Thickness Chart

[Alan in WI]

Does anyone have a paper thickness guide? I have been searching the internet trying to find one. I found one that gives the thickness of the larger papers, but not one say from 7lb and up.

Thanks

Alan

[pdawg_shooter]

The rule of thumb is to take the weight of the paper divided by 3 times the number of wraps used. 16# divided by 3 =5 x 2 =10. Two wraps will increase bullet diameter by 10 thousands. Finish diameter is what I am concerned with. The thickness of the paper before patching, drying, and shrinkage does not matter much. The rule will vary a little depending on paper, direction of cut (with or across the grain), and how tight you wrap the bullet, but not much.

[docone31]

I like hard paper.
Meade Traceing Paper is a fairly hard paper when wrapped. I have used three wraps with good results.
Notebook paper is also good paper for me. I have used two wraps of notebook paper vs three wraps of Meade and gotten the same results.
computer paper, not the green stuff, eh. Doesn't seem to be "stiff". When sized, it feels "soft".
I still get good groups though.
I size my finished patches. That seems to chane the "hardness" of the wrap.
Meade gets hard as a rock. The computer paper I use now, when sized, does not feel "hard" although it works well.

[Buckshot]

.............This is what I have found to "Generally" be true:

Dress pattern paper = .001" - .0015"
Common translucent tracing paper = .0015"
9 lb, or airmail paper = .002"
16lb, or 'Medium Typng paper" = .003"
20lb typing/bond paper = .004"
24 lb " " " = .0045"

The above is the dry thickness of the paper before wetting and wrapping.

................Buckshot

[bcp477]

If you have a dial or digital micrometer caliper, precise to at least .001", then just measure the paper thickness directly. The only trick to that is to be sure that you are not compressing the paper while measuring it, leading to false readings. Any published data as to paper thickness (or any other manufactured product) will always be what is known as "nominal". This means that the number given is the TARGET value - but the ACTUAL value can vary, plus or minus, based on the production tolerances inherent in the process.

As well, DRY thickness is not necessarily a completely useful value. When paper is wetted, then stretched the small amount it will be as a bullet is wrapped....then allowed to dry....the thickness value for the paper will often be different than expected. Hence, actual experimentation is really the only way to know EXACTLY what a given paper will do, in the end. In my view, dry thickness numbers really only serve as a basis for comparison of papers to be tried - not as any kind of absolute.

[mommicked]

I like to measure 5 (or 10) sheets of paper and divide by 5 (or 10, depending). That way my instrument doesn't have to be as precise, and I get a better 'average'.

[leftiye]

Try a micrometer?