How Do You Cut Your Paper Patches?

[Treetop]

I'm using the method described by Paul Matthews in his excellent book, The Paper Jacket. This is the one aspect of paper patching that I consider drudgery. There has to be a better, faster, or more efficient way... So what is your way? Thanks. Tt.

[scrapcan]

paper cutter with a sharp cutting blade. Align the grain and cut strips then cu the strips at the angle and length required by the template.

[Treetop]

Hmm... A paper cutter...? I may have to see how much one of those costs. Tt.

[scrapcan]

you might see them listed as paper trimmers.

something on this line
http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...-Lite-Trimmer/

I am using a surplus piece of equipment that was being discarded. it was being thrown out due to being dull. actually it was out of adjustment and a quick touch up with a small stone made it right. You might ask around thrift stores/salvation army/etc...

[pdawg_shooter]

I use a paper cutter. Staple 10 sheets together at each strip and cut the strips. Then cut the patches from the strips 10 at a time.

[Treetop]

Thanks, manlyjt, I just went to my local Office Depot and bought that exact paper trimmer! This should speed things up considerably!

pdawg_shooter, thanks for your input also. How many sheets at a time was going to be my next question, but you answered it for me.

[pdawg_shooter]

Takes little time to cut a couple hundred patches this way. When I get started I keep going till I have a zip lock bag full of them. Takes a lot of lead before you need to do it again and the bags keep the patches clean and dry. I use the freezer bags and label them with the diameter of the bullet they are for.

[CJR]

I load lots of PPCB at one sitting and use a paper cutter and a technique like pdawg shooter/Matthews. They're stored in clear plastic peanut butter containers that have been cleaned. Works for me.

Best regards,

CJR

[scrapcan]

CJR,

sounds like you may eat a bit of Peanut Butter as well as load lots of PPCB. Both are good uses of ones time in my book. Just wash your hands between events..

[docone31]

I cut the strips from notebook paper, or computer paper, the 8 X 11 variant, across the width in 1" strips. I took a venetian blind, cut it to length I had rolled out by hand. This piece of blind, I cut a 45* on one end, then an opposite 45* on the other. Then, when I roll the patches, if they are a tad too long, I cut the piece of venetian blind to match what I am getting in patches length.
Once I have determined the length I reliabley need, that then becomes my template. I have one for three wraps, then one for two lengths.
Works for me.

[UPEgger]

I use the Martin/Yale Premier paper trimmer. It has a paper clamp bar that keeps things nicely positioned for the cuts. After cutting the correct size strips I staple about 5 or 6 together(on one end) and use my template to cut the proper angle and length. One of these days I will install an angle cutting board on the paper cutter, as per Paul Mathews instructions.

[geargnasher]

I use an OfficeMax house-brand guillotine cutter. I mark 1" increments across the edge of the sheet, staple firmly in the middle of each strip near the edge of the sheet, cut out the strips, then mount a strip of hardwood per Matthews' design across the cutter at a 35 degree angle, line my five-thick paper strips up with length marks I made on the woode guide strip, hold the paper firmly, and whack the ends off to produce five finished patches at a time.

It doesn't take long at all to make a thousand accurate patches that way.

Gear

[barrabruce]

My template and scissors individually off a strip of paper.

Or I can cut a whole packet of cig papers with the template with a razor sharp knife and put them back in the pack for a dispenser.


Guess I'm slow!!!!!
Barra

[zuke]

Here's my cutting board after a lot of thought.
The yellow line's are a stick on measuring tape I picked up on ebay.
The angle at the bottom is self explanitory.
The number's on the side are to make sure I cut at the right distance.

[303Guy]

Mine are curved. I print them off a CAD drawing and cut 'em out individually with scissors. I guess I'm slow too! When I settle on the final boolit and patch I'll make a punch set. One day.

[Treetop]

These are some great ideas, guys. Thanks for sharing them. Tt.

[6.5 mike]

I'm still doing it caveman style, 1 step at a time with shears & a ruler. Trick is I do most of them while on the boat getting paid,lol.

[BrentD]

I do it like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM23a_tbE-M

[no34570]

Mine are curved. I print them off a CAD drawing and cut 'em out individually with scissors. I guess I'm slow too! When I settle on the final boolit and patch I'll make a punch set. One day.

303Guy
Do you have an some you could share?or do you need the CAD program to use it?
Like one for the .303,as I seem to not be able to get anywhere with mine?

[303Guy]

Yes indeed. Well, not on hand but I could make some.

Because each 303B has a slightly if not hugely individual chamber shape, I make a boolit to fit each one. There is some overlap however. Two of my guns accept the same casting but with slightly different thickness paper. Another accepts the came casting but not pushed as far into my two diameter, tapered sizer die.

All this means the patches are tailored to each boolit. If you tell me the boolit dimensions I can quickly design a patch to suite and email you the page with a whole bunch ready to cut out. The sizes I need are the boolit front diameter where the patch will start, the boolit base diameter and the distance between the the two. Intended seating depth is good two as that line assists with aligning the patch and it shows how deep the boolit is seated. I measure with a micrometer with a single wrap of the intended paper but the paper thickness on it's own will do.