My new aero

[handymike]

Good to have you back Butte!

 

[ButteMT61]

Good to have you back Butte!

Cheers Mike. Nothing like a HWT post to get back into things

 

[handymike]

Yeah, the HWT advice you gave me awhile back is costing me $1000 and a 16 month wait!
;-)

 

[ButteMT61]

yeah, the hwt advice you gave me awhile back is costing me $1000 and a 16 month wait!;-)

wth?

 

[handymike]

You'd rightfully said that in my case the jacket was just too big- Sell it and get one that fits.
Of course, that led me to contacting John C.....
et cetera, et cetera.

 

[technovox]

I took two Aero FQHH jackets new (one took a few extra weeks as I was in Scotland/France) and soaked them in the HOT shower until they weighed about 25 pounds. I then put them in the dryer for ~10 mins at a time, trying them on to make sure I hadn't gone too far. I ended up doing this maybe 4-5 times in total, finally just using the dryer on cold mornings to get it softened up and a little smaller. It worked great. .

So just to double check - after soaking the jacket in the shower and all the drying, did the jacket actually shrink? Or was your intent more of a softening/breaking in treatment?

 

[Cyber Lip]

The sleeves look like they will shrink up to right above your thumb knuckle or thereabouts. To me that's the perfect length

 

[ButteMT61]

So just to double check - after soaking the jacket in the shower and all the drying, did the jacket actually shrink? Or was your intent more of a softening/breaking in treatment?

Both. I lost some weight between the order and the pickup. Worked a treat. And it harmed the hide not. I do think that some hides would not do as well - I did a nice USWings goat G-1 that lost some of it's goodness after. It is a beater, so I didn't really worry, but it showed me that HWT is not for all hides.

 

[ButteMT61]

You'd rightfully said that in my case the jacket was just too big- Sell it and get one that fits.Of course, that led me to contacting John C.....et cetera, et cetera.

Ah, OK. I thought I had told you to HWT and you hosed your jacket lolI never tell anyone to DO IT. Only that it works if done properly and I have done it myself. I believe Aero's FQHH can take it an laugh. Repeatedly.

 

[Fanch]

Scott, any thoughts about how the HWT might affect the lining?

 

[technovox]

Both. I lost some weight between the order and the pickup. Worked a treat. And it harmed the hide not. I do think that some hides would not do as well - I did a nice USWings goat G-1 that lost some of it's goodness after. It is a beater, so I didn't really worry, but it showed me that HWT is not for all hides.

Thanks! I gather this would probably work better on a horsehide. And I see that Aero also suggests something similar as a break-in treatment on their website.
My reason for asking- I just scored an off-the-rack Himel that's perfect in the shoulders and arm length, but a bit roomy in the body. So I'm waiting for a warm sunny day to try out the shower/slow drying process. Ideally this will make the jacket a bit more form fitting.

 

[ButteMT61]

Scott, any thoughts about how the HWT might affect the lining?

I didn't do the lining Fanch, but I reckoned that it got a little shrinkage from the dryer and humidity from the leather. Just right. I would not soak the lining myself and have not. If the HWT was done without thought - just putting the soaked jacket in the dryer on high and left to completely dry, I could foresee the lining being too large after. Mine had alpaca and heavy Tartan, and both came out perfectly.

 

[Fanch]

Good thoughts. My concern about the HWT has always been the lining rather than the FQHH.

 

[ButteMT61]

Thanks! I gather this would probably work better on a horsehide. And I see that Aero also suggests something similar as a break-in treatment on their website. My reason for asking- I just scored an off-the-rack Himel that's perfect in the shoulders and arm length, but a bit roomy in the body. So I'm waiting for a warm sunny day to try out the shower/slow drying process. Ideally this will make the jacket a bit more form fitting.

I,would not wet the bits that are good. Just the torso. And...be careful to only put it in the dryer in short stints - trying it on every time to make sure you don't ruin it. Wear it a little wet at the end to help it form to your body. After I did that a few times, I put a light spray of Lexol on it. It's not a heavy treatment like Pecards which is not for new hides.

 

[technovox]

I,would not wet the bits that are good. Just the torso. And...be careful to only put it in the dryer in short stints - trying it on every time to make sure you don't ruin it. Wear it a little wet at the end to help it form to your body. After I did that a few times, I put a light spray of Lexol on it. It's not a heavy treatment like Pecards which is not for new hides.

Good advice. And exactly my approach- taking it slowly, trying not to water down the arms. And a leisurely sun dry. Kind of like the Levis/Aero method. Better to error on the side of caution. The last thing I want is to make the sleeves too short. I'll post the results. Maybe even take some before and after pics.

 

[Boyo]

Techno.. Some before pics now would be ok! Not too many Himels on display here.

 

[technovox]

Techno.. Some before pics now would be ok! Not too many Himels on display here.

Ok. Will do! But I don't want to hijack this thread.
I'll post the new Himel pics on a new topic when I get a chance to take them.

 

[wild_balls]

Congratulations, great jacket without the pockets! Sleeves will wrinkle and shorten over time! Hwt will do the trick if you want a more tight fit, I have done it on several hh jackets, it works!

Cheers Joakim

 

[Seb Lucas]

You can stick them in the washing machine with normal wash detergent, let it rung a cycle and then let it dry over the next few days. No problem. I've washed most of my jackets. They never shrink. They improve in flexibility and look. A new jacket always feels and looks cumbersome.

 

[Dude59]

I wore it a bit this weekend driving 260 miles with a/c and then around my place at night, it is becoming more flexible especially when warm with body heat. The jacket is fantastic and I am very happy with it, I would like to get the body a little more snug so I will try the HWT, was also thinking that I might just soak it the next time I have a long trip to do and then just ride the motorcycle while it dries, this way it will dry while formed to my body. Any thoughts on this idea?