measuring patch thickness

[smylee grouch]

Reading another thread prompted this question. How does everyone measure the thickness of patch matterial? Do most use a caliper or micromiter or what and do you use any special tecniques?    Smylee

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

It probably does not matter what number is assigned to a piece of patch material.  If it works in your rifle, that's all that matters.  And using the same system provides consistency.  What is frustrating is trying to communicate something that works so well for me, to someone who is not using the same measuring system.  In the end, finding accuracy in a muzzle loader, or a longbow for that matter, is a personal journey that requires experimentation and accurately recording the results.

[54Bucks]

 I think most of us have/use calipers. Seems to be some difference in how each person uses theirs. Personally I like to close them rather snugly around patch material when taking a reading. However a person does it.... if they use the same consistant pressure when taking any readings, they quickly can determine if the next type patch material is plus or minus an accurate ammount. It's also good practice to browse thru a fabric store measuring likely patch materials.

[Dogshirt]

I think most of us have/use calipers. Seems to be some difference in how each person uses theirs. Personally I like to close them rather snugly around patch material when taking a reading. However a person does it.... if they use the same consistant pressure when taking any readings, they quickly can determine if the next type patch material is plus or minus an accurate ammount. It's also good practice to browse thru a fabric store measuring likely patch materials.

But you WILL get some odd looks the first few times!

[Hungry Horse]

 I inherited a snap mic. from a friends estate. It has a dial, and closes the contact points with a light spring tension. This thing is great because it alway has the same degree of compression, and is very quick in getting an accurate measurement. It also is a really cool tool, that never seems to disappoint those of us that delight in stopping all transactions in the fabric store for a moment.

                                Hungry Horse

[Daryl]

How you measure and what you use to measure makes a difference, of course.

I have 2 sets of calipers and one micrometer. The calipers are 2 with dials and one without.  These 4 measuring tools give me 4 different measurments on any given piece of cloth.

I measure with exactly the same technique when using each set of calipers but rarely use the non-dial calipers.   I have to use a head loop magnifyer to read it with any accuracy.  The difference in the calipers is a very minute difference in the width of the jaws- I assume.  The measuring system with them is to squeeze the tines together on the material, between my forefinger and thumb - as tightly as I can and exactly the same each time. My measurements are smaller than most anyone else's due to this tight squeezing - again, I assume. I figure the rifling lands do this to the patched ball combination and thus that gives me a more accurate measurement for when adding ball diameter, and patch thickness together to see if any given patch even remotely has a chance of working.  This system works for me.

With the micrometer, I spin the barrel's rathet until it ratchets a number of time brrrrrrrrt. The mic gives thinner readings than any of my callipers, by .002" on the closest calipers to .005" on the pair giving the largest reading.  Because of these various readings, I most commonly use one set of calipers, the ones giving the thinnest readings.

Thus, my .023" patches (red/white/blue/blue ticking) might be upwards of .024" to .028" for other people measuring. I measure washed 10 ounce denim at .0225".  The 12 ounce denim (VERY heaviest 100% cotton jean material used) I use in my .69, runs up to .031" with calipers, but only .025" with my mic - so that's what I call it. 

[LH]

I use a micrometer with a ratcheting knob.   Just use the same thing all the time so you'll know in relative terms what you're looking at.  Dont go strictly by thickness either,  weave can have a noticeable effect on accuracy. 

[hanshi]

I use a Lyman caliper and roll it up until the cloth is caught and pulls with resistance.  On pillow ticking this usually gives a figure around .020" give or take due to the fact cloth isn't precisely uniform.  If I use my fingers to squeeze the jaws together hard then release them I get from .016" to .018" thickness.  I normally use material this same thickness in most of my rifles.  A couple of rifles and my smoothbore do better with material measuring .010" to .015" depending again on how it's measured and what performs well in the gun.  I go for uniformity.

[Jerry V Lape]

When the Blue Moon is at it's apex, I take four stacks of 100 patches each and -------

[oldarcher]

Very good advise in the posts above, I would only add that I use a micrometer with a ratcheting (speed) knob also. The important thing is to apply more pressure to the material than normal to try to get a compressed measurement. That's really hard to do consistantly. I think that the Blue Moon thing might work as well.

[smylee grouch]

Jerry, is that with the tide in or out? 

[hanshi]

You got it all wrong, Jerry.  You MUST start on the stroke of midnight and perform the required sacrifices.....no, not her, a critter, get it?  A critter!