Sanding felts

[Emilis]

Hello everyone!

Does anyone know if you can do the sanding process (with a sander) with any sort of felt, or just top-notch (like rabbit or beaver) to get the skin-like texture?

Thank you in advance for the answer!

 

[belfastboy]

Hello everyone!

Does anyone know if you can do the sanding process (with a sander) with any sort of felt, or just top-notch (like rabbit or beaver) to get the skin-like texture?
View attachment 228443

Thank you in advance for the answer!

If you google Art Fawcett, YouTube there is a 30 minute video. It condenses his entire process of making a fedora into a 30 minute clip. I have never worked with anything but fur. Wool felt is cheap I suggest you dive into the deep end and find out. I only use hand sanding as time is not an issue and I love the work of sanding a felt...it has a meditative/therapeutic quality to it.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Hello and welcome to the Fedor Lounge - this should go into the Hats section - this is Outerwear section...maybe the Moderators can move it. Just want to help you get the best help possible!

 

[Emilis]

Hello and welcome to the Fedor Lounge - this should go into the Hats section - this is Outerwear section...maybe the Moderators can move it. Just want to help you get the best help possible!

You are right! Only after I posted it I realised that it's in the wrong section..

 

[Emilis]

If you google Art Fawcett, YouTube there is a 30 minute video. It condenses his entire process of making a fedora into a 30 minute clip. I have never worked with anything but fur. Wool felt is cheap I suggest you dive into the deep end and find out. I only use hand sanding as time is not an issue and I love the work of sanding a felt...it has a meditative/therapeutic quality to it.

Could you please tell me which sand paper do you use and why?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

You can’t learn hat making from internet chats and videos. You should apprentice with a good hat maker and learn the craft the right way. If you just want to be a hobbyist hack then that another thing altogether.

A good place to start is reading
Scientific Hat Finishing And Renovating: A Complete And Profusely Illustrated Course Of Instruction (1919).

 

[belfastboy]

You can’t learn hat making from internet chats and videos. You should apprentice with a good hat maker and learn the craft the right way. If you just want to be a hobbyist hack then that another thing altogether.

A good place to start is reading
Scientific Hat Finishing And Renovating: A Complete And Profusely Illustrated Course Of Instruction (1919).

Yes, There are lots of places selling it online but you can get it as a free download...PDF format.

 

[T Jones]

You can’t learn hat making from internet chats and videos. You should apprentice with a good hat maker and learn the craft the right way. If you just want to be a hobbyist hack then that another thing altogether.

A good place to start is reading
Scientific Hat Finishing And Renovating: A Complete And Profusely Illustrated Course Of Instruction (1919).

A "hobbyist hack"?! Hey! I resemble that remark!

 

[belfastboy]

Could you please tell me which sand paper do you use and why?

The lightest I can find around here is 600grit. Some hatters use even finer but I find the 600 is okay...…. then I use an orange hat sponge to finish the felt.

 

[jlee562]

If you spend some time digging around the forum, there are some good posts...

You have raised a lot of questions Lorenzo, with many very good answers from the guys but much of what you are asking is a matter of experience and "feel". I change grit when I know it has reached the best that particular grit can achieve. That takes practice. You do need to be careful not to take too much off as Brent said, the shellac core will start to show through. Please, please, please do NOT use 220 on anything but furniture. I start at 400 and work up to 1200. If you start at the higher grits it will take much longer to get the finish you want but less chance of ruining the felt. As to "singing" ( the correct term for "firing" ) use only an atomizing spray bottle for this. Too large a drop will burn the felt longer that you want. The only purpose for singing is to remove the finest of hairs left after pouncing and normally only on darker colored hats.
Good luck with your learning, it is most frustrating AND rewarding when the hat comes out the way you want. Don't be afraid to fail, I still did right up to my retirement. I cannot count how many hats I've had to throw away and start over with after going too far with it. Part of my success was never letting my clients see those hats

 

[belfastboy]

A "hobbyist hack"?! Hey! I resemble that remark!

I wear my 'hackness' with pride!