner.

I agree with the use of linen. You do have to make sure the linen is 100% made from flax. A lot of linen sold is a blend of linen any polyester. Linen is also more expensive than cotton. Look for the coupons from JoAnn's Fabrics.

You will also have to make sure the weave is tight. Not all the weaves are as tight as I would like. Linen doesn't expand up on washing and drying like cotton fabrics do. So start off with a tight weave. Take your micrometer.

 

[FishDFly]

Go to your local flea market and buy all the linen you want and cheap.

 

[beardedhorse]

I don't pay retail at JoAnn's. Only shop when I can get 40, 50 or 60 % discount coupons. Join their club to get e mail coupons on line. Otherwise they can be higher retail than competitors.
I buy lots of cotton and linen for char cloth, clothing and some ticking (red and blue) for patches. I do wash out sizing and then dry in dryer at hot setting. Seem to be thicker and load tighter than Ox Yoke .015 and .020 thickness patches. I don't use detergent in the wash thinking it adds impurities to the fabric. Maybe it actually washes out the sizing better.
Some blue jean not 100% cotton but poly added - especially recent Levi's. If the linen charcloth smolders or doesn't make good char cloth it may have something additives. A micrometer lot more accurate than dial caliper and how tight you squash the fabric can be subjective. Unless I am using .010 or even .050 patching I have to use a short starter. Funneling the muzzle end to thumb start a ball can screw with accuracy if not done correctly by a professional.

 

[old ugly]

linen. but it may be hard to find, I know it is hard to fine here. and its not going to be cheep.
you may not want to spend $25-$30 pr yard.
I use linen and buy it when lucky enough to find some and even at that expense they are probably $0.01 per patch.