Originally Posted by
yeahbub
Michael, that's a very nice example. Well done. Good photos, too. Sizing them after patching isn't a bad idea, but you may want to see how they chamber and shoot first. It could well be a step you can skip, if they shoot satisfactorily as-is. There's no downside to sizing a patched boolit in my experience. I've heard some comments that it loosens the patch, but when I do it, the paper is a shiny white, hard coating tightly gripping the casting. I haven't noticed much difference between sizing the boolit to bore+ and patching to finished diameter, and sizing one already patched to final diameter. The patch didn't want to stay on? Are you rolling the wet patched boolit hard, with the edge of your hand on a soft surface, like a rubber place mat or some "drawer liner" when you apply the wet patch to tighten it onto the boolit? A textured surface is better than smooth, I've found. You'll know you're getting stretch when the paper starts sucking in at the lube grooves. Tighter is better. I commented about these things on your "paper question" thread so I won't waste space here. YMMV. It all depends on what it takes to get the results you're after.
Accuracy improves with a lubed patch and, yes, they ease the sizing chore. Dry patches are useful for polishing a barrel, but the friction will heat a barrel quickly, though some folks use them and like them.
Two questions:
1. How are you keeping the patches on? I glue the end of the patch down and fold the rest over the heel, which looks like what you're doing. That works, and saves paper over the twisted tail bit. BTW, you mention wanting a bit more on the ogive. Your patch width is good, you can just start the paper about .050 farther up the nose. You'll still have plenty to fold over the heel.
2. I notice the very neat seam you have has a right-hand twist. The Sharps rifles I'm familiar with have a right-hand twist. I mention this because of the possibility of a gas leak burning the patch on the trip down the bore if the seam and rifling align. Not very likely, but possible. It looks like you have a good bit of helix there which will probably be crossed by a land and seal it for sure, but most folks patch with the seam slanted opposite the rifling for insurance. Just a thought.
As for a better way to cut patches, I hope to borrow a camera and lay out the cardboard patch cutting fixture I came up with. No template, just strips of paper and a disposable razor knife. . . . Gotta get a camera.