Hat making?? Learning Millinery..

[Lorenzo Casarini]

I'm going a little bit against the flow here, but I think you should keep working with the capeline you bought and get the best hat you can out of it. It will be good practice while you pick up some of the techniques (like tying a hatters slipknot in a string for where the crown breaks into the brim.
You probably will find a lot of it difficult, but when you start your second hat using a fur felt hat body it will get much easier.

I would agree with you but what I’ve noticed is that the problem is that the wool felt capeline really doesn’t seems to stretch more than ~7cm, while I’m using an 15cm-tall-hat block. So I assume that is impossible to shape an hat with a crown of that height if it can’t be stretched to that size.

Am I wrong?

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you very much to everyone of you guys! You were really kind giving me this informations; it’s always nice to be in such particular forums about crazy interest
I’m going to try as hard as a mad hatter!

Well, in terms of being in the company of mad hatters you have arrived at the right place.

 

[belfastboy]

I'm going a little bit against the flow here, but I think you should keep working with the capeline you bought and get the best hat you can out of it. It will be good practice while you pick up some of the techniques (like tying a hatters slipknot in a string for where the crown breaks into the brim.
You probably will find a lot of it difficult, but when you start your second hat using a fur felt hat body it will get much easier.

Yes, your perspective makes sense. I just have a low threshold of frustration but he bought he may as well get some value from it.

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

Hello mad-hatters-friends!
That's what I've done today using the fur felt you suggested to me, it looks quite nice to me!
I'm going to sand it from 400 to 1000/1200 (too much) and then fire it!

Have you got any advices about the sanding and in particular the firing part? I don't want to burn down the hat but I want it very stiff.

Waiting for ya'!

Have a nice day

LC

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hello mad-hatters-friends!
That's what I've done today using the fur felt you suggested to me, it looks quite nice to me!
I'm going to sand it from 400 to 1000/1200 (too much) and then fire it!

Have you got any advices about the sanding and in particular the firing part? I don't want to burn down the hat but I want it very stiff.

Waiting for ya'!

Have a nice day

LC

A lot of hatters don’t set the felt on fire. I’ve heard conflicting information on it, and some think it’s more of a gimmick. I also don’t know it 1000-1200 grit will actually pounce the felt to a finer finish than say 600, but I also don’t see the harm in going finer.

People practice for years to become master hatters so don’t expect your first DIY hat to come out perfectly; it should be wearable in any case. Have you read Scientific Hat Finishing and Renovating?

 

[belfastboy]

A lot of hatters don’t set the felt on fire. I’ve heard conflicting information on it, and some think it’s more of a gimmick. I also don’t know it 1000-1200 grit will actually pounce the felt to a finer finish than say 600, but I also don’t see the harm in going finer.

People practice for years to become master hatters so don’t expect your first DIY hat to come out perfectly; it should be wearable in any case. Have you read Scientific Hat Finishing and Renovating?

I received my fur felt from Agnoulita. Putting it on my head as is my wife remarked that I looked amazingly a clone for Jed Clampett and that I should not risk ruining a good look for me by trying to make a fedora out of it. "Don't risk it, a furry rabbit died for this don't make it be in vain."

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I received my fur felt from Agnoulita. Putting it on my head as is my wife remarked that I looked amazingly a clone for Jed Clampett and that I should not risk ruining a good look for me by trying to make a fedora out of it. "Don't risk it, a furry rabbit died for this don't make it be in vain."

We need to see a photo of that!

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

I received my fur felt from Agnoulita. Putting it on my head as is my wife remarked that I looked amazingly a clone for Jed Clampett and that I should not risk ruining a good look for me by trying to make a fedora out of it. "Don't risk it, a furry rabbit died for this don't make it be in vain."

Well, don't you think it could be better if stiffened? I personally like it most than a floppy one

 

[belfastboy]

Well, don't you think it could be better if stiffened? I personally like it most than a floppy one

but as my wife would say....then I would no longer resemble Jed Clampett! PS, you might be too young to understand the reference!

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

but as my wife would say....then I would no longer resemble Jed Clampett! PS, you might be too young to understand the reference!

He's not that famous in Italy as he is in USA I suppose :/ Moreover... I am quite young: 21yo in fact

 

[belfastboy]

He's not that famous in Italy as he is in USA I suppose :/ Moreover... I am quite young: 21yo in fact

Waaay before your time.....I watched it on a black/white TV.

 

[Frunobulax]

We need to see a photo of that!

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

Waaay before your time.....I watched it on a black/white TV.

I'm used to old films/series; Godard, truffaut, Bergman... unfortunately I haven't had a chance to explore the side of cinema you are referring to. I think here in Italy the most similar thing we have got is Don Camillo & Peppone (Sound definitely as something Italian ahah)

When did you start making hats?

 

[belfastboy]

I'm used to old films/series; Godard, truffaut, Bergman... unfortunately I haven't had a chance to explore the side of cinema you are referring to. I think here in Italy the most similar thing we have got is Don Camillo & Peppone (Sound definitely as something Italian ahah)

When did you start making hats?

I have only refurbished hats, and converted a few western hats to fedoras. In two weeks I take a 5 day fedora making workshop where I will make my first. I purchased an extra felt as I think in the 5 full days there should be ample time to make a second one. I have my own block/flange, steamer etc. but no brim cutter so it will help having more equipment and a bit of hands on instruction. No designs on becoming a hatter but thought it would be fun and a great final addition to my fedora collection to have one I made .

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

Hello!
I need you again.. sorry

I am now sanding my hat! But I noticed that I don't know when to stop sanding with a type and start with the finer one.
Let's say I start with 220, how do I know when to start sanding with 320, than 400, than 600 and so on?

I tried do a couple of round on the brim and the crown from 220 to 800 but it didn't seem to change as much as I've expected... what did I do wrong? And what can I do?

Thank you!

 

[belfastboy]

Hello!
I need you again.. sorry

I am now sanding my hat! But I noticed that I don't know when to stop sanding with a type and start with the finer one.
Let's say I start with 220, how do I know when to start sanding with 320, than 400, than 600 and so on?

I tried do a couple of round on the brim and the crown from 220 to 800 but it didn't seem to change as much as I've expected... what did I do wrong? And what can I do?

Thank you!

Did you watch the video that Deadly put up for you? In it , to my eye, it shows Art sanding the hell out of the felts.

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

Did you watch the video that Deadly put up for you? In it , to my eye, it shows Art sanding the hell out of the felts.

Yes I saw it! From beginning to the end; but it isn’t very clear to me when to change the sanding paper

 

[belfastboy]

Yes I saw it! From beginning to the end; but it isn’t very clear to me when to change the sanding paper

It looks like Art is not exactly gentle with his sanding....he appears to go hard at it. I suggest that you dare to screw it up.....use it as a learning experience. Go hard at it and if you take it too far then you now know the limits.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

It looks like Art is not exactly gentle with his sanding....he appears to go hard at it. I suggest that you dare to screw it up.....use it as a learning experience. Go hard at it and if you take it too far then you now know the limits.

Some felts have a shellac core that you don’t want to pounce down to. I also agree with Robert and encourage you to experiment and not be afraid to make mistakes.

 

[Lorenzo Casarini]

Hello hello!
I’ve just cut the brim to a proper size.
I’ve also tried to fire up a piece of felt from the remain piece of brim I was throwing away.

I am not quite sure it had an effect on the stiffness of the cloth...
It’s fur felt and it doesn’t seem so stiff as I expected.
I’ve used the alcool I usually use to make liquors, do I have to use rubbing alcohol instead?

Is there any other way to stiff it up? Because firing up the alcool on the felt burned some of it and even thought it is quite badass that way I really don’t think it could be a good idea doing this process more than one or two times...
I don’t want to ruin my work on the hat, I want to be sure of what I’m doing before trying the firing on the hat itself.

Any idea?

Thank you very much! (As always)

P.s. I think I really own you a coffe, you are like a smart talking book for me