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Insight & inspired!
Some fine creations, and cool ribbons too.
Some fine creations, and cool ribbons too.
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The Conversion Corral
- Thread starter Davidson
- Start date
Tango Yankee
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,433
- Location
- Lucasville, OH
These are inspiring!
I bought a Resistol hat on eBay to use in trying my hand at a conversion. I hope it turns out even half as good as yours!
Cheers,
Tom
I bought a Resistol hat on eBay to use in trying my hand at a conversion. I hope it turns out even half as good as yours!
Cheers,
Tom
jimmy the lid
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,647
- Location
- USA
Really nice job, Davidson!
Cheers,
JtL
Cheers,
JtL
Earp
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 135
- Location
- West Michigan, USA
Nice idea for your hat ribbons. Looking forward to your hat conversion walk-through. Thank you for your time and for sharing your stuff.
Walkthough text and question
Included below is rather long text on "refreshing" a cowboy hat. To make the pictures to go with it, I have to buy another hat
First, I anticipate having 15-20 pictures embedded in the text. What's the best and accepted way to do that? Multiple posts? Just put it all in one?
Second, if anyone cares to read the info below and provide comments before the pictures go in, I'd appreciate the feedback. Especially where I make no sense, or say to do something that is a genuinely bad idea:eusa_doh:
Thanks Loungers!
-------------------------------------
Cowboy Hat Hacking Notes
Disclaimers:
1. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR HAT. I have no idea how well it will turn out.
2. I don't expect this DIY fun with ebay hats to give results like a professional.
3. I won't spend more than $50 on a hat I'm going to do this to. If I'm going to spend close to $100, I would prefer a new Akubra. I might trim the brim and/or change the hatband on the Akubra, though
Instructions:
1. Prepare the hat
Comments: Removing the hatband is optional. I replace them, so I take it off to make cleaning and crown shaping easier. Removing the liner is optional. It makes it easier to wash the liner if it needs it. It makes it easier to shape the crown. The rest of the instructions assume the liner and hatband are removed.
Supplies: Seam ripper, small scissors, knife or safety razor blade, tweezers, hat brush.
1.1 Remove the hatband. The hatband is tacked down in a few spot at the base of the crown. Cut the little stitches and work the hatband off the hat. The tweezers can be handy in pulling out the threads left from removing the hatband. Leather hatbands may be glued on. Use a safety razor blade between the felt and the hatband and gentle tugs to get the band off. I don't know how the felt bands that are so common today are attached. If you want to re-use the hatband, take care not to damage it.
1.2 Remove the liner. Turn down the sweatband. The liner is usually held in by a few spots of glue. Don't try to cut the liner loose. Work each glue spot loose by pulling with your fingers on the liner around the glue spot. Try to avoid tearing or stretching the liner. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. Note how the liner was positioned if you want to put it back in later.
1.3 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2. Cut the brim
Comments: First choice to trim the brim is to take it to a store, probably a western wear store, where they have a brim cutter - just measure the brim before you go and be ready to tell them how much to take off. It won't take them 2 minutes. Or, if you want to do it yourself, consider buying a 1/4" brim cutter for your own use ($50?). Last choice is to continue with this step, which is to use scissors to cut the brim, and is the hard way. I start with 2 3/4" brim, and only go down from there slowly and when I am confident I won't regret it.
Supplies: Iron, ironing board, spray bottle with water, cloth for steaming, 60-100 grit sandpaper, ruler or compass, sharp large scissors, flat clean work surface, hat brush.
2.1 Thoroughly brush the hat brim, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2.2 Iron the brim flat. This makes it easier to trim if you are using scissors. Put the hat on the ironing board. Put the iron on medium setting or wool setting. Wet and wring the cloth, fold it, and lay it over part of the brim, covering from crown to brim edge. Iron a section flat, making sure you get some steam and heat going. Rotate the hat and do another section until the brim is fairly flat (it need not be perfect). Give the brim a few minutes to dry.
2.3 Mark the brim just outside the new wanted width. The line won't be perfect, so you want to cut inside the line using the line as a guide. This is a bit tedious to do, just be patient.
2.4 Cut the brim. Try to cut in long curved sweeps, not short straight snips. Rotate the scissors as you cut. Take your time.
2.5 Put the hat on a flat clean surface, like a kitchen table, with part of the brim hanging off. Sand around the edge of the brim to get any bumps and flats out. Use long curved strokes to follow the brim edge. Sand several strokes, rotate the hat, and repeat until you are satisfied, with a nicely curved brim edge all the way around. It takes me 2-3 minutes of sanding.
2.6 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
3. Maintain/preserve the sweatband
Comments: I don't know if this helps preserve the sweatband, but at least I have tried.
Supplies: Lexol or other leather conditioner, clean soft cloth.
3.1 Put some Lexol on a folded cloth. Rub a coat on the finished side of the sweatband (the side you can get to). Try to avoid getting Lexol on the felt.
3.2 Turn down the sweatband. Rub a coat of Lexol into the other (rough) side of the sweatband. It will soak up more than the finished side and turn dark.
3.3 Rest the hat on its crown and let the sweatband dry a while (say 30 minutes). Wipe off any excess Lexol. Turn the sweatband back up.
4. "Wet" cleaning
Comments: If the hat is clean enough for you, you can skip to Step 5, "Shape the crown".
I think the soaking and especially the wet brushing "raises the nap" of the felt. I don't mind it on "converted" cowboy hats. Be warned.
Supplies: Hat brush, Woolite, plastic tub, kitchen sink (cold running water), dry cloth, flat clean work surface (kitchen counter)
4.1 Brush the hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush to remove all the dust, dirt, and debris you can. Note where the dirtiest parts are, they will be much harder to see when wet.
4.2 If you have on long sleeves, push or turn them up. Put a few capfuls of Woolite and a couple gallons of warm water in the tub. 4 inches of water is deep enough.
4.3 If you removed the liner in Step 1, wash the liner in the Woolite. Set it aside to dry.
4.4 Turn the sweatband down (out). Try to keep the sweatband dry for this entire operation. Keep it out of the water and use the dry cloth to wipe it off when it gets wet. Put the hat, crown down, on the water. Let it float. Reach underneath and rub around underwater on the crown, to get it wet. As the wet part of the crown softens, push out the old blocked shape by pushing on the inside of the crown. You want to get an "open crown" round top so you can scrub it evenly and thoroughly.
4.5 Tilt the hat and push it down to get the crown wet on one side all the way down to where it meets the brim (where the hatband was). Don't let water run inside the hat if you can help it. Rub the felt with your fingers to get the water to soak in. Rotate the hat and continue, until the entire crown is nicely wet.
4.6 Holding the hat over the tub, dip the hat brush in the soapy water, and start brushing the crown as you would if the hat were dry. Give the dirtiest parts extra attention. Dip and brush, brush, brush. Rotate the hat and tackle the next section of the crown.
4.7 Turn on the cold water in the sink. Rinse and brush the crown.
4.8 Repeat 4.6 and 4.7 if you think it could help. The crown is now clean.
4.9 Turn the hat on its side and rotate the brim through the soapy water (like a water wheel). Rub the brim with your fingers to get it thoroughly wet on both sides. Dry the sweatband if needed. Scrub the junction of the crown and the brim (where the hatband was). Dirt, dust, and sweat collect there.
4.10 Put the hat brim down on the clean work surface. Brush the brim with the hat brush thoroughly, all the way around (brush, brush, brush, rotate hat. Repeat.) Turn the hat onto its crown and scrub the underside of the brim also, continuing to always brush counterclockwise.
4.11 Carefully rinse the crown and brim in the sink under running water. Try to keep the sweatband dry. Dry the sweatband, since it got wet anyway The hat is now as clean as it is going to get, and ready for shaping.
5. Shape the crown
Comments: Decent felt is a lot like modeling clay when thoroughly wet. Bad felt isn't as fun to work with and gives worse results. If you find yourself struggling to get a good shape, it may be the felt.
I start with the crown 4" - 4 1/4" high in the front and 1/4" lower in the back. Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: clean work surface, ruler, spray bottle of hot water, 2-4" round object (a ball, bigger than a golf ball, smaller than a grapefruit), dry clean cloth.
5.1 If the crown is not already wet, spray it both outside and inside with water and rub the water in, until the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband with the cloth. Let the felt soften for a couple minutes. During the following steps, respray as needed to keep wet.
5.2 Use your hands and the ball from the inside of the crown to smooth out the crown to as round and uncreased open crown as you can. This is the time to get out old creases from previous crown shapes. When the crown is more or less round, spray again inside and out to wet evenly. Work out all the lumps and dents you can. Dry the sweatband. Try it on for fun. Take a picture and post it on Fedora Lounge
5.3 Turn the brim up or shape it flat so its out of the way. Rest the hat flat on the work surface.
For a "C crown":
5.4 Push down from the top of the crown until you have a round depression. Measure the crown height with the ruler front and back, and continue working the felt down in the middle and rolling the fold all the way around the sides until you get the wanted height front and back. Measure the sides too to keep them even. Once you have the right height, shape and even up and crisp the fold all the way around. Run your finger around in the fold from the inside of the hat to get a consistent shape.
5.5 From the center front, reshape the front half of the fold from a curve into a straight line on each side. Make sure the peak is in the middle of the front of the hat. Then grasp the hat with your fingers inside the top front of the crown and use your palms to press in the front pinch on the sides. Shape the pinch to your liking. Take care to keep things symmetrical.
5.6 From the inside back center, start pushing up from inside the crown with the ball to form the lifted center of the "teardrop" of the crown. Push up until the center towards the rear is up to the sides, or almost so, when viewed from the side. Use the ball and your fingers to smooth, sharpen and refine the shape into a dome with a point in the front.
5.7 Try on the hat and see what you think of the crown. Go back through 5.1-5.6 until you are happy.
5.8 Let the hat dry overnight.
6. Shape the brim
Comments: 3/4" rise or drop on a 2 3/4" brim is about right for me. Other tastes will vary.
Supplies: 4 feet of 3/4" foam weatherstrip, duct tape or masking tape, spray bottle of hot water, clean work surface (ironing board), clean dry cloth, folded bath towel, and one 2" thick book for weight.
6.1 Make a brim ring. Put the hat on the ironing board brim down. Take the foam strip and wrap it around the edge of the brim. Cut slightly overlength. Now more carefully place the foam just under the edge of the brim. Cut to exact length (a little under is OK). Use the duct tape to connect the ends of the foam to fix the circle / oval shape.
6.2 Wet the brim with the spray bottle, top and bottom. Work the water in with your fingers so the entire brim up to the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband. Try to not get the crown wet, especially the front. If the brim still seems stiff, get out the steam iron and put some steam to it, as in Step 2. You have to work fast at the end to get the whole brim still steaming hot at once.
6.3 Slap the hat onto the foam ring and fiddle with getting the ring evenly under the brim edge all the way around. When you are more or less satisfied, put the folded bath towel squarely on top of the crown and the book on the towel, a little towards the back of the hat. Too much weight in the front can collapse the crown there, especially if the bottom of the crown is wet.
6.4 Let the hat dry undisturbed for several hours or overnight.
7. Replace the hatband
Comments: My gracious wife uses stretch grosgrain ribbon to make new, interchangeable hatbands and bows of different colors and widths. I like them a lot. I have no experience in tacking the original or a replacement hatband back on with stitches (or glue), but there are good examples already pointed out here on the FL.
Supplies: Offray stretch grosgrain ribbon in 3/8" and 7/8" widths at www.ebay.com->crafts->ribbon->grosgrain, search on (elastic,stretch). She says she uses Nymo thread and a sharp needle.
8. Replace the liner
Comments: I suggest wearing the hat a few days before replacing the liner to make sure you have a crown shape you want to keep for a while. My wife was kind enough to make me new silk liners.
Supplies: New or clean liner, double-stick fabric tape.
8.1 Turn down the sweatband.
8.2 Put 4 small pieces of fabric tape on the felt - front, back, and each side.
8.3 Drop the liner in the center of the crown, carefully drape and press the liner against the tape. Tuck in the liner all around.
8.4 Turn the sweatband back in, and give things a final press and tuck with your fingers.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Included below is rather long text on "refreshing" a cowboy hat. To make the pictures to go with it, I have to buy another hat
First, I anticipate having 15-20 pictures embedded in the text. What's the best and accepted way to do that? Multiple posts? Just put it all in one?
Second, if anyone cares to read the info below and provide comments before the pictures go in, I'd appreciate the feedback. Especially where I make no sense, or say to do something that is a genuinely bad idea:eusa_doh:
Thanks Loungers!
-------------------------------------
Cowboy Hat Hacking Notes
Disclaimers:
1. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR HAT. I have no idea how well it will turn out.
2. I don't expect this DIY fun with ebay hats to give results like a professional.
3. I won't spend more than $50 on a hat I'm going to do this to. If I'm going to spend close to $100, I would prefer a new Akubra. I might trim the brim and/or change the hatband on the Akubra, though
Instructions:
1. Prepare the hat
Comments: Removing the hatband is optional. I replace them, so I take it off to make cleaning and crown shaping easier. Removing the liner is optional. It makes it easier to wash the liner if it needs it. It makes it easier to shape the crown. The rest of the instructions assume the liner and hatband are removed.
Supplies: Seam ripper, small scissors, knife or safety razor blade, tweezers, hat brush.
1.1 Remove the hatband. The hatband is tacked down in a few spot at the base of the crown. Cut the little stitches and work the hatband off the hat. The tweezers can be handy in pulling out the threads left from removing the hatband. Leather hatbands may be glued on. Use a safety razor blade between the felt and the hatband and gentle tugs to get the band off. I don't know how the felt bands that are so common today are attached. If you want to re-use the hatband, take care not to damage it.
1.2 Remove the liner. Turn down the sweatband. The liner is usually held in by a few spots of glue. Don't try to cut the liner loose. Work each glue spot loose by pulling with your fingers on the liner around the glue spot. Try to avoid tearing or stretching the liner. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. Note how the liner was positioned if you want to put it back in later.
1.3 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2. Cut the brim
Comments: First choice to trim the brim is to take it to a store, probably a western wear store, where they have a brim cutter - just measure the brim before you go and be ready to tell them how much to take off. It won't take them 2 minutes. Or, if you want to do it yourself, consider buying a 1/4" brim cutter for your own use ($50?). Last choice is to continue with this step, which is to use scissors to cut the brim, and is the hard way. I start with 2 3/4" brim, and only go down from there slowly and when I am confident I won't regret it.
Supplies: Iron, ironing board, spray bottle with water, cloth for steaming, 60-100 grit sandpaper, ruler or compass, sharp large scissors, flat clean work surface, hat brush.
2.1 Thoroughly brush the hat brim, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2.2 Iron the brim flat. This makes it easier to trim if you are using scissors. Put the hat on the ironing board. Put the iron on medium setting or wool setting. Wet and wring the cloth, fold it, and lay it over part of the brim, covering from crown to brim edge. Iron a section flat, making sure you get some steam and heat going. Rotate the hat and do another section until the brim is fairly flat (it need not be perfect). Give the brim a few minutes to dry.
2.3 Mark the brim just outside the new wanted width. The line won't be perfect, so you want to cut inside the line using the line as a guide. This is a bit tedious to do, just be patient.
2.4 Cut the brim. Try to cut in long curved sweeps, not short straight snips. Rotate the scissors as you cut. Take your time.
2.5 Put the hat on a flat clean surface, like a kitchen table, with part of the brim hanging off. Sand around the edge of the brim to get any bumps and flats out. Use long curved strokes to follow the brim edge. Sand several strokes, rotate the hat, and repeat until you are satisfied, with a nicely curved brim edge all the way around. It takes me 2-3 minutes of sanding.
2.6 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
3. Maintain/preserve the sweatband
Comments: I don't know if this helps preserve the sweatband, but at least I have tried.
Supplies: Lexol or other leather conditioner, clean soft cloth.
3.1 Put some Lexol on a folded cloth. Rub a coat on the finished side of the sweatband (the side you can get to). Try to avoid getting Lexol on the felt.
3.2 Turn down the sweatband. Rub a coat of Lexol into the other (rough) side of the sweatband. It will soak up more than the finished side and turn dark.
3.3 Rest the hat on its crown and let the sweatband dry a while (say 30 minutes). Wipe off any excess Lexol. Turn the sweatband back up.
4. "Wet" cleaning
Comments: If the hat is clean enough for you, you can skip to Step 5, "Shape the crown".
I think the soaking and especially the wet brushing "raises the nap" of the felt. I don't mind it on "converted" cowboy hats. Be warned.
Supplies: Hat brush, Woolite, plastic tub, kitchen sink (cold running water), dry cloth, flat clean work surface (kitchen counter)
4.1 Brush the hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush to remove all the dust, dirt, and debris you can. Note where the dirtiest parts are, they will be much harder to see when wet.
4.2 If you have on long sleeves, push or turn them up. Put a few capfuls of Woolite and a couple gallons of warm water in the tub. 4 inches of water is deep enough.
4.3 If you removed the liner in Step 1, wash the liner in the Woolite. Set it aside to dry.
4.4 Turn the sweatband down (out). Try to keep the sweatband dry for this entire operation. Keep it out of the water and use the dry cloth to wipe it off when it gets wet. Put the hat, crown down, on the water. Let it float. Reach underneath and rub around underwater on the crown, to get it wet. As the wet part of the crown softens, push out the old blocked shape by pushing on the inside of the crown. You want to get an "open crown" round top so you can scrub it evenly and thoroughly.
4.5 Tilt the hat and push it down to get the crown wet on one side all the way down to where it meets the brim (where the hatband was). Don't let water run inside the hat if you can help it. Rub the felt with your fingers to get the water to soak in. Rotate the hat and continue, until the entire crown is nicely wet.
4.6 Holding the hat over the tub, dip the hat brush in the soapy water, and start brushing the crown as you would if the hat were dry. Give the dirtiest parts extra attention. Dip and brush, brush, brush. Rotate the hat and tackle the next section of the crown.
4.7 Turn on the cold water in the sink. Rinse and brush the crown.
4.8 Repeat 4.6 and 4.7 if you think it could help. The crown is now clean.
4.9 Turn the hat on its side and rotate the brim through the soapy water (like a water wheel). Rub the brim with your fingers to get it thoroughly wet on both sides. Dry the sweatband if needed. Scrub the junction of the crown and the brim (where the hatband was). Dirt, dust, and sweat collect there.
4.10 Put the hat brim down on the clean work surface. Brush the brim with the hat brush thoroughly, all the way around (brush, brush, brush, rotate hat. Repeat.) Turn the hat onto its crown and scrub the underside of the brim also, continuing to always brush counterclockwise.
4.11 Carefully rinse the crown and brim in the sink under running water. Try to keep the sweatband dry. Dry the sweatband, since it got wet anyway
The hat is now as clean as it is going to get, and ready for shaping.5. Shape the crown
Comments: Decent felt is a lot like modeling clay when thoroughly wet. Bad felt isn't as fun to work with and gives worse results. If you find yourself struggling to get a good shape, it may be the felt.
I start with the crown 4" - 4 1/4" high in the front and 1/4" lower in the back. Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: clean work surface, ruler, spray bottle of hot water, 2-4" round object (a ball, bigger than a golf ball, smaller than a grapefruit), dry clean cloth.
5.1 If the crown is not already wet, spray it both outside and inside with water and rub the water in, until the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband with the cloth. Let the felt soften for a couple minutes. During the following steps, respray as needed to keep wet.
5.2 Use your hands and the ball from the inside of the crown to smooth out the crown to as round and uncreased open crown as you can. This is the time to get out old creases from previous crown shapes. When the crown is more or less round, spray again inside and out to wet evenly. Work out all the lumps and dents you can. Dry the sweatband. Try it on for fun. Take a picture and post it on Fedora Lounge
5.3 Turn the brim up or shape it flat so its out of the way. Rest the hat flat on the work surface.
For a "C crown":
5.4 Push down from the top of the crown until you have a round depression. Measure the crown height with the ruler front and back, and continue working the felt down in the middle and rolling the fold all the way around the sides until you get the wanted height front and back. Measure the sides too to keep them even. Once you have the right height, shape and even up and crisp the fold all the way around. Run your finger around in the fold from the inside of the hat to get a consistent shape.
5.5 From the center front, reshape the front half of the fold from a curve into a straight line on each side. Make sure the peak is in the middle of the front of the hat. Then grasp the hat with your fingers inside the top front of the crown and use your palms to press in the front pinch on the sides. Shape the pinch to your liking. Take care to keep things symmetrical.
5.6 From the inside back center, start pushing up from inside the crown with the ball to form the lifted center of the "teardrop" of the crown. Push up until the center towards the rear is up to the sides, or almost so, when viewed from the side. Use the ball and your fingers to smooth, sharpen and refine the shape into a dome with a point in the front.
5.7 Try on the hat and see what you think of the crown. Go back through 5.1-5.6 until you are happy.
5.8 Let the hat dry overnight.
6. Shape the brim
Comments: 3/4" rise or drop on a 2 3/4" brim is about right for me. Other tastes will vary.
Supplies: 4 feet of 3/4" foam weatherstrip, duct tape or masking tape, spray bottle of hot water, clean work surface (ironing board), clean dry cloth, folded bath towel, and one 2" thick book for weight.
6.1 Make a brim ring. Put the hat on the ironing board brim down. Take the foam strip and wrap it around the edge of the brim. Cut slightly overlength. Now more carefully place the foam just under the edge of the brim. Cut to exact length (a little under is OK). Use the duct tape to connect the ends of the foam to fix the circle / oval shape.
6.2 Wet the brim with the spray bottle, top and bottom. Work the water in with your fingers so the entire brim up to the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband. Try to not get the crown wet, especially the front. If the brim still seems stiff, get out the steam iron and put some steam to it, as in Step 2. You have to work fast at the end to get the whole brim still steaming hot at once.
6.3 Slap the hat onto the foam ring and fiddle with getting the ring evenly under the brim edge all the way around. When you are more or less satisfied, put the folded bath towel squarely on top of the crown and the book on the towel, a little towards the back of the hat. Too much weight in the front can collapse the crown there, especially if the bottom of the crown is wet.
6.4 Let the hat dry undisturbed for several hours or overnight.
7. Replace the hatband
Comments: My gracious wife uses stretch grosgrain ribbon to make new, interchangeable hatbands and bows of different colors and widths. I like them a lot. I have no experience in tacking the original or a replacement hatband back on with stitches (or glue), but there are good examples already pointed out here on the FL.
Supplies: Offray stretch grosgrain ribbon in 3/8" and 7/8" widths at www.ebay.com->crafts->ribbon->grosgrain, search on (elastic,stretch). She says she uses Nymo thread and a sharp needle.
8. Replace the liner
Comments: I suggest wearing the hat a few days before replacing the liner to make sure you have a crown shape you want to keep for a while. My wife was kind enough to make me new silk liners.
Supplies: New or clean liner, double-stick fabric tape.
8.1 Turn down the sweatband.
8.2 Put 4 small pieces of fabric tape on the felt - front, back, and each side.
8.3 Drop the liner in the center of the crown, carefully drape and press the liner against the tape. Tuck in the liner all around.
8.4 Turn the sweatband back in, and give things a final press and tuck with your fingers.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Earp
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 135
- Location
- West Michigan, USA
Very nice job, Davidson. This will be very helpful to many here at the Lounge. Thank you very much for taking the time to write this up. One question ... you haven't had any problem with crown taper after everything is dry? Or is there a way you are avoiding that? I was wondering if I needed to buy a hat block -- not only for projects like this, but also in case any of my fedoras needed reblocking ( I have an old outback style that could use some work). Thanks again for the great information on how you handle cowboy conversions.
Tango Yankee
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,433
- Location
- Lucasville, OH
Great job!
Thanks for the detailed instructions, Davidson!:eusa_clap
I'll be looking forward to seeing the photos to go with it. I'm not sure I'm imagining the brim-shaping part correctly.
Cheers,
Tom
Thanks for the detailed instructions, Davidson!:eusa_clap
I'll be looking forward to seeing the photos to go with it. I'm not sure I'm imagining the brim-shaping part correctly.
Cheers,
Tom
DanielJones
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,042
- Location
- On the move again...
Great Job Davidson, and thank you for the detailed instructions. :eusa_clap
Every little bit helps with the hat education process.
Cheers!
Dan
Every little bit helps with the hat education process.
Cheers!
Dan
Lorne, yes you can re-shape the brims from one style to another. I do it in two steps, first I wet the the brim and use a steam iron on an ironing board to get out the old shape and make the brim flat. That's before I cut the brims down - a fedora with a 4 inch turned down brim would hang way over your eyes in front Later on, after I've shaped the crown, I shape the brim.
Earp, these cowboy hats all have 6 1/2" (or more) straight crowns with little or no taper. So I don't worry too much about that. I do think the heat and water makes the whole hat shrink a little, they seem to be fitting a little tighter. I'm just using what I have around the house to work on them with (except for the ribbon material and silk for the ribbons and liners my wife makes). So I don't know when or why you would need a hat block.
TY, I took the brim shaping photos this evening, and I'll update the text. Maybe things will get clearer when its together. I'm planning on doing the crown shaping photos tomorrow evening.
Later on, after I've shaped the crown, I shape the brim. Earp, these cowboy hats all have 6 1/2" (or more) straight crowns with little or no taper. So I don't worry too much about that. I do think the heat and water makes the whole hat shrink a little, they seem to be fitting a little tighter. I'm just using what I have around the house to work on them with (except for the ribbon material and silk for the ribbons and liners my wife makes). So I don't know when or why you would need a hat block.
TY, I took the brim shaping photos this evening, and I'll update the text. Maybe things will get clearer when its together. I'm planning on doing the crown shaping photos tomorrow evening.
Mark G
A-List Customer
- Messages
- 342
- Location
- Camel, California
Great job! They all look amazing. :eusa_clap
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Updated, steps 1-3 (with thumbs)
DIY Cowboy Hat to Fedora Conversion Notes
This decribes one way to convert an unused fur felt cowboy hat into a fedora using tools and supplies you may already have around the house.
Disclaimers:
1. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR HAT.
2. Don't expect DIY fun with cowboy hats to give results like the professionals who participate on the Fedora Lounge Hats forum. I suggest you do this only if you think you will enjoy the process, and have a hat you don't particularly care what happens to.
3. Using water and/or steam as described below can cause problems. Some of the problems: The hat, or parts of it, can shrink. The "nap" can become rougher. The color may become mottled or fade. The sweatband can shrink, wrinkle and/or split.
I started with this, a Resistol 5X in pretty nice shape.
Instructions:
1. Remove the hatband and liner
Comments: Removing the hatband is optional. Taking it off makes "wet" cleaning and crown shaping easier. Removing the liner is optional. It makes it easier to wash the liner and it makes it easier to shape the crown. The rest of the instructions assume the hatband and liner are removed.
Supplies: Seam ripper, small scissors or safety razor blade, tweezers, hat brush.
1.1 Turn down the sweatband.
1.1 Remove the hatband. Cloth hatbands are stitched down in a few spots at the base of the crown. Carefully cut the stitches and work the hatband off the hat. The tweezers can be handy for pulling out the threads left from removing the hatband. Leather hatbands may be glued on. Use a safety razor blade between the felt and the hatband and gentle tugs to get the band off. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. I don't know how felt bands are attached. If you want to re-use the hatband, take care not to damage it.
1.2 Remove the liner. The liner is usually held in by a few spots of glue. Don't try to cut the liner loose. Work each glue spot loose by pulling with your fingers on the liner around the glue spot. Try to avoid tearing or stretching the liner. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. Note how the liner was positioned if you want to put it back in later.
1.3 Turn up the sweatband. Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2. Maintain the sweatband
Comments: I don't know if this really helps preserve the sweatband.
Supplies: Lexol or other leather conditioner, clean soft cloth.
2.1 Put some Lexol on a folded cloth. Rub a coat on the finished side of the sweatband (the side you can get to). Try to avoid getting Lexol on the felt.
2.2 Turn down the sweatband. Rub a coat of Lexol into the rough side of the sweatband. It will soak up more than the finished side and turn dark.
2.3 Rest the hat on its crown and let the sweatband dry a while (say 30 minutes). Wipe off any excess Lexol. Turn the sweatband back up.
3. Cut the brim
Comments: First choice to trim the brim is to take it to a store, probably a western wear store. Measure the brim before you go and tell them how much to cut off (in 1/4" increments). It won't take them 2 minutes with a brim cutter. If you don't want to do that, the rest of this step describes using scissors to cut the brim. I start with cutting the brim to 2 3/4". Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: Iron, ironing board, cloth for steaming, ruler or compass, pencil, large sharp scissors, flat clean work surface, 60 to 100 grit sandpaper, hat brush.
3.1 Thoroughly brush the hat brim, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
3.2 Iron the brim flat. Put the hat on the ironing board. Put the iron on medium setting or wool setting. Wet and wring the cloth, fold it, and lay it over part of the brim, covering from crown to brim edge. Iron a section flat. Rotate the hat and do another section until the brim is fairly flat (it need not be perfect). Give the brim a few minutes to dry.
3.3 Mark the brim just outside the new wanted width. The line won't be perfect, so you want to cut inside the line using the line as a guide. This is a bit tedious to do, just be patient.
3.4 Cut the brim. Cut in long curved sweeps, not short straight snips. Cut "square" to the surface of the brim. If you cut at an angle, it takes longer to sand the edge back square. Take your time.
3.5 Put the hat on a flat clean surface, like a kitchen table, with part of the brim hanging off. Hand sand around the edge of the brim to get any bumps and flats out. Use long curved strokes to follow the brim edge. Sand square to the surface of the brim. Sand several strokes, rotate the hat, and repeat until you are satisfied, with a nicely curved brim edge all the way around. Brush the fuzz off and inspect. It takes me 2-3 minutes of sanding.
3.6 If you like, sand again around the brim edge, this time at an angle, both on top and bottom. This makes the square edge into a rounded edge, which you may prefer.
3.7 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
(More follows)
DIY Cowboy Hat to Fedora Conversion Notes
This decribes one way to convert an unused fur felt cowboy hat into a fedora using tools and supplies you may already have around the house.
Disclaimers:
1. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR HAT.
2. Don't expect DIY fun with cowboy hats to give results like the professionals who participate on the Fedora Lounge Hats forum. I suggest you do this only if you think you will enjoy the process, and have a hat you don't particularly care what happens to.
3. Using water and/or steam as described below can cause problems. Some of the problems: The hat, or parts of it, can shrink. The "nap" can become rougher. The color may become mottled or fade. The sweatband can shrink, wrinkle and/or split.
I started with this, a Resistol 5X in pretty nice shape.
Instructions:
1. Remove the hatband and liner
Comments: Removing the hatband is optional. Taking it off makes "wet" cleaning and crown shaping easier. Removing the liner is optional. It makes it easier to wash the liner and it makes it easier to shape the crown. The rest of the instructions assume the hatband and liner are removed.
Supplies: Seam ripper, small scissors or safety razor blade, tweezers, hat brush.
1.1 Turn down the sweatband.
1.1 Remove the hatband. Cloth hatbands are stitched down in a few spots at the base of the crown. Carefully cut the stitches and work the hatband off the hat. The tweezers can be handy for pulling out the threads left from removing the hatband. Leather hatbands may be glued on. Use a safety razor blade between the felt and the hatband and gentle tugs to get the band off. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. I don't know how felt bands are attached. If you want to re-use the hatband, take care not to damage it.
1.2 Remove the liner. The liner is usually held in by a few spots of glue. Don't try to cut the liner loose. Work each glue spot loose by pulling with your fingers on the liner around the glue spot. Try to avoid tearing or stretching the liner. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. Note how the liner was positioned if you want to put it back in later.
1.3 Turn up the sweatband. Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2. Maintain the sweatband
Comments: I don't know if this really helps preserve the sweatband.
Supplies: Lexol or other leather conditioner, clean soft cloth.
2.1 Put some Lexol on a folded cloth. Rub a coat on the finished side of the sweatband (the side you can get to). Try to avoid getting Lexol on the felt.
2.2 Turn down the sweatband. Rub a coat of Lexol into the rough side of the sweatband. It will soak up more than the finished side and turn dark.
2.3 Rest the hat on its crown and let the sweatband dry a while (say 30 minutes). Wipe off any excess Lexol. Turn the sweatband back up.
3. Cut the brim
Comments: First choice to trim the brim is to take it to a store, probably a western wear store. Measure the brim before you go and tell them how much to cut off (in 1/4" increments). It won't take them 2 minutes with a brim cutter. If you don't want to do that, the rest of this step describes using scissors to cut the brim. I start with cutting the brim to 2 3/4". Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: Iron, ironing board, cloth for steaming, ruler or compass, pencil, large sharp scissors, flat clean work surface, 60 to 100 grit sandpaper, hat brush.
3.1 Thoroughly brush the hat brim, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
3.2 Iron the brim flat. Put the hat on the ironing board. Put the iron on medium setting or wool setting. Wet and wring the cloth, fold it, and lay it over part of the brim, covering from crown to brim edge. Iron a section flat. Rotate the hat and do another section until the brim is fairly flat (it need not be perfect). Give the brim a few minutes to dry.
3.3 Mark the brim just outside the new wanted width. The line won't be perfect, so you want to cut inside the line using the line as a guide. This is a bit tedious to do, just be patient.
3.4 Cut the brim. Cut in long curved sweeps, not short straight snips. Cut "square" to the surface of the brim. If you cut at an angle, it takes longer to sand the edge back square. Take your time.
3.5 Put the hat on a flat clean surface, like a kitchen table, with part of the brim hanging off. Hand sand around the edge of the brim to get any bumps and flats out. Use long curved strokes to follow the brim edge. Sand square to the surface of the brim. Sand several strokes, rotate the hat, and repeat until you are satisfied, with a nicely curved brim edge all the way around. Brush the fuzz off and inspect. It takes me 2-3 minutes of sanding.
3.6 If you like, sand again around the brim edge, this time at an angle, both on top and bottom. This makes the square edge into a rounded edge, which you may prefer.
3.7 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
(More follows)
Updated, steps 4-5
DIY Cowboy Hat to Fedora Conversion Notes (Continued)
4. "Wet" cleaning
Comments: If the hat is clean enough for you, you can skip to Step 5, "Shape the crown". One black hat I did this with bled dye onto the ironing board cover. One dirty hat came out pretty clean, one not so much. The gold embossing on one vintage liner dissolved completely off. Others with more experience recommend cleaning a hat by soaking it in naptha. I just don't want to buy naptha or deal with storing it or disposing of it.
Supplies: Hat (brim) brush, Woolite, plastic tub, kitchen sink (cold running water), dry cloth, flat clean work surface (kitchen counter)
4.1 Brush the hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush to remove all the dust, dirt, and debris you can. Note where the dirtiest parts are, they will be much harder to see when wet.
4.2 If you have on long sleeves, push or turn them up. Put a few capfuls of Woolite and a couple gallons of warm water in the tub. 4 inches of water is deep enough.
4.3 If you removed the liner in Step 1, wash the liner in the Woolite. Set it aside to dry.
4.4 Turn the sweatband down (out). Try to keep the sweatband dry for this entire operation. Keep it out of the water and use the dry cloth to wipe it off when it gets wet. Put the hat, crown down, on the water. Let it float. Reach underneath and rub around underwater on the crown, to get it wet. As the wet part of the crown softens, push out the old blocked shape by pushing on the inside of the crown. You want to get an "open crown" round top so you can scrub it evenly and thoroughly.
4.5 Tilt the hat and push it down to get the crown wet on one side all the way down to where it meets the brim (where the hatband was). Don't let water run inside the hat if you can help it. Rub the felt with your fingers to get the water to soak in. Rotate the hat and continue, until the entire crown is nicely wet.
4.6 Holding the hat over the tub, dip the hat brush in the soapy water, and start brushing the crown as you would if the hat were dry. Give the dirtiest parts extra attention. Dip and brush, brush, brush. Rotate the hat and tackle the next section of the crown.
4.7 Turn on the cold water in the sink. Rinse and brush the crown.
4.8 Repeat 4.6 and 4.7 if you think it could help. The crown is now clean.
4.9 Turn the hat on its side and rotate the brim through the soapy water (like a water wheel). Rub the brim with your fingers to get it thoroughly wet on both sides. Dry the sweatband if needed. Scrub the junction of the crown and the brim (where the hatband was). Dirt, dust, and sweat collect there.
4.10 Put the hat brim down on the clean work surface. Brush the brim with the hat brush thoroughly, all the way around (brush, brush, brush, rotate hat. Repeat.) Turn the hat onto its crown and scrub the underside of the brim also, continuing to always brush counterclockwise.
4.11 Carefully rinse the crown and brim in the sink under running water. Try to keep the sweatband dry. Dry the sweatband, since it got wet anyway The hat is now as clean as it is going to get, and ready for shaping.
5. Shape the crown
Comments: Decent felt is a lot like modeling clay when thoroughly wet. Bad felt isn't as fun to work with and gives worse results. If you find yourself struggling to get a good shape, the felt may be part of the problem. I currently start with the crown 4 1/2" - 4 3/4" high in the front and 1/4" lower in back. Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: clean work surface (ironing board), ruler, spray bottle of hot water, a round object about the size of a tennis ball, dry clean cloth.
5.1 Turn down the sweatband. If the crown is not already wet, spray it both outside and inside with water and rub the water in, until the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband with the cloth. Let the felt soften for a couple minutes.
5.2 Using your hands on inside and outside, and the ball on the inside of the crown, push from inside to smooth out the the old block to a round and uncreased open crown. When the crown is more or less round, spray again inside and out and run your fingers over to wet evenly. During the following steps, respray inside and outside as needed to keep wet.
5.3 This is the time to work out any remaining creases from previous crown shapes. Work out all the lumps and dents you can, mainly with the ball from the inside. Dry the sweatband. Try it on for fun. Rest the hat on the ironing board.
For a "C crown":
5.4 Push down from the top of the crown until you have an oval depression. Measure the crown height with the ruler (front and back and both sides), and continue working the felt down in the middle and rolling the fold all the way around the sides until you get the wanted height front and back. Keep the sides even. When you have the right height, shape and even up and crisp the fold all the way around with your fingers. Run a finger around in the fold from the inside of the hat to get a consistent shape to the fold.
5.5 From the center front, reshape the front half of the fold from a curve into a straight line on each side. Make sure the point where the lines meet is in the center front of the hat. Grasp the hat with your fingers inside the top front of the crown and use your palms to press in the front pinch on the sides. Shape the pinch to your liking. Take care to keep things symmetrical.
5.6 From the inside back center, start pushing up from inside the crown with the ball to form the lifted center of the "teardrop" of the crown. Push up until the center towards the rear is level with the sides, or almost so. Use the ball and your fingers to smooth, sharpen and refine the center shape into a teardrop-shaped dome.
5.7 Try on the hat and see what you think of the crown. Tweak as needed, or if needed, go back through 5.1-5.6 until you are happy.
5.8 If you are not continuing immediately to Step 6 "Shaping the brim", set the hat on its turned-down sweatband to dry for at least an hour, probably longer.
DIY Cowboy Hat to Fedora Conversion Notes (Continued)
4. "Wet" cleaning
Comments: If the hat is clean enough for you, you can skip to Step 5, "Shape the crown". One black hat I did this with bled dye onto the ironing board cover. One dirty hat came out pretty clean, one not so much. The gold embossing on one vintage liner dissolved completely off. Others with more experience recommend cleaning a hat by soaking it in naptha. I just don't want to buy naptha or deal with storing it or disposing of it.
Supplies: Hat (brim) brush, Woolite, plastic tub, kitchen sink (cold running water), dry cloth, flat clean work surface (kitchen counter)
4.1 Brush the hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush to remove all the dust, dirt, and debris you can. Note where the dirtiest parts are, they will be much harder to see when wet.
4.2 If you have on long sleeves, push or turn them up. Put a few capfuls of Woolite and a couple gallons of warm water in the tub. 4 inches of water is deep enough.
4.3 If you removed the liner in Step 1, wash the liner in the Woolite. Set it aside to dry.
4.4 Turn the sweatband down (out). Try to keep the sweatband dry for this entire operation. Keep it out of the water and use the dry cloth to wipe it off when it gets wet. Put the hat, crown down, on the water. Let it float. Reach underneath and rub around underwater on the crown, to get it wet. As the wet part of the crown softens, push out the old blocked shape by pushing on the inside of the crown. You want to get an "open crown" round top so you can scrub it evenly and thoroughly.
4.5 Tilt the hat and push it down to get the crown wet on one side all the way down to where it meets the brim (where the hatband was). Don't let water run inside the hat if you can help it. Rub the felt with your fingers to get the water to soak in. Rotate the hat and continue, until the entire crown is nicely wet.
4.6 Holding the hat over the tub, dip the hat brush in the soapy water, and start brushing the crown as you would if the hat were dry. Give the dirtiest parts extra attention. Dip and brush, brush, brush. Rotate the hat and tackle the next section of the crown.
4.7 Turn on the cold water in the sink. Rinse and brush the crown.
4.8 Repeat 4.6 and 4.7 if you think it could help. The crown is now clean.
4.9 Turn the hat on its side and rotate the brim through the soapy water (like a water wheel). Rub the brim with your fingers to get it thoroughly wet on both sides. Dry the sweatband if needed. Scrub the junction of the crown and the brim (where the hatband was). Dirt, dust, and sweat collect there.
4.10 Put the hat brim down on the clean work surface. Brush the brim with the hat brush thoroughly, all the way around (brush, brush, brush, rotate hat. Repeat.) Turn the hat onto its crown and scrub the underside of the brim also, continuing to always brush counterclockwise.
4.11 Carefully rinse the crown and brim in the sink under running water. Try to keep the sweatband dry. Dry the sweatband, since it got wet anyway
The hat is now as clean as it is going to get, and ready for shaping.5. Shape the crown
Comments: Decent felt is a lot like modeling clay when thoroughly wet. Bad felt isn't as fun to work with and gives worse results. If you find yourself struggling to get a good shape, the felt may be part of the problem. I currently start with the crown 4 1/2" - 4 3/4" high in the front and 1/4" lower in back. Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: clean work surface (ironing board), ruler, spray bottle of hot water, a round object about the size of a tennis ball, dry clean cloth.
5.1 Turn down the sweatband. If the crown is not already wet, spray it both outside and inside with water and rub the water in, until the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband with the cloth. Let the felt soften for a couple minutes.
5.2 Using your hands on inside and outside, and the ball on the inside of the crown, push from inside to smooth out the the old block to a round and uncreased open crown. When the crown is more or less round, spray again inside and out and run your fingers over to wet evenly. During the following steps, respray inside and outside as needed to keep wet.
5.3 This is the time to work out any remaining creases from previous crown shapes. Work out all the lumps and dents you can, mainly with the ball from the inside. Dry the sweatband. Try it on for fun. Rest the hat on the ironing board.
For a "C crown":
5.4 Push down from the top of the crown until you have an oval depression. Measure the crown height with the ruler (front and back and both sides), and continue working the felt down in the middle and rolling the fold all the way around the sides until you get the wanted height front and back. Keep the sides even. When you have the right height, shape and even up and crisp the fold all the way around with your fingers. Run a finger around in the fold from the inside of the hat to get a consistent shape to the fold.
5.5 From the center front, reshape the front half of the fold from a curve into a straight line on each side. Make sure the point where the lines meet is in the center front of the hat. Grasp the hat with your fingers inside the top front of the crown and use your palms to press in the front pinch on the sides. Shape the pinch to your liking. Take care to keep things symmetrical.
5.6 From the inside back center, start pushing up from inside the crown with the ball to form the lifted center of the "teardrop" of the crown. Push up until the center towards the rear is level with the sides, or almost so. Use the ball and your fingers to smooth, sharpen and refine the center shape into a teardrop-shaped dome.
5.7 Try on the hat and see what you think of the crown. Tweak as needed, or if needed, go back through 5.1-5.6 until you are happy.
5.8 If you are not continuing immediately to Step 6 "Shaping the brim", set the hat on its turned-down sweatband to dry for at least an hour, probably longer.
Updated, steps 6-8
6. Shape the brim
Comments: 1/2" - 3/4" rise (or drop, when snapped down) on a 2 3/4" brim is about right for me. Other tastes will vary. Steps 6.1 - 6.6 are one alternative to brim shaping, step 6.1.a is another alternative.
Supplies: iron and ironing board, 4 feet of 3/4" wide foam weatherstrip, 2 inches of duct, masking or other tape, spray bottle of water, dry cloth, wet cloth for steaming.
6.1 Make a brim ring. Put the hat on the ironing board brim down. Take the foam strip and wrap it around the edge of the brim. Cut slightly overlength. Now more carefully place the foam on top of the edge of the brim. Cut to exact length. Use the duct tape to connect the ends of the foam to make a closed oval shape.
6.2 Wet the brim, top and bottom with the spray bottle. Run a finger over the brim so the entire brim, top and bottom, up to the crown is thoroughly wet. Try to keep the crown dry. Dry the sweatband.
6.3 Lay the wet cloth across one section of the brim. Iron. Rotate the hat and repeat. You are heating and wetting the brim to make it more flexible. Go around a few times, keeping the cloth and brim wet with the spray bottle as needed. On the last pass, go pretty quickly to try to get the brim evenly hot and wet.
6.4 Set the hat onto the foam ring. Fiddle with getting the ring evenly under the brim edge all the way around. Push gently down on the crown so the sweatband touches the ironing board all the way around. This puts a curl in the brim.
6.5 Go gently with the tip of the iron around the brim, pressing down gently with the tip halfway out on the brim. This helps deepen the curl. Once the brim is behaving in general, use the iron and your fingers to tweak spots on the edge into line. Don't burn yourself.
6.6 Let the hat dry on the brim ring for several minutes. If you want, you can gently lift the hat and tweak the brim while it is still somewhat pliable. Let dry, either on the brim ring or on the crown. Don't snap the front of the brim down until the hat is dry, it takes out the curl.
Alternative:
6.1.a Wet the brim as in 6.2 above and iron as in 6.3. Then, turn the hat gently upside down on its crown. Iron the brim freehand, letting gravity do its work as the brim softens as you work your way around the brim with gentle pressure.
7. Replace the hatband
Comments: My gracious and talented wife uses stretch grosgrain ribbon to hand-sew interchangeable hatband ribbons and bows of different colors and widths. I like them a lot. I have no experience in tacking the original or a replacement hatband back on with stitches (or glue), but there are good examples already pointed out here on the FL.
Supplies: Offray stretch grosgrain ribbon, various colors, in 3/8" and 7/8" widths (I wish they made 1 3/8".). "Nymo" thread and a sharp needle.
The next morning...
8. Replace the liner
Comments: Wear the hat a few days to make sure you have a crown shape you want to keep for a while before replacing the liner. You can make a new liner out of synthetic or real silk (or whatever material you like) using the old one as a template. One type of silk to look for is "charmeuse" (maybe a guru can elaborate on this?).
Supplies: New or clean liner, double-stick fabric tape (or any double-sided tape that is handy and works for you).
8.1 Turn down the sweatband.
8.2 Put 4 small pieces of double-stick tape on the felt - center front, center back, and each side - just above the sweatband. I like double-stick tape since it is easier to remove the liner again than if I used glue. I don't know how well it will hold up in use.
8.3 Drop the liner in the center of the crown, generally centered and rotated correctly. Press the liner against the front tape spot. Drape the liner so any extra fabric ("ease") is evenly distributed left/right. Press the liner against the rear tape spot. Do one side, again evenly dividing the ease. Do the last side.
8.4 Tidy the liner all around. Turn the sweatband back up. Tuck the liner up into the folds at the top of the crown and do a final straightening around the sweatband.
I hope this was helpful!
6. Shape the brim
Comments: 1/2" - 3/4" rise (or drop, when snapped down) on a 2 3/4" brim is about right for me. Other tastes will vary. Steps 6.1 - 6.6 are one alternative to brim shaping, step 6.1.a is another alternative.
Supplies: iron and ironing board, 4 feet of 3/4" wide foam weatherstrip, 2 inches of duct, masking or other tape, spray bottle of water, dry cloth, wet cloth for steaming.
6.1 Make a brim ring. Put the hat on the ironing board brim down. Take the foam strip and wrap it around the edge of the brim. Cut slightly overlength. Now more carefully place the foam on top of the edge of the brim. Cut to exact length. Use the duct tape to connect the ends of the foam to make a closed oval shape.
6.2 Wet the brim, top and bottom with the spray bottle. Run a finger over the brim so the entire brim, top and bottom, up to the crown is thoroughly wet. Try to keep the crown dry. Dry the sweatband.
6.3 Lay the wet cloth across one section of the brim. Iron. Rotate the hat and repeat. You are heating and wetting the brim to make it more flexible. Go around a few times, keeping the cloth and brim wet with the spray bottle as needed. On the last pass, go pretty quickly to try to get the brim evenly hot and wet.
6.4 Set the hat onto the foam ring. Fiddle with getting the ring evenly under the brim edge all the way around. Push gently down on the crown so the sweatband touches the ironing board all the way around. This puts a curl in the brim.
6.5 Go gently with the tip of the iron around the brim, pressing down gently with the tip halfway out on the brim. This helps deepen the curl. Once the brim is behaving in general, use the iron and your fingers to tweak spots on the edge into line. Don't burn yourself.
6.6 Let the hat dry on the brim ring for several minutes. If you want, you can gently lift the hat and tweak the brim while it is still somewhat pliable. Let dry, either on the brim ring or on the crown. Don't snap the front of the brim down until the hat is dry, it takes out the curl.
Alternative:
6.1.a Wet the brim as in 6.2 above and iron as in 6.3. Then, turn the hat gently upside down on its crown. Iron the brim freehand, letting gravity do its work as the brim softens as you work your way around the brim with gentle pressure.
7. Replace the hatband
Comments: My gracious and talented wife uses stretch grosgrain ribbon to hand-sew interchangeable hatband ribbons and bows of different colors and widths. I like them a lot. I have no experience in tacking the original or a replacement hatband back on with stitches (or glue), but there are good examples already pointed out here on the FL.
Supplies: Offray stretch grosgrain ribbon, various colors, in 3/8" and 7/8" widths (I wish they made 1 3/8".). "Nymo" thread and a sharp needle.
The next morning...
8. Replace the liner
Comments: Wear the hat a few days to make sure you have a crown shape you want to keep for a while before replacing the liner. You can make a new liner out of synthetic or real silk (or whatever material you like) using the old one as a template. One type of silk to look for is "charmeuse" (maybe a guru can elaborate on this?).
Supplies: New or clean liner, double-stick fabric tape (or any double-sided tape that is handy and works for you).
8.1 Turn down the sweatband.
8.2 Put 4 small pieces of double-stick tape on the felt - center front, center back, and each side - just above the sweatband. I like double-stick tape since it is easier to remove the liner again than if I used glue. I don't know how well it will hold up in use.
8.3 Drop the liner in the center of the crown, generally centered and rotated correctly. Press the liner against the front tape spot. Drape the liner so any extra fabric ("ease") is evenly distributed left/right. Press the liner against the rear tape spot. Do one side, again evenly dividing the ease. Do the last side.
8.4 Tidy the liner all around. Turn the sweatband back up. Tuck the liner up into the folds at the top of the crown and do a final straightening around the sweatband.
I hope this was helpful!
RBH
Bartender
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- 15,308
Fantastic job,Davidson.
Thanks for the time you put into such a great posting.
Thanks for the time you put into such a great posting.
Earp
One of the Regulars
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- 135
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- West Michigan, USA
Thank you very much for all your work on this posting. It will be a great reference for a lot of folks. Now where's that old black cowboy hat I never wear. I sense a change in it's future. lol
Mr. Lucky
One Too Many
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- SHUFFLED off to...
Very cool! Thanks for the education.
