STEP BY STEP NAPTHA BATH

[25B]

If your new 7X is the 7 1/8 long oval recently sold, it might arrive in better shape than you expect. Hope that is the case and hope you enjoy it!

It's not. I didn't get one single offer from anyone on here.

I'm going to buy the stuff I need on my way home today. I do have a fair amount of tools and equipment already due to my other hobbies (leatherwork, etc.) so it's not a huge investment. I have nitrile gloves, full face protection, etc. so all I really need is the white gas, an appropriate size container, and a respirator. Have a large backyard away from any flame sources, etc. Already have Pecards, white saddle soap, Lexol, pure neatsfoot oil, and Hydrophane, so I'm all set on protecting the sweat band.

I'll try to post before and after pics once I get it finished. I like a very low crown though, as well as the cattleman crease, so I am sure most will not care for it...but they're not going to wear it so that's ok.

Thanks.

 

[FedOregon]

Here are some pics of my Champ, Before and After, having only used distilled white vinegar, applied liberally, with a toothbrush... after drying I brushed the hat with a hat sponge and a horsehair hat brush... the dried vinegar does leave edge spotting when it dries, just like a spot remover would. But it brushes right out with just the hat brush. The brushing with vinegar/toothbrush also seems to revitalize the felt, bring back the velvety character that was lost over the years.

The hat turned out so well I almost decided to not use the white gas, but the hat now sits in the "bucket" with 3 gallons of white gas/camp stove fuel. $7.87/gallon at WalMart... although the Coleman was there, too, at $12.44.

Before, After:

Before, After:

Before, After:

Before, Afer:

Before, After:

.

 

[alanfgag]

It's not. I didn't get one single offer from anyone on here.

I did not notice your WTB ads. I was referring to the 7XCB that recently sold on eBay.

 

[buler]

I'll chime in one more time with my experience. I believe I've already posted this a couple of times. I don't agree with the submerge and swish method. For those that have done this you know how dirty the naptha gets (rather quickly). So if you let the hat sit and dirt comes off in the naptha, you then spread that dirt back onto the hat by swishing. I also tired of how much naptha the submerge method used and the filtering of it when putting it back into the can(s). So now I use the method of brushing the hat with naptha to clean it. Using eye protection and a respirator, I put the hat on an appropriately sized block and brush the whole hat evenly with naptha. Once all of the felt is saturated I scrub with a brush (dipping it in naptha) and letting it drain off into a container. Uses way less naptha and the hats get as clean, or cleaner, if you believe my swish theory.

My .02 cents.

B

 

[Frunobulax]

I'll chime in one more time with my experience. I believe I've already posted this a couple of times. I don't agree with the submerge and swish method. For those that have done this you know how dirty the naptha gets (rather quickly). So if you let the hat sit and dirt comes off in the naptha, you then spread that dirt back onto the hat by swishing. I also tired of how much naptha the submerge method used and the filtering of it when putting it back into the can(s). So now I use the method of brushing the hat with naptha to clean it. Using eye protection and a respirator, I put the hat on an appropriately sized block and brush the whole hat evenly with naptha. Once all of the felt is saturated I scrub with a brush (dipping it in naptha) and letting it drain off into a container. Uses way less naptha and the hats get as clean, or cleaner, if you believe my swish theory.

My .02 cents.

B

I think your swish theory is correct, but can be dealt with. Find a way to keep your hat off the bottom of the bucket (I purchased one of those metal pizza warming racks). Then the sediment settles below that and your hat sits above it. Don't swish immediately before removing.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Frunobulax]

I'll try to post before and after pics once I get it finished. I like a very low crown though, as well as the cattleman crease, so I am sure most will not care for it...but they're not going to wear it so that's ok.

Thanks.

Don't sell us short, 25. While not prevalent, we have our share of cattleman wearers and they are just fine.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Rogera]

thanks Roger
I sure am glad I took a shot
almost like getting a glimpse of what it may have looked like 80 something years ago

Yeah it looks like that ribbon and brim break cleaned up real nice

 

[25B]

I did not notice your WTB ads. I was referring to the 7XCB that recently sold on eBay.

That one was a mid oval...not L.O.

 

[Bob Roberts]

That one was a mid oval...not L.O.

Guess he told you.

 

[25B]

Guess he told you.

I wasn't trying to be facetious. I was just pointing out it wasn't a L.O...which is a shame because my head is definitely L.O.-shaped.

 

[Bob Roberts]

I wasn't trying to be facetious. I was just pointing out it wasn't a L.O...which is a shame because my head is definitely L.O.-shaped.

Guess it just comes natural.

 

[Redfokker]

I think your swish theory is correct, but can be dealt with. Find a way to keep your hat off the bottom of the bucket (I purchased one of those metal pizza warming racks). Then the sediment settles below that and your hat sits above it. Don't swish immediately before removing.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

+1 The same method is needed when you wash your car, letting the dirt settle under a screen so you don't end up sand papering your car finish.

 

[FedOregon]

Here are some pics post naptha/white gas cleaning. There was indeed some dirt and other junk in the bottom of my bucket this time, but I'm not sure the extra step was really needed because I had already done a bunch with the white vinegar. Another way to look at it would be to say I should have skipped the messing around with the vinegar and just jumped in with the naptha to begin with.

As @Cane Rod Maker stated above, I also believe the liner faded a bit from my soaking in oxyclean, laundry soap and white vinegar. Another case for just plopping the whole thing into the naptha right from the start.

I got some Lexol and boy did the sweat soak up a bunch of it! Better maybe to apply the Lexol prior to the naptha bath?

So, now the entire hat is cleaner and I have to say I think the remaining stains stick out more, LOL! Anyway, because of the mothing, remaining stains, and maybe the need for a new sweat down the road (the unreeded sweat is loosing more of the attachment threads every time I move the sweat... yes, I'll stop touching the sweat!), this one will remain a go-to beater. Which is sad because it's likely the oldest hat I own and I wish it could be brought back completely.

Most people won't notice the stains, especially from a couple feet away, and the pics don't show them as well either.

I neglected to post this shot of the sweat before. I've not seen this on my other Champ hats.

.

 

[Frunobulax]

I think it looks pretty good, Doug.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[RJR]

I think it looks pretty good, Doug.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

+1

 

[moontheloon]

looks great Doug ... nice work

 

[FedOregon]

looks great Doug ... nice work

Thank you. I was impressed how nicely the treatment worked on your Stetson No. 1 Quality hat.

 

[moontheloon]

Thank you. I was impressed how nicely the treatment worked on your Stetson No. 1 Quality hat.

I was as well ... one thing I did notice just yesterday was that the material where the thread attaches the reed to the felt became a little more dry than I like ... not to the point of damage or anything ... but it is more dry than it was before the process

something to keep in mind

 

[FedOregon]

I noticed that, too, after cleaning my hat. I applied the Lexol to the threads as much as possible, as well as the leather sweat. I should have applied the Lexol before the cleaning, too. My sweat was really dry after the naptha bath.

 

[FedOregon]

I'm thinking - from my experiences - that your basic dirty hat doesn't need a real long soak time. It looks to me that the bulk off the dirt comes right off in minutes, negating the need for long soaks. I dunked and scrubbed 2 hats this morning, a grey Champ I got last year, and the thin ribbon Royal Stetson @Wesslyn sent me. No real stains to speak of but the hats were dirty from years of use and storage. A 3rd hat was simply dunked and swished around, a longhair Borsalino direct from our resident expert, Daniele.

As the hats sit drying outside, they look real clean. I'll get a better look once they're finished drying and airing out. Soaking up 3 hats consumed maybe a quart of the white gas/naptha. I could have thrown in another hat this morning, but I was getting tired of the process so I called it a day... pics to follow.

Oh, I did apply Lexol to both sides of the sweats for the first two hats. The Borsa had a glued in liner and it just came out in the process so it's drying atop an old 2 liter soda bottle... I use the bottoms of old water/milk jugs for drying posts for the hats. Wors pretty well!

The whole process, including cleaning up and putting everything away, took about an hour and about 15 minutes... and the hats are drying out back now. Not bad for first thing in the morning.