The Conversion Corral

[T Jones]

This one should be a show piece Terry. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks, Red. It has some minor felt flaws but it should still come out nice, nonetheless.

 

[moontheloon]

really looking forward to seeing what you do with this one

that felt is quite nice

 

[T Jones]

Here's the Stetson 4X that moon gave me. It's almost finished. All I have left to do is to let it dry from where I spritzed it damp with water to crease it, (that's why it looks a little splotchy in the one pic. It'll dry nice and evenly, though). It's already creased and flanged and I'll be sewing on this dark brown 1 1/2 ribbon that I scavenged off of the Premier Whippet that I recently finished. I'm trying to go for something like Alan Ladd's "China" fedora. Again, this one has a 5 3/4 Open crown. It's creased in a Tear Drop, 4 3/4 at the pinch with the rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim is 2 5/8 inches wide...

Alan Ladd's' "China" hat

 

[T Jones]

Finally got the ribbon sewn on this 4X Stetson conversion, the ribbon I scavenged from the Premier Whippet, (so, it's not my bow work ). The pictures are terrible. It's been raining with thunderstorms here all morning and I don't have decent lighting to get good enough pictures. They'll have to do for now...

It has a 5 3/4 open crown, creased to 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4. I gave it my usual Teardrop crease, for the particular look I favor. I went with a 2 5/8 brim this time around.

 

[bond]

Here's a cream colored vintage Stetson 3X I recently restored. Had some minor surface mothing on brim bottom and some staining over cattlemans crease. Took the hat apart to pounce the felt and washed it a couple times to lessen the yellowing. Also resized it up to 7 1/2 from 1/4 while maintaining 3 1/4 brim width. Added a different vintage ribbon as original was a thin single ply type.

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[Redfokker]

Here's a cream colored vintage Stetson 3X I recently restored. Had some minor surface mothing on brim bottom and some staining over cattlemans crease. Took the hat apart to pounce the felt and washed it a couple times to lessen the yellowing. Also resized it up to 7 1/2 from 1/4 while maintaining 3 1/4 brim width. Added a different vintage ribbon as original was a thin single ply type.

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Very nice work! Impressive Bond.

 

[RJR]

Very nice work! Impressive Bond.

+1

 

[Windsock8e]

A (very basic!) question :

- if I use a hat which is 1/8 too big, can I make it smaller to fit and how? do I reblock? Or can someone point me to the right thread please?

 

[moontheloon]

A (very basic!) question :

- if I use a hat which is 1/8 too big, can I make it smaller to fit and how? do I reblock? Or can someone point me to the right thread please?

Reduction tape under the sweat
Pieces about 2 inches long placed at 11 and 1 o'clock

 

[Windsock8e]

Reduction tape under the sweat
Pieces about 2 inches long placed at 11 and 1 o'clock

Thanks Moon! I realise that typing questions in the middle of the night (for me) is not the best plan... what my question should have been was:

If I have a very battered old hat which is about 1/8 to 1/4 size bigger (exact size is unclear) than mine amd I would like to try and refresh or revive it, is the right way to change the size down to reblock it, or is the answer still the same - reduction tape?

My skill and ability to do this is a different issue, but a 5$ all but dead Borsalino seems as good a place as any to start, although open to recommendations on where to start. I am about half-way through this thread and enjoying Scientific Hat Renovating.

Thanks and my apologies for the ambiguity of my original question - darn foxes were fighting in the street and set off car alarms at 3 am!

 

[T Jones]

Thanks Moon! I realise that typing questions in the middle of the night (for me) is not the best plan... what my question should have been was:

If I have a very battered old hat which is about 1/8 to 1/4 size bigger (exact size is unclear) than mine amd I would like to try and refresh or revive it, is the right way to change the size down to reblock it, or is the answer still the same - reduction tape?

My skill and ability to do this is a different issue, but a 5$ all but dead Borsalino seems as good a place as any to start, although open to recommendations on where to start. I am about half-way through this thread and enjoying Scientific Hat Renovating.

Thanks and my apologies for the ambiguity of my original question - darn foxes were fighting in the street and set off car alarms at 3 am!

If you have a hat that can be made nice, and if you don't think your skill set is where it needs to be just yet, you may do better by sending it to one of the hatters here on the Lounge. They would have the tools and skills to rebuild a nice hat for you, especially if it's a Borsalino. In the meantime you can continue learning the art and collecting the tools you need for when you're ready to put your skills to work.

 

[Windsock8e]

If you have a hat that can be made nice, and if you don't think your skill set is where it needs to be just yet, you may do better by sending it to one of the hatters here on the Lounge. They would have the tools and skills to rebuild a nice hat for you, especially if it's a Borsalino. In the meantime you can continue learning the art and collecting the tools you need for when you're ready to put your skills to work.

Thanks - that may be a wiser option with respect to the Borsalino as indeed, I do not have any tools (although I do have paint cans and bubble wrap which I decided to keep rather than throw.... still) and the skill is also of an unknown quality.
I would love to be able to send a hat to one of the Hatters on the Lounge, but I can someone in the UK or Europe make themselves known then? Shipping and import duties from the US add up!

 

[Frunobulax]

Thanks - that may be a wiser option with respect to the Borsalino as indeed, I do not have any tools (although I do have paint cans and bubble wrap which I decided to keep rather than throw.... still) and the skill is also of an unknown quality.
I would love to be able to send a hat to one of the Hatters on the Lounge, but I can someone in the UK or Europe make themselves known then? Shipping and import duties from the US add up!

@EstherWeis. I'm not sure if she does conversions/repairs, but if not, she'll steer you right.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[T Jones]

Thanks - that may be a wiser option with respect to the Borsalino as indeed, I do not have any tools (although I do have paint cans and bubble wrap which I decided to keep rather than throw.... still) and the skill is also of an unknown quality.
I would love to be able to send a hat to one of the Hatters on the Lounge, but I can someone in the UK or Europe make themselves known then? Shipping and import duties from the US add up!

I did a fairly decent conversion once using a paint can and bubble wrap.

 

[Windsock8e]

@T-Jones I think I may have got the inspiration/idea from you in one of your earlier posts . Other question: I have read of people using a ball (tennis? golf? ping pong ?) when steaming hats out back to open crown in the absence of a block - tennis ball?

OK - maybe I should just get on with things and see what happens.

 

[RJR]

@T-Jones I think I may have got the inspiration/idea from you in one of your earlier posts . Other question: I have read of people using a ball (tennis? golf? ping pong ?) when steaming hats out back to open crown in the absence of a block - tennis ball?

OK - maybe I should just get on with things and see what happens.

Give it a shot;you won't hurt the felt.

 

[EstherWeis]

Thanks - that may be a wiser option with respect to the Borsalino as indeed, I do not have any tools (although I do have paint cans and bubble wrap which I decided to keep rather than throw.... still) and the skill is also of an unknown quality.
I would love to be able to send a hat to one of the Hatters on the Lounge, but I can someone in the UK or Europe make themselves known then? Shipping and import duties from the US add up!

Hello

I'm in Belgium. I have done conversions in the past.

 

[Windsock8e]

@EstherWeis Bonjour - Belgium is good, no customs duties pending Brexit! J'y vais pour le travail périodiquement, but mainly Bruxelles. Will be in touch separately. Thanks !


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[TheDane]

@T-Jones I think I may have got the inspiration/idea from you in one of your earlier posts . Other question: I have read of people using a ball (tennis? golf? ping pong ?) when steaming hats out back to open crown in the absence of a block - tennis ball?

OK - maybe I should just get on with things and see what happens.

I've several times used a soup-ladle. Works really great. Soup-ladle on the inside of the crown - and then you can roll a (cylindrical) glass over the steamed felt on the outside

 

[DOGMAN]

@T-Jones I think I may have got the inspiration/idea from you in one of your earlier posts . Other question: I have read of people using a ball (tennis? golf? ping pong ?) when steaming hats out back to open crown in the absence of a block - tennis ball?

OK - maybe I should just get on with things and see what happens.

When I first started doing conversions,I used a hand ball to work westerns into open crown.Still do it that way if I don't have the right size block.