Does anyone sell a cutting die for making patches? I imagine they wouldn't be much different than a feather chopper for archery.

thanks

calgarychef1,
scroll down a few posts.......I had a question for you on one of your old ones.

I've seen such things in the past, but if you use a short starter and a patch knife you can use a much easier to work with strip of patch fabric and cut them perfectly round and concentric each time.

I made one out of a cheapy hole saw with the teeth ground off. You can use a hand or drill press to final sharpen and cutting. I use my Bridgeport and a block of wood and can cut multiple layers of pillow ticking at once. Boon

http://possibleshop.com/patch.htm

Did a little searching after you mentioned it, always interested in .22 and .30 cal. patches myself......r in s.

I've gone quite a few different directions with the patch cutter idea.
As a machinist, I've been exposed to countless designs of special tooling and I've taken from that experience in my pursuit for the ideal patch cutting system.

Something to note is that each of my rifles that run patched roundball perform best with different patch material.
Each or these patch materials look completely different from each other, for instance one of the rifles shoots best with a certain brown and white denim, another one likes thin pillow ticking.
I carry a relatively large piece of appropriate material as well as pre-cut strips of it in my possibles bag while in the field, a dispenser of patch lube, and one of those handy disposable razor knives with the blade scored into sections for quick and easy refresh of the cutting edge, like this...



I cut each patch to fit at the muzzle, doesn't seem to slow me down a bit and the knife is very handy for lots of other things while out in the field.
My winter black bear was completely caped out with one of these, and there was plenty of blade left over for more hunts and skinning jobs.

I've totally abandoned the patch punch fabrication and development exercises, but I admit that some of the punches I'd made have ended up being useful for cutting overpowder cards and wads for cartridge reloading.

Give one of these little razor knives a try. They're cheap and available at almost any hardware store.
Cape an animal with one some time too. I've found them to be much better than even the best, sharpest skinning knives.


--Tinker

Mid Way USA sells a die.

Use Google to search for "arch punch" (no quotation marks). Also do the same on E-Bay: You want one ~1" - 1.25", but it's so much easier to cut 1" (or 1.25") squares with a scissors.

What about a punch and felt to make wads for the cap n ball's??

Store bought is outrageous. $12.50/100.
No way for this kid.

Thanks for the suggestions,
George

pm sent

You can make your own cheap die....get yourself a piece of galvanized electric conduit that matches the size of your patch and file or grind it sharp then put your patch matieral on a pine 2x4 and hit with a hammer.

Howdy,
Just thought let you know.. Forster made one called "Patch Cutter", a hand one .. cuts 1 1/4 " dia patches.. Part # PC1000 . I own one & its a lil tricky to get used to, but works.

Short starter and a patch knife. I find cotton twill in the fabric stores, actually take in a verneer caliper and measure thickness.

Rip the twill into strips, grease the end, short starter on the ball flush with the muzzle and cut it with a patch knife.

Anything else is just too damned much technology.