Washing Patch Material

[BP Addict]

Hello! Anybody in there McFee! The writer bought prelubed patches! Not pillow ticking by the yard. If he takes this advice and washes them, most of the patches will be flushed down the drain during the spin and rinse cycle. The few that survive will be little wads of fabric.

I did reference pre-cut, pre-lubed patches that seemed stiffer (possibly from the sizing being left in), but the reason for my original question was to ask whether it would affect anything if I didn't wash the bulk fabric first.

Thanks!

Walt

 

[BP Addict]

Diaper flannel will work fine as a cleaning patch, but it doesn't have a strong weave to prevent gas blow by when used as a shooting patch. It will work after a fashion, but accuracy on target will suffer.

The fabric store won't know the thickness of the materials. You need to take your vernier calipers or a micrometer to the fabric store and measure the thickness in the store. Bear in mind that the fabric in the store has sizing which will affect the thickness measurement. Washing is required to remove the sizing. Drying in a hot dryer will tighten the weave of cotton drill, pillow ticking, mattress ticking, denim and canvas to make the fabric more robust when used as a shooting patch. Canvas will have a weight associated with it indicating the approximate thickness. Cotton drill cloth (my favorite is the #40 utility cloth at JoAnn's Fabrics) will eventually be 0.017 or 0.018" in thickness. Pillow ticking will be anywhere from 0.013 to 0.015. Mattress ticking will be from about 0.018 to 0.020. Denim will be all over the thickness scale and may not always be 100% cotton. Canvas will range from 0.020 to 0.024. Always check to be sure that you are buying 100% cotton fabric. If you are buying linen, be sure that it is 100% flax linen or a linen cotton blend. Modern linen doesn't always have the tight weave that was used.

Thanks for the great information!

When I started this journey almost 40 years ago, I believe I read somewhere (probably Sam Fadala's Black Powder Handbook) that it should be just touching and not compressed when measuring fabric with a Caliper. It never occurred to me until I subscribed to Dutch Schoultz's Accuracy System that patch material with the same "touching" measurement may "compress" to different thicknesses.

Walt

 

[Grenadier1758]

One of the debates that Dutch and I routinely carried on about was the measuring of patch fabric thickness. I would measure the touching thickness. The fabric would slide between the jaws of my micrometer. Dutch always chided me for measuring cloth as if I was measuring tool steel. Well he was right. My father was a tool maker and he would not abide abusing a fine measuring device such as a micrometer or caliper by over torquing the barrel. At the Fabric store, sizing will affect the thickness of the material. Allowing the micrometer to slide over the cloth is not a problem. By gently turning the barrel of the micrometer after the sizing is washed out will give you an inkling of the compressibility of the fabric. In any case, the patching will have to compress and engrave on the ball in 0.005" of windage between the ball and the lands. I don't know of any of the micrometer abusers who can compress the patching material to be that thin. By the way when Dutch affirmed his compression measurements, he did not apply extreme pressure to the fabric, just a little more than I do. The prepackaged patches seem to be measured on the sliding thickness.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I have used the sliding method when measuring, but then I am going more for comparison purposes than an actual dead-on measurement.

 

[babstooge]

One of the debates that Dutch and I routinely carried on about was the measuring of patch fabric thickness. I would measure the touching thickness. The fabric would slide between the jaws of my micrometer. Dutch always chided me for measuring cloth as if I was measuring tool steel. Well he was right. My father was a tool maker and he would not abide abusing a fine measuring device such as a micrometer or caliper by over torquing the barrel. At the Fabric store, sizing will affect the thickness of the material. Allowing the micrometer to slide over the cloth is not a problem. By gently turning the barrel of the micrometer after the sizing is washed out will give you an inkling of the compressibility of the fabric. In any case, the patching will have to compress and engrave on the ball in 0.005" of windage between the ball and the lands. I don't know of any of the micrometer abusers who can compress the patching material to be that thin. By the way when Dutch affirmed his compression measurements, he did not apply extreme pressure to the fabric, just a little more than I do. The prepackaged patches seem to be measured on the sliding thickness.

what about the micrometers that have a round foot on the measuring arms it seems that you would get a more even measurement. Bruce

 

[Grenadier1758]

@babstooge, I never had a micrometer with rounded barrels. All of mine have flat barrels. I do think they will work and may be fine for seeing the compression measurement.

 

[Mike in FL]

If washing is a factor, what about Track's and other vendors' precut, prelubed patching give such good performance? Or are we just talking about washing bulk material, and if so, how is that different performance-wise? I've often wondered about that.

 

[babstooge]

If washing is a factor, what about Track's and other vendors' precut, prelubed patching give such good performance? Or are we just talking about washing bulk material, and if so, how is that different performance-wise? I've often wondered about that.

when I buy bulk ticking material I always wash twice to get the sizing out. It makes the material softer and more absorbent to whatever lube you use. Some of my rifles like pre cuts, after experimenting other's like ticking .

 

[Grenadier1758]

If washing is a factor, what about Track's and other vendors' precut, prelubed patching give such good performance? Or are we just talking about washing bulk material, and if so, how is that different performance-wise? I've often wondered about that.

Almost certainly, Track and the other vendors wash the fabric before lubricating and cutting to size. It would be a trade secret so not marked.

One problem with prelubed patches is that the patch material deteriorates over time, so the patch can't properly do its job to mate the ball to the barrel.

 

[Mike in FL]

Almost certainly, Track and the other vendors wash the fabric before lubricating and cutting to size. It would be a trade secret so not marked.

One problem with prelubed patches is that the patch material deteriorates over time, so the patch can't properly do its job to mate the ball to the barrel.

It deteriorates over time? I did not know that. Deteriorate because of the lube?

 

[Grenadier1758]

There are many threads on the forum documenting the deterioration of the threads of the cotton in patching in prelubricated patches of an indeterminate age. This is true of the oil and grease lubricated patches sold in packages and left on the shelves from one hunting season to the next.

Short term, prelubrication of patches is not a problem. Perhaps up to a month, there will be little to no deterioration. Prelubricating just before a hunt or a day at the range will slightly simplify the loading process.

Long term prelubricated patches have been documented as being associated with a loss of on target accuracy that was resolved when patches were lubricated just before loading.

 

[Mike in FL]

Thank you sir for that info. I had no idea. I will henceforth change my patching tactics.

 

[stikshooter]

I often see patches of specific thicknesses. If you are not buying ready made patches with the thickness listed, how do you know the thickness of a fabric?
There is a dry goods store nearby with a huge variety of fabrics (Many Mennonites make their own clothing.). But I do not recall ever seeing specific thicknesses on the fabric descriptions. Once in a while I buy a yard of 100% cotton diaper flannel, wash it, and cut it up into cleaning cloths for eyeglasses and other optics. Wonder if it would make patches.

bring calipers and when you find what works go back and buy (THAT ROLL) you might not get the same next time!/Ed

 

[Rob M.]

Ric Carter .... Funny you mentioned this ...I always use old shirts so its already when washed and wore

 

[Mulebrain]

Yes I always wash the fabric before it's ever used