Author Topic: Real Pillow Ticking  (Read 17562 times)

eagle24

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Real Pillow Ticking
« on: January 27, 2010, 06:58:03 AM »
Anybody know of a place online where you can order "real pillow ticking"?  I'm pretty new to this, but I think I have learned that there is "fake" pillow ticking.  Let me explain.  I bought some pillow ticking at a local fabric store on the advice of a friend who has been shooting for years.  It was a heavy ticking (about .020" by my micrometer measurements).  Anyway, I went back to get some more and they were out.  The lady at the fabric store told me it was "real old time pillow ticking" and she had not been able to get any more of it.  I can't say for sure what the difference is from the stuff you get at Wally World other than the thickness, but I think it is the weave (much tighter).  I suspect it is a domestic product as opposed to an import also.  I know it works well for me and I would like to have some more.  If I can't find any, I may have to switch to denim or something else for a tight shooting patch material.

William Worth

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2010, 06:01:08 PM »
The stuff I get from my fabric guru is manufactured by an outfit named Thompson in the Carolina's.  And she knows her stuff on old fabrics.

Offline Roger Fisher

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2010, 06:27:00 PM »
Greg: R/U refering to the olde tyme pillow ticking with the floral design??? I went down that road myself.   Milkes abt .015/.016 v tight weave. Cn't see the sun thru it.  Seems like the mfg cut it out since few feather pillows are sold ???

Wally world sells the floral design that mikes only around .008, have you tried that doubled?  That may work in your piece. :)

A good sub is sold by good ol Wade Reynolds at Carolina Calicos called carhardt that mikes around .016/.017.  Wade understands what the shooters need.  It is a tough and tight weave.....Look him up - mention my name  (on 2nd thought maybe you better not ;D)

Daryl

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2010, 07:32:56 PM »
I use mattress ticking - stripped off old discarded mattresses from the jail. ;D ;D ;D - just kidding - GROSS!

Offline RonT

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2010, 08:15:50 PM »
Pre lubed..right...more just kidding.... :o
R
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Offline Michigan Flinter

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2010, 11:37:25 PM »
If you have a military surplus store near you get their new mattrest covers .They work good and are cheap. 

Offline Chuck Burrows

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2010, 12:02:41 AM »
The heavier weight ticking is listed as ACA - this is the tight woven 6oz fabric rather than the lighter 2oz weight commonly found
here's one source..
http://www.designerfabricsandframing.com/Fabrics_By_The_Yard/Natural_Colored_And_Basic_Fabrics/Pillow_Ticking_Fabrics/
for other search ACA ticking.......several places sell it by the bolt as well...
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Offline halfstock

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2010, 12:23:03 AM »
Next time ask for "Mattress ticking".
Halfstock

Offline t.caster

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2010, 12:43:51 AM »
I've gotten the flowered ticking that's around .018" thick and very high thread count, on eBay. Search for "Vintage Pillow Ticking". I got enough a year ago from two different ebay dealers to last for many more years. Then Eric L. brought me another yard or two for some engraving I did for him, so I'm set for a while. This is a much tighter weave than mattress ticking.
I was amazed at what people are selling on eBay!
« Last Edit: January 28, 2010, 08:05:02 PM by t.caster »
Tom C.

Offline Randy Hedden

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2010, 01:32:39 AM »
i always used pillow ticking from the Amish clothing manufacturer, Gohn Bros, located in Middlebury, Indiana.  It is good cotton ticking, .015 to .018" thick depending on how you measure it.  It was also a lot cheaper than any of the local fabric shops.

Randy Hedden
American Mountain Men #1393

Daryl

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2010, 03:46:54 AM »
The ticking some of us are using right now, black and white stripes ( ;D ;D), measures .018" with my 1" mic. and .0215" with calipers.  When new, it measured .030" due to the sizing in it. Washed it (4 meters) once - regular laundry load and it came out very soft, plyable and much thinner. It's quite strong and shoots about the same as 10oz denim.

Offline George Sutton

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2010, 04:20:57 AM »
Be careful, some pillow ticking is a blend containing polyesters.

Centershot

Offline Kermit

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2010, 04:39:39 AM »
I always make sure fabric passes the Bic test. If any of it melts, it stays in the store.

You might want to get permission before applying the test.  ;D
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly." Mae West

Kaintuckkee

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2010, 01:17:25 PM »
I have several 1/2 yard packs of the old Ox-Yoke blue stripe ticking,its.018" thick and very tight weave....best I have ran across as far as ticking goes.

Offline Maven

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2010, 09:30:18 PM »
Some of the posts (above) mentioned pillow ticking with floral/flowered and even paisley designs.  If I'm not mistaken, they are called calico and work very well for patching if 100% cotton.
Paul W. Brasky

Offline Jesse168

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2010, 02:07:22 AM »
I get mine from the fabric store chain called Hancock's.  They have the old blue white striped 100% cotton pillow tick.

Jesse168
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Leatherbelly

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2010, 01:13:39 PM »
I use mattress ticking - stripped off old discarded mattresses from the jail. ;D ;D ;D - just kidding - GROSS!
Daryls, you crack me up! S'pose you spit patch'um too, Yuk! What nice little crusties to be found! Don't think I'll ever shoot patches with stripes of any kind on them ever again! ;D ;D :D

eagle24

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2010, 05:21:29 PM »
Guys,
Thanks for the replies.  The ticking I am talking about is a blue/white striped ticking and probably measures around .018" after washing.  If I use the clicker on my micrometer it measures slightly over .020".  Aside from the color, it looks and feels like denim to me.  I'm going to order some of the ACA ticking Chuck mentioned and see how it compares.  I posted a couple of bag pics in the accoutrements yesterday.  The ticking the bags were laying on is the stuff I'm referring to.

Daryl

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2010, 07:23:06 PM »
Picked up a couple meters of denim yesterday at the sewing shop that felt good in the store. I didn't have my mic with me, unfortunately, as now I have a couple meters of nice new cleaning patches. When I got home and without washing it, it measured only .013" - useless for patching anything and good for cleaning only if doubled. Most denims remain within a thou after washing.

YORKTOWNE54

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #19 on: February 01, 2010, 01:49:48 AM »
Daryl you seem to prefer the denum. Do you always wash the new material to "loosen" it up before shooting it. I bought some blue stripe heavier ticking today and it mic. at .025 at the store. Took it home and washed it once, it seemed to loosen the fabric up a little and measured .020 when dry. Did this with some linen fabric once and got same result

Daryl

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #20 on: February 01, 2010, 03:09:40 AM »
The material has sizing in it. Washing removes the sizing and makes the cloth softer and nicer to handle.  If it's still stiff after washing, the material usually has something other than cotton in it.  I've had fabric lose a lot of thickness, and I've had it lose very little. Depends on the make or brand, I guess.  Different weaves will lose more or less, as well.  Every material that remained hard or stiff, failed the bic test.
Washing doesn't loosen it up, unless you mean making it softer. 

Offline WaterFowl

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #21 on: February 01, 2010, 04:06:32 AM »
Best place local here chain store called Joannes---red white ticking.016- Blue and white .020- 40 cotton drill .027 4.99 to 6.99 per yard--wash and dry twice...Good to go!...Fowl

William Worth

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #22 on: February 01, 2010, 06:01:52 PM »
I like the stuff with stripes so I can cut it in a straighter line.

Offline SCLoyalist

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #23 on: February 01, 2010, 06:19:46 PM »
I made a JoAnn's run over the weekend.  They have two thicknesses of blue striped ticking - mattress and pillow, plus a red/white striped.   After washing, the 'pillow ticking' is .025" uncompressed, and can be squeezed down to .019 or .020.  The 'mattress ticking'  measures .022 thick, compressing down to .015.

I saw the red/white ticking mentioned but I think it measured a bit thinner than I was looking for.

SCL

William Worth

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Re: Real Pillow Ticking
« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2010, 06:47:18 PM »
I have to tell this one on myself.

Last fall, I was going to prepare the best ticking patches ever.  I double washed about a yard and a half of it, triple rinsed it, then got the bright idea of ironing my cut strips and hanging them to dry like jerky.

I should have noticed something was wrong and stopped.  Our ironing board and iron are so saturated with starch, that they ended up "resized" much worse than they started out.  They're like loading with potato chips.  :P