Dark felt after sanding...

[Aureliano]

I need help here.: I lightly sanded a moth nibble from a hat.
The hole is gone but the felt on that area turned slightly darker (gray) than the rest of the hat. I managed, by sanding the felt "against the grain" to level the color but not entirely. Is there anything else that I can do to correct this issue? My wife says it is barely even noticealble. But my OCD says otherwise.
Many thanks!

 

[Carlisle Blues]

My OCD says


worthlesswithoutpics lol lol lol

 

[J.T.Marcus]

It sounds like the surface felt might have lightened due to sun bleaching and/or oxidation. The remedy , therefore would be to sand the rest of the hat.

 

[Aureliano]

I'll post pictures tonight.
J.T the hat is relatively new (not vintage)
so I'm wondering if the elements are to be blamed.
I'll try sanding the rest and see what happens. I'm just afraid of making things worse...

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Easy man do not sand it yet...........

 

[Aureliano]

Dunno what to do![huh] Gene, Deputy any ideas?

 

[munchausen]

Wear it out and expose the area that was sanded? Although it may weather at a similar rate to the rest of the hat leaving you with the same problem... Or is it possible to collect and glue felt from another section of the hat onto the spot?

 

[gtdean48]

Sanding is just additional pouncing so I'm not sure why the felt would get darker unless it was treated with a water repellent & you have removed that layer around the nibble. [huh]

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

That's a strange one, zet'. Not sure how I'd handle it. Hard to say without seeing it in person as photos would probably not show what you're dealing with. I think I'd try a good brushing, then spray/mist the hat with water all over until fairly wet, then dab whole hat with towel and allow to dry. Then, brush again and see.

 

[Aureliano]

It's a Stetson temple. Not brand new but aside from this issue is mint

 

[zetwal]

I agree with Gene's advice. That's where I would start too.

 

[Aureliano]

I'll try that tonight! Thanks Gene, Zetwal; guys.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

It's a Stetson temple. Not brand new but aside from this issue is mint

Eeeeeeee..... That does make the cheese a little more binding. I have read many posts by others who have had zero trouble with Temples getting wet, in fact some use them as rain hats. I, however, experienced a lot of brim distortion/waviness after my Temple got slightly damp in a light shower. My Temple was bought in '08, I think. I straightened it out and I keep it. I would avoid getting mine wet again though, and I wouldn't buy another one.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

I did some research:

"Andykev
03-24-2004, 11:50 AM
The moth bites I have (I like to call them divots, like in golf) seem to do the same thing. I don't sand them. I once asked a hatter how to fix them. He says (no names please..) you use a pin to fluff up the felt in the bottom of the "divot" by picking it up. Then you can "shave" some felt "fuzz" from inside the crown , very gentle scrapings..you'll be amazed at the amount of a fur ball you get. Then put a bit of clear Elmers glue...tiny bit...into the divot and then poke in the fur ball. You can rub it smoothe when dry. I tried this, and it sorta helped, but I was not too agressive. Fedora, if you have "working practice hats" with moth damage..try it. It may work.

Sanding the hole only, IMHO, only weakens the felt and spreads the damage.

I have no idea why the hat hole turns dark. Maybe due to the depth of penetration of the dye when the hat was felted???"



http://www.thefedoralounge.com/archive/index.php/t-653.html

Try not to be too upset. The situation is fixable...

 

[Art Fawcett]

Different stages of pouncing ( sanding) produce different color variations. That's one way to tell where you are on the finish of a new hat. Different grits also make the felt different shades so my advice privately to Aureliano was to go to a finer grit and only sand in the grain direction. That tends to help but not always.
Carlisle, the method Andy quotes works but takes a lot of practice & patience. It's REALLY easy to screw it up. I had to stop doing it because of the time factor plus it doesn't always give a perfect result. On your own hats it's fine, but when I do a hat for someone the expectations are different.

 

[Aureliano]

Thank you, Art. I just got your email. I'll try that and post results.
Thanks CB too. Btw, the moth hole is gone. It wasn't deep. The change in color was the only issue. This thing is making me itchy.

 

[zetwal]

... only sand in the grain direction ...

Does this mean that any sanding of a felt hat should be done only in that direction? That makes sense. I've never had occasion to sand a hat myself. I just want to make sure I'm reading this right in case I ever do.

 

[Aureliano]

Results...

So, I tried what Art suggested. I lightly sanded the spot where the moth nibble was, I did it in the grain direction and for about 15-20 minutes. Sanding, brushing, sanding brushing. It worked! the color is almost (there's only a minuscule spot that only my eyes can spot. Obsessions...oh my word!)
I hope this experience of mine helps others too. A big thanks to all of you guys that contributed with your tips and opinions and specially to Art who took the time to write me back.:eusa_clap

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Glad it worked out - and by doing this thread, several of us have learned a thing or two. Thanks!!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

This has been a great thread. Art, thanks for mentioning the direction of the nap.