STEP BY STEP NAPTHA BATH

[Bob Roberts]

Good stuff! Thx for posting.

 

[orangehero]

I didn't notice if it was brought up, but a cheaper alternative to using VM&P Naphtha or Stove Fuel is Lighter Fluid for charcoal.

 

[rogerstg]

I didn't notice if it was brought up, but a cheaper alternative to using VM&P Naphtha or Stove Fuel is Lighter Fluid for charcoal.

Which brand of lighter fluid worked well for you? I spilled some Kingsford on a shirt once and it still stunk the next day. It seemed closer to kerosene than white gas to me.

 

[Frunobulax]

Personally, I stick with the campstove fuel. Rightly or wrongly, I see it as cleaner, as it's meant for clean burning. I don't think charcoal lighter fluid is a good idea. I had two hats in fuel yesterday. Took them out around 6 PM and left them outside in the breeze overnight. Most of the smell is gone now. They smell kind of "mediciny" right now, but that should dissipate in a day or two. A follow-up steaming and brushing helps, as well.

 

[viclip]

I'd want to carefully read the label &/or MSDS filing for any product that wasn't pure naphtha i.e. camp stove fuel. Some cigarette lighter fluids - formerly pure naphtha - nowadays contain unspecified "other" petroleum distillates. And some charcoal starting fluids are apparently alcohol based, these will dissolve any shellac in a hat & could also attack dyes.

 

[orangehero]

I could be wrong, I will admit I am making an assumption in this case. I picked up some "Backyard Grill Odorless Lighter Fluid" from WalMart and it seems identical to my can of Klean Strip Naphtha. Obviously you'd want to avoid using alcohol based lighter fluid. There's no such thing as "pure naphtha"...naphtha is a mixture of petroleum distillates and it's categorized by a number of different schemes. Personally I believe there is little difference in these products except for the marketing, but it's hard to back that claim up when they try to cover up what they are using in the MSDS.

We can see for example that Kingsford has "Petroleum distillates, hydrotreated light", which may indicate that they are the same type (light) as found in VM&P Naphtha and Coleman Camp Fuel.

https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/downloads/msds/charcoal/kingsfordodorlesscharcoallighter.pdf

See also "Light Hydrotreated Distillate" in the Coleman Fuel.

http://www.coleman.com/uploadedFiles/Content/Customer_Support/Safety/lantern.pdf

Another issue with stove fuel is that since it is intended to be burned in a stove, they will also add stuff in there like dye and rust inhibitors.

 

[orangehero]

I tried using the Backyard Grill Lighter Fluid on an old beater. After a day of airing out in the sun only a faint odor remains. YMMV and obviously don't experiment on your favorite most expensive hat.

 

[FedOregon]

I think I'm going to just send out my dirty hats...

 

[Redfokker]

I think I'm going to just send out my dirty hats...

I read this thread with interest a while back. Still looking for that beater to test this process out on. It seems kind of scary, but obviously it works.

 

[BobHufford]

I've done it on three hats so far, but they have been really bad to begin with so the results have not been a cure-all. It did remove much of the dirt and grime with no ill effects (other than I think the grime was holding the sweatband on on this last hat).

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Cleaning - the naphtha bath is very easy. Most of my vintage hats have been thru the cleaning process. They turn out cleaner and have no naphtha odor. The leather sweats, with a bit of conditioner, are no more worn for the effort. Check out this old post I had showing step by step cleaning a vtg.Stetson Stratoliner.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-stratoliner-society-vintage.8329/page-40#post-1279162

I hope this contributes to the thread.

Best, Eric -

 

[FedOregon]

I read this thread with interest a while back. Still looking for that beater to test this process out on. It seems kind of scary, but obviously it works.

I just bought a "beater" of the FL but it just sounds like so much bother to assemble more flammable liquids, do this, do that... I think I'll just send it down south and let Mike deal with it, LOL...

 

[Redfokker]

I just bought a "beater" of the FL but it just sounds like so much bother to assemble more flammable liquids, do this, do that... I think I'll just send it down south and let Mike deal with it, LOL...

That is what I have been doing. The work he does is great, why risk messing up a 60 year old hat?

 

[Frunobulax]

That is what I have been doing. The work he does is great, why risk messing up a 60 year old hat?

It's easier than it sounds, there's little risk, and you can recycle the naphtha for future use.

I guess it's akin to changing your own oil or taking it in.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Redfokker]

It's easier than it sounds, there's little risk, and you can recycle the naphtha for future use.

I guess it's akin to changing your own oil or taking it in.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

I agree, but my oil changing days are long ago. My Mercedes gets pampered at the dealership, they are a little more complicated than my old Datsun. I would like to try a naphtha bath sometime, I have a couple of gallons in reserve waiting on the perfect victim.

 

[FedOregon]

It's easier than it sounds, there's little risk, and you can recycle the naphtha for future use.

I guess it's akin to changing your own oil or taking it in.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

I change the oil in my car, but MrsFed's car is lower to the ground and my car ramps won't slide under the front bumper to place in front of the tires... so I take hers to a quick lane oil change at the Ford dealership that sticks to their advertised price of $19.95.

I got bored and took the beater apart. It needs a new sweat anyway and the ribbon came off with the sweat so now I have a felt body... heck, I might just try it. Head over to Lowe's and get some naptha...

 

[Frunobulax]

I change the oil in my car, but MrsFed's car is lower to the ground and my car ramps won't slide under the front bumper to place in front of the tires... so I take hers to a quick lane oil change at the Ford dealership that sticks to their advertised price of $19.95.

I got bored and took the beater apart. It needs a new sweat anyway and the ribbon came off with the sweat so now I have a felt body... heck, I might just try it. Head over to Lowe's and get some naptha...

TBH, I don't change oil anymore, either. Just using that as a comparison. Since I've gotten into renovating and fixing up hats though, I enjoy bathing them, reblocking/flanging, and rebuilding them. So I usually have enough naphtha around to clean 1-2 hats, and a dedicated pickle bucket for the task. So for me, it's no biggie, and certainly easier and cheaper than shipping them off.

 

[FedOregon]

I see people saying to put the hat in the bucket with the crown facing down, while others say to put the hat in with the crown facing up. Is there any right way, or does that not matter so much?

 

[Short Balding Guy]

I see people saying to put the hat in the bucket with the crown facing down, while others say to put the hat in with the crown facing up. Is there any right way, or does that not matter so much?

Depends on what part of the hat needs cleaning. I do both. (Check the link I posted above for pics.) I weight the hat down squishing the crown and weighting the inside of the crown depending what I believe needs cleaning at that moment. When the hat first goes in the Coleman White Gas I swish the hat around to quickly remove easy "dirt." After a bit of a soak, I use a soft toothbrush on spots and gently work the felt in the fluid. Not hard enough to mark or change the felt, but to work any particles free to be suspended in the fluid and pulled from the felt.

As others have said, not all marks will come out. The hat has legitimately earned some marks and they are not going away. Most hats, for me, get a naphtha bath. Any thought of moth larvae are taken care off. It provides a piece of mind to that issue. The hat air drys quickly and the white gas leaves no odor. Brushing, steaming and brushing after will continue to remove any particles. It comes even cleaner.

Eric -

 

[buler]

I've had good luck with just putting a small amount of naptha in a plastic container and brushing the whole hat with a fairly stiff brush. I initially dip the brush in naptha and cover the whole hat and then brush/dip the dirtier spots even more. It helps the have a variety of blocks. The block helps support the hat during brushing. I use a lot less naptha with this technique versus the dunk the whole hat. Your also always applying cleaner naptha to the felt, because the dirt/grime sinks to the bottom of the naptha. The main thing is to remember to cover the whole hat with an even coat. Otherwise, you may get strange marks when it dries.

Of course, I'm wearing heavy duty plastic gloves, eye protection, and a 3M breather when doing this.


B