Ticking

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Where can I get .018and .020 pillow tick? For those who measure the fabric at a store do you use a caliper or nice? And does it matter to wash the ticking or does it matter?

[stikshooter]

Joann's Fabrics is one place to look and nope I don"t wash 1st . I tried and the wife explained why cotton is not in favor ,you have to iron afterwards !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[T*O*F]

do you use a caliper or nice?

What's a nice?

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Mic ,,,,,,,micrometer,,,,,,,sorry

[EC121]

If you don't wash the fabric, the sizing on it will keep the lube from soaking in.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Sizing is a type of chemical they put on the thread to make it slippery for manufacturing and retail purposes.

It’s horrid stuff and causes a lot of problems. I’ve washed it and put on the extra rinse setting to remove the wretched stuff. DO NOT throw the ticking into the dryer!! It will shrivel and wrinkle horribly (btdt)!

I let it hang and air dry but it still gets slightly wrinkly. Have always wondered how to wash it and dry it without wrinkles or ironing...

[fishdfly]

Huh?

[MuskratMike]

Almost all cotton fabrics come with sizing. It MUST be washed then dried prior to using. My method is to fill the utility sink in the garage with very hot water with dish soap. Soak the fabric in it swirling it around from time to time with a stick. Rinse well in warm water several times and hang it to dry. Not a big deal to iron it prior to cutting actually my wife happily does it for me.

[OldMtnMan]

No fabric store near me, so I just buy mine here.

http://www.octobercountry.com/dry-ticking-bulk-sheet/

[Huntschool]

When I need a resupply of ticking I just carry my calipers into JoAnns fabrics or one of the several others we have around and measure it myself.  I get some funny looks sometimes but an explanation brings comments like "really.....I never thought about that." 

It always gets washed with a good detergent to remove the sizing and then dried from wet outside or with the hot air furnace on.  I cut mine in strips to start with so what little wrinkling there is does not matter.  You really want the sizing gone.....

[Eric Krewson]

You might look at denim to get .018 and .020 patching. The thickest ticking I can buy at Joann's is .016. Of course while measuring you can come up with a lot of different measurements depending on how you measure.

[shifty]

    Have you looked at  Drill Cloth at Joans? And thay do or did have diff wght denims.

[Dave Patterson]

Got mine at Wally World:  "measures" .020, with digital calipers squeezed as tight as I can. 

Don't know, on the other hand, that anyone else's WalMart stocks the same material.

[RichG]

watch out when buying ticking if you're not familiar with it. Walmart( and others) carries a lot of chinese fabric that looks like ticking but is a much looser weave. The old style mattress ticking is very hard/stiff on the bolt and you can't see through it. The only advantage ticking has over denim is the lines are helpful if cutting patches with scissors. I use whatever cotton /linen fabric I can find in the thickness I want.

[Darkhorse]

I've bought some patching from these people. I was looking for some .015 with a very dense weave that would hold together. I am very pleased with what I got, much denser than what I was previously using and the price is right. I also bought some of Mr. Flintlock's patch lube.
This is their ebay page, check them out.

https://www.ebay.com/str/easternmaineshootingsupplies/Dry-Bulk-Material/_i.html?_storecat=21417982017

[Phil Neal]

I get mine at wally world, they always have the blue, red or tan ticking. Blue is usually around .020, red is .016, and tan is .014.  Many choices.  Blue works best for me.  And always wash first!

[Smokey Plainsman]

Huh?

Huh what? You lost?

[hudson]

Found this from a previous discussion on the forum army duct canvas. Listed as 10.10 oz. and measures .020. be aware this stuff has such a tight weave you will probably need to go down on ball size. I have been using .020 Teflon with .535 ball with the army duct .530 was necessary. Stuff works when many others don’t. They have quite a selection of other fabrics that might be of use.

New link old one didn't work.
https://www.bigduckcanvas.com/army-duck/10-10-oz-36-inches-wide/

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Why do you want to wash the sizing out of ticking?

[Gun_Nut_73]

Why do you want to wash the sizing out of ticking?

I find the new, unwashed ticking to be too stiff, and resists lube.  I usually buy a square yard at the fabric shop for $5-$6, and throw it in the washing machine with some towels, and wash at high heat.  This removes the sizing, tightens up the weave, and makes a much softer, more absorbent patching material.

[Daryl]

I buy all my patching material by the meter or yard - as well as flannelette for cleaning material.

I wash both materials twice with a double rinse and high speed spin. I then put them in the dryer.

I find the flannelette and the denims both gain about 1/2 to a full thou. in thickness. Seems to me
the ticking and pocket drill got thinner.  Seems to me the canvas remained the same thickness after
washing and drying.

I usually take either mic or calipers to the yard-goods store for measuring materials.

[JohnnyFM]

All my patching and cleaning material goes in the hot water cycle with borax and washing soda, no detergent. Rinse twice and hot air dry to fluff it up. As stated by many others, it’s a must to get the sizing out of the cloth. Sizing repels liquids. You want your patch to readily absorb your lube.
I have come across some excellent 100% linen tablecloths for patching. In many cases I can reuse the patch when I can find it after shooting. I wash them again unless expediency is the priority. Linen is more “correct” hysterical, I mean historically-wise but I indulge in my 21st century living by still preferring 100% cotton for my cleaning. Like Daryl said, flanelette when I can find it.
In my experience shooting traditional real black powder with patched round ball (34 years) I don’t skimp on my patching. It’s the key to accurate and consistent shooting. From my perspective, it seems too many are more worried about ball diameter over patch thickness. In my book I go smaller ball to save patch thickness.
And like always, other’s mileage may vary.

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Went to Joans ,,,I do not have much faith in any business anymore. No one has a clue and seems do not care. Only ticking they had was around .015 compressed to much less. I need the compressed to be .018. Finally bout a quarter yard of denim. It compressed to 19 with alot of pressure on the caliper between thumb and index finger. I do not know the actual bore size of my 36and 40 but the balls are .350and .390. Hope this works.

[yellowhousejake]

Funny that this thread came up. I used to buy quality ticking, the kind that would stop feathers coming out of pillows, but I can never find it anymore. I have bought some of the fabric others mentioned here but have not tried them yet.

I got curious about HC fabric availability and how they might have been used for patching. So, I reached out to Mr. Draper, who deals in HC fabrics exclusively. He is a wealth of information if you make your own clothing. I have used him several times for a fabric source to make HC clothing as he sources some excellent period correct fabrics. When I asked about what fabrics would have been available in the 18th century for patching this is what he responded with.

---------------- My query

Good day,

I have a question concerning the use of remnant fabric in 18th century America. I shoot and enjoy muzzleloading rifles and the question often is asked "how did they load their guns in the 18th century?"

Today, we have an abundance of inexpensive fabric at our disposal that I think was not so available then. When it comes to patching a ball when loading a gun, the fabric must be fairly thick, durable, and somewhat compressible. Many shooters today use the pillow ticking found in fabric stores, though I think that is a throwback to late 19th and early 20th century shooters. Myself, I have found that the pillow ticking sold today is not the same as what I bought 30 years ago. Shooters today seem to be moving towards pocket drills, denims, and canvases.

I question whether the average "over mountain man" or "long hunter" would purchase fabric for the purpose of loading his rifle. So, if he were to use remnants or rags, what fabric would be the most commonly available? Today, you would find tee shirt knits and old denim as the most common rag or remnant fabric in a home. In my opinion.

What, in your mind, would have been the most commonly available fabric in scraps or remnants during the 18th century? Especially fabric meeting the needs of a shooter. A 10 to 12 oz weight, a fairly tight weave, and reasonably compressible.

Thank you very much for your time.

Dave Goodrich

--------- His response

Dave,

To get a linen of the weight your suggesting means you need to go to a heavier weight linen. This post talks about the change in ticking from linen to cotton. https://www.facebook.com/104341549602334/posts/1363749063661570/

Another shooter swears by the 7 oz. drill. http://www.wmboothdraper.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_id=2663 although a bit lighter than what you're asking for I think you'll find this of a sufficient weight.

You also asked about the most common scrap fabric available. A basic unbleached linen would likely be the fabric used by all common people but also found in wealthy people's clothing. https://www.facebook.com/wm.booth.draper/posts/1242615639108247 But again to get the weight you need I think the ticking's above would be best.

Thank you,
Paul
http://www.wmboothdraper.com

--------------

Hopefully, that can be of help to someone. I have purchased from him several times and he is a good vendor to work with.

DAve

[Daryl]

Went to Joans ,,,I do not have much faith in any business anymore. No one has a clue and seems do not care. Only ticking they had was around .015 compressed to much less. I need the compressed to be .018. Finally bout a quarter yard of denim. It compressed to 19 with alot of pressure on the caliper between thumb and index finger. I do not know the actual bore size of my 36and 40 but the balls are .350and .390. Hope this works.

The denim you found, Daryl, should be just fine, with the sized balls you have. While not quite as tight as I prefer, it should serve you just fine while you learn
& become proficient with your guns. if you can find some 10oz denim, that would be even better, but what you have, should work.
I like and actually prefer denim as it has a very strong, tight weave. Just make sure it is 100% cotton.
Water based lubes work just fine for target, but an oil or grease is needed for hunting. Water based, will over time(use), rot the bore where the ball sits.
If used for target shooting, this does not happen as it is not left loaded, more than a couple minutes or so.
Track's mink oil is definitely the best hunting lube I've found, other than marmot oil. I used to use bear grease, but now have some bear oil for testing. Will, this summer.