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[Hat and Rehat]

On the marching front....I live in Canada with a wife of Ukrainian descent (born in Canada). A few years back she joined the Ulster Marching Accordian Band . They were a big hit hereabouts in the local MayDay parades etc. So here I was a son of Ulster watching my Ukrainian heritage wife march in what should have been my band....except I could not play the accordian. No they did not wear bowlers but damn they looked good in their powder blue and red uniforms. I always envied the guy that got to whack the huge Lambeg drum.
What appeals to me (and I am very surprised by this) about Orthodoxy is that it is 98% liturgy based. Our priest gives a very short homily during the service but blink and you miss it. It is the same liturgy as delivered back in the 4thCentury. So it appeals to my conservative nature....you can't get much more conservative than going back 1600+ years. They do recognize Mary but do not venerate her as do the RC's.
There is much ritual. The choir is a huge part of the service and in our cathedral they sound like angels. The call and response from priest and choir often sends chills down my spine. It truly is heavenly.

I was a fan of the Rev Ian Paisley and he represented a more dour, severe strain of Ulster Presbyterianism but the dude had a style....and I am a sucker for the Ulster accent. I do miss the singing of the old time hymns but in my last milder non credal Protestant light church they changed the lyrics. It drove my wife nuts when I would belt out the original lyrics refusing to change to suit the kinder and gentler times. I still consider myself a 'wretch' and would sing it extra loud instead of the more politically correct 'soul'. Tis' a journey and at this point in it Orthodoxy fits well.....it just seems right and I don't bother my rational mind in the attempt to figure it out. I accept it as a fit and enjoy it all.

Good marching story. I was probably soured on liturgy in my Lutheran upbringing when I basically recited it by rote and the content didn't sink in, lest I might not have gone down the atheist path. In movies I sometimes see the elegant cathedrals and robed choirs, so I understand the draw. I understand Orthoxy also focuses very much on the community of the body , something difficult to do these days when a congregation might be spread from suburbs at every point of the compass. Inserting modern choruses into Hymns set my teeth on edge. I usually just grumbled about it in my heart. I blame it on the rise of the Christian pop music industry and the idea held by many that it's more Chistian to listen to that, even when it's often contentless and vapid, or even bad, than secular music. I refuse to listen to those stations and also like a Hymnal in my hands instead of seeing a screen between the waving hands of the people in front of me ;-).
PM me if you'd like to continue this discussion sometime. I find it interesting
We better give the thread back to people with hat questions.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I have just ordered 3 Long Oval blocks from a guy in Poland. They are to match a set of vintage LO flanges I picked up. He advised that he allows for a gap of 5mm to allow for the felt thickness. I have toyed with the idea of making my own so would welcome any tips on the 'how'. I have found a block maker in the UK that makes just a domed topper for much cheaper that I was thinking of adapting to fit onto a flat topped block. This way I can have blocks to fit the smaller sized heads that cannot justify the higher cost of a wooden block in a popular size. I can make just the flat topped block but it is the artistry of hand carving the top to get the slight dome that vexes me.

Thanks. That's what I needed. Start looking around for woven straw hats at the thrift store. I mainly am aiming at blocks in multiple sizes with a 51 or 52 profile. In women's hats there are actually quite a few out there, usually with 3 or 3 1/2" downslopind brims. I'm going to experiment with braided straw too, but hold out much more hope for the woven ones. I think I'm going to try to market them, but plan to share it with the Lounge if it works. With a band block, fiberglass resin and some other structural work so they can be used on a spinner i believe I have the beginning of four blocks there, 5" and 5 1/2 tall.

 

[belfastboy]

Thanks. That's what I needed. Start looking around for woven straw hats at the thrift store. I mainly am aiming at blocks in multiple sizes with a 51 or 52 profile. In women's hats there are actually quite a few out there, usually with 3 or 3 1/2" downslopind brims. I'm going to experiment with braided straw too, but hold out much more hope for the woven ones. I think I'm going to try to market them, but plan to share it with the Lounge if it works. With a band block, fiberglass resin and some other structural work so they can be used on a spinner i believe I have the beginning of four blocks there, 5" and 5 1/2 tall.

I searched the market and settled on this guy in Poland. The ones he shows online are wood and are beautiful.....worked out about the same price as the 3D printed plastic ones that guys here on the Lounge have purchased from an Etsy site in NY. There are others made of various materials other than wood but they were all about the same price. The big question is how they hold up to the repeated heat of the steam/heat of the felt.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Well, my solvent drum arrived. I was so excited about the diameter that I didn't think through the other dimensions. I might have to build another shed. Maybe I should start a gas bath business. Postage probably wouldn't make it worthwhile for you all to farm work to me though.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I searched the market and settled on this guy in Poland. The ones he shows online are wood and are beautiful.....worked out about the same price as the 3D printed plastic ones that guys here on the Lounge have purchased from an Etsy site in NY. There are others made of various materials other than wood but they were all about the same price. The big question is how they hold up to the repeated heat of the steam/heat of the felt.

I've seen that guys ad. His prices seemed pretty righteous. Update me when they arrive.

 

[belfastboy]

I've seen that guys ad. His prices seemed pretty righteous. Update me when they arrive.

It will likely be another 4 weeks before I see them.

 

[The Shoe]

Many years ago I was involved in live theatre and hats were problematic. I created a character for an improv group and it seemed to me that wearing a hat was integral to the character. However, wearing it lower on the brow put my entire face in shadow and killed many expressions. Pushing the hat back on the head gave off the wrong vibe....from serious/menacing to flip/insouciant. The compromise was each time the character entered the room he would doff the cap and toss it on the table.

That’s alright. I struggle with the menacing look anyhow. Any time I try, I just get laughed at!

 

[Hat and Rehat]

That’s alright. I struggle with the menacing look anyhow. Any time I try, I just get laughed at!

Acting classes.

 

[belfastboy]

Well, my solvent drum arrived. I was so excited about the diameter that I didn't think through the other dimensions. I might have to build another shed. Maybe I should start a gas bath business. Postage probably wouldn't make it worthwhile for you all to farm work to me though. View attachment 224258

I am reading the Scientific Hat Refinishing book from 1919. Just finished the part where he recommends a shed separate from the shop to house the gasoline bath....oh, and the part about keeping folks with lit cigarettes away from it....well that is some sage advice.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I am reading the Scientific Hat Refinishing book from 1919. Just finished the part where he recommends a shed separate from the shop to house the gasoline bath....oh, and the part about keeping folks with lit cigarettes away from it....well that is some sage advice.

I own a very dog eared copy.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I have toyed with the idea of making my own so would welcome any tips on the 'how'. I have found a block maker in the UK that makes just a domed topper for much cheaper that I was thinking of adapting to fit onto a flat topped block. This way I can have blocks to fit the smaller sized heads that cannot justify the higher cost of a wooden block in a popular size. I can make just the flat topped block but it is the artistry of hand carving the top to get the slight dome that vexes me.

I thought I should suggest this after thinking back on your topper idea. Using 3/4" plywood that I had around (I wouldn't suggest plywood -- too heavy) I expirimented with gluing and clamping it into rectangular blocks of wood and making hat blocks from them. To rough out my shapes I used a small angle grinder and a fairly new type of 'blade" that is a chainsaw cutter on a 4" disk. It took material off very quickly to get my rough profile. From that I went to a belt sander to get closer and smooth them, then a random orbital disk sander. I finished up hand sanding. I since then I bought about $500 worth of poplar boards off of a cull rack for $82 and plan to try again using that. I've ordered a spoke shave that I'll use between the orbital and hand sanding. That might be a way to carve toppers for a flat block.

 

[belfastboy]

I thought I should suggest this after thinking back on your topper idea. Using 3/4" plywood that I had around (I wouldn't suggest plywood -- too heavy) I expirimented with gluing and clamping it into rectangular blocks of wood and making hat blocks from them. To rough out my shapes I used a small angle grinder and a fairly new type of 'blade" that is a chainsaw cutter on a 4" disk. It took material off very quickly to get my rough profile. From that I went to a belt sander to get closer and smooth them, then a random orbital disk sander. I finished up hand sanding. I since then I bought about $500 worth of poplar boards off of a cull rack for $82 and plan to try again using that. I've ordered a spoke shave that I'll use between the orbital and hand sanding. That might be a way to carve toppers for a flat block.

I am getting a quote for the domed toppers out of the UK. Should be about $50 each shipped. Then I may experiment with carving some flanges to make a certain style of ladies hat. I think it is possible to make one and have it useable for 2 if not 3 different block sizes. I can pick up fir & hemlock here fairly cheaply but it is a case of finding pieces without too many knots.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I am getting a quote for the domed toppers out of the UK. Should be about $50 each shipped. Then I may experiment with carving some flanges to make a certain style of ladies hat. I think it is possible to make one and have it useable for 2 if not 3 different block sizes. I can pick up fir & hemlock here fairly cheaply but it is a case of finding pieces without too many knots.

My first two (and only) fabricated flanges are Douglas fir. I like to start cheap and not toss away too much money when I inevitably learn things the hard way. The fir has a pronounced, wide grain. It splinters easily sawing and sanding will remove the softer light wood, leaving the darker grain proud. It's good to practice on but I think you'll find they're only good for heavier felts that won't show the ripples.

 

[SteveFord]

Has anyone had any luck with whitening yellowed brim binding on really old hats? I've got a couple that look like they spent a couple of decades in a smokey tavern. I've tried distilled water with lemon juice but that didn't do anything.
Thanks in advance.

 

[belfastboy]

Has anyone had any luck with whitening yellowed brim binding on really old hats? I've got a couple that look like they spent a couple of decades in a smokey tavern. I've tried distilled water with lemon juice but that didn't do anything.
Thanks in advance.

I have limited experience but have never had any luck removing stains, verdigris or any other thing from binding.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Has anyone dealt with Tumwater Hats recently? I can’t remember the last new build of his that’s been shown here. I’m thinking of having him make me a hat and was looking for some opinions on his current work.

Thanks in advance.

 

[belfastboy]

Has anyone dealt with Tumwater Hats recently? I can’t remember the last new build of his that’s been shown here. I’m thinking of having him make me a hat and was looking for some opinions on his current work.

Thanks in advance.

Is he still in the biz even?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Is he still in the biz even?

His website is still up. I’ll give him a call on Monday. I’d like to try a new hatter. His bow work can be extravagant, but I’m thinking of something more conservative.

http://tumwaterhat.com/index.html

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Has anyone had any luck with whitening yellowed brim binding on really old hats? I've got a couple that look like they spent a couple of decades in a smokey tavern. I've tried distilled water with lemon juice but that didn't do anything.
Thanks in advance.

Leaving them

Has anyone had any luck with whitening yellowed brim binding on really old hats? I've got a couple that look like they spent a couple of decades in a smokey tavern. I've tried distilled water with lemon juice but that didn't do anything.
Thanks in advance.

I've lightened them some scrubbing with a brush in a gas bath of the entire hat. Be gentle though. I have also started a brim tear along the stitch perforations on one early Open Road.

 

[Dent]

G'day

I was wondering what type of hat Fred is wearing in this photo?