My New Homemade Hat Torture Device- Stretcher

[Boodles]

Very Innovative

Good work!

 

[Stoney]

Anj,

That is just awesome. You did a stellar job and it obviously works great.
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Man. I've been toying with a similar idea, but wasn't sure I could make it work. Now that I've seen you do this I may take the plunge. I don't have a lathe, or the skill, but was thinking if sawing a block in two and attaching the back piece directly to the wood and using a dovetail to mount the front piece. A screw jack to could be used to move the front half, which would have a nut embedded into the dovetail.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Thanks for the details on your stretching apparatus, Anj. I might just try to make one of these. I'll have to find someone who can turn the block on a lathe for me.

By the way, you did a magnificent job on the Penn-Stuart. That wide brim looks very dramatic on you. I really like it.

 

[carldelo]

Great job

Wow I can see why you made the stretcher - that Knox hat really justified your effort, I missed the original thread when you got it. My covetous instincts are now kicking in on overdrive: Must - Have - Own - Full - Head - Hat - Stretcher - Too!

 

[Stan]

Hi,

If I might suggest......

Moving away from a pipe clamp to an actual vise. Most vises have jaws that are attached to the forgings by screws. It seems to me that it'd be simple enough to modify the wood parts to attach where the vise jaws were.

Then, the much stiffer and tighter forged vise base and slide could be operated in the reverse direction to stretch the hat and wouldn't tilt onto the angle the way they're doing on the pipe clamp.

Hmmm. I have all the bits I need to make one of these myself. I wonder if wood is the best choice, or maybe aluminum would be better?

I have an unused machinist vise on the shelf that has this wonderfully fine threaded main screw that would be great for this application.

Later!

Stan

 

[carldelo]

Good idea

Stan - the vise is a good idea - especially as it is attached to a table or bench, it will making working on the hat easy and would be plenty strong enough to stretch the hat without deflecting.

I had been thinking of modifying an old-fashioned clamp like this one:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=20512

But I don't plan to buy a new one - there are plenty of old ones out there at yard sales and so on. You could attach the split block to the ends of the clamp, and the double screws would allow adjustable taper, or even a reverse taper if you were so inclined (pun intended). Quick, off to the used tool bin for a clamp or vise....

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Great Ideas!

Wow :eusa_clap Stan and Carl, these are both great ideas. Time to start the FL Hat Torture Engineers Guild.

I had been thinking along the same lines as Stan, modifying a bench vice, taking advantage of the way the replaceable jaws are screw-mounted on the vice.

But I like Carl's design, because it gives you control over the taper. I can imagine several ways Carl's device could be bench-mounted, e.g., setting the heel of clamp into a very gently tightened bench vice.

My problem is finding/making a block to use for this. I wouldn't want to destroy my precious vintage hat block. My last experience with a wood lathe was in junior high shop class; and I don't know anyone who has one. I'm off to the Yellow Pages for 'woodworking'.

 

[mtechthang]

Just a question or so- but brilliantly executed.

Wow :eusa_clap Stan and Carl, these are both great ideas. Time to start the FL Hat Torture Engineers Guild.

I had been thinking along the same lines as Stan, modifying a bench vice, taking advantage of the way the replaceable jaws are screw-mounted on the vice.

But I like Carl's design, because it gives you control over the taper. I can imagine several ways Carl's device could be bench-mounted, e.g., setting the heel of clamp into a very gently tightened bench vice.

That's a great idea and the results show! The hat is perfectly done and looks great on you! I did have a question/though or so.

I noticed on the demo that the pipe clamp allows a little inward slant of the wooden parts which could allow you to adjust the taper (that's not a question, silly). Have you found that to be the case? That would be my concern about using a bench vice- you'll loose that flexibility, as it were. One more plus, in my mind, for the pipe clamp set-up is it seems to me that one key element of the type of wonderful end result is that you can allow for a very slow/thorough drying after steam. Your set-up is great for this as you could clearly adjust the taper etc during drying (instead of over-stretch and guessing on the re-shrink, so to speak). Anyway, I think that having a hat sit out in the garage (where my tools/bench are) wouldn't be optimal so being able to have the pipe-clamp type set-up seems to me to be ideal. I might suggest modifying one of the Stanley (and other makes) clamps that come with one fixed end and a movable (trigger grip) clamp end. If you take the movable one off the end (just removing a pin) and place it on backward you get a spreader. One that's heavy enough would be long also but you could cut it easily enough. (My problem with executing this is I am in the same boat as someone above and have NO lathe experience beyond junior high shop). [huh] All in all you did a great job- I'd at least seek a patent on it in case someone picks up the idea. Great idea and great job!!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[mtechthang]

That could work too.

I had been thinking of modifying an old-fashioned clamp like this one:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=20512

But I don't plan to buy a new one - there are plenty of old ones out there at yard sales and so on.

carldelo- That is a great idea- having the two "spreaders" would indeed increase stability and allow for tremendous flexibility in controlling taper. I think you could also find hat forms and blocks on ebay to use in putting it together. I'd suggest sacrificing the clamp itself and turning the pivots around- the engineering is probably different and those threads are probably more resistant in the pull than the push (thus turning them around).

You are correct that you can find those clamps at yard-sales etc but you may pay as much for a good used (collectable) as a new one- and I bet you can get the screw mechanisms from Rockler or other wood-working suppliers cheaper than the clamps (I know I've seen plans to make your own clamps in exactly that design). Good luck and please provide pictures when done!

 

[carldelo]

More good ideas

carldelo- That is a great idea- having the two "spreaders" would indeed increase stability and allow for tremendous flexibility in controlling taper. I think you could also find hat forms and blocks on ebay to use in putting it together. I'd suggest sacrificing the clamp itself and turning the pivots around- the engineering is probably different and those threads are probably more resistant in the pull than the push (thus turning them around).

You are correct that you can find those clamps at yard-sales etc but you may pay as much for a good used (collectable) as a new one- and I bet you can get the screw mechanisms from Rockler or other wood-working suppliers cheaper than the clamps (I know I've seen plans to make your own clamps in exactly that design). Good luck and please provide pictures when done!

Thanks for the encouragement - you make good points: that it may be cheaper to buy new, or to buy just the parts, and that rearranging the jaws may work better. I guess the biggest hurdle is getting a properly shaped block to saw in half. Unfortunately I'm probably stuck in the design phase until late April (when my semester ends) so won't be able to make anything until then - I'll definitely post what I come up with. I doubt any of this would be patentable, or profitable even if it was, but I could see developing a set of plans for a DIY version. But it all goes back to Anj's original effort, which is pretty cool in its own right - plus it works which is the true mark of useful engineering.

 

[DanielJones]

Fantastic Job!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap
Very inspiring indeed!

Cheers!

Dan

 

[toobacat]

Ande1964, when you use this stretcher, do you take the ribbon off? I just wondered if it would stretch or if you would have to replace it.

 

[Ande1964]

I have not removed the ribbon on any hat I've stretched yet. I figure the wet ribbon will stretch out as far as the wet sweat. I have not gone more than one size yet, though.

Anj

 

[Fredthecat]

it ain't just a hat rack

Hi Ande1964,
Thanks for sharing your hat stretcher idea. Very clever solution to a common problem.
I’d like to try to make one.

Not sure how tall to make the block.
How tall did you make your block?

Most of my hats have 4 1/2-5 1/2” crowns.
I have several a size too small I would like to experiment on.

Thanks for sharing the hat rack plans.

Fredthecat

 

[Ande1964]

Not sure how tall to make the block.
How tall did you make your block?
Most of my hats have 4 1/2-5 1/2” crowns.
I have several a size too small I would like to experiment on.

Mine ended up just under 5 1/2" tall, which is okay for all my hats. A little taller wouldn't hurt, but I had to keep mine under 6, so I could use my bandsaw to cut it in half.

Best,
Anj

 

[Ande1964]

Bumped with a new, working photo of the stretcher!

Since this early photo I have finished the wood block with several coats of a tung oil/poly finish. Safe from the hat moisture now.

Anj

 

[azhiker]

Hey, I saw a guy using a band saw to make a hat block. He first marked out the circumfrence that he wanted more or less, then cut the 'vertical' aspect. He then used the saw to 'nibble' off the corners so he had a somewhat rounded shape on one end. Then used grinding/sanding disk to finish it up. It looked real easy, I suspect from my previous woodworking exploits, you might want to have a couple of pieces of wood to work with. Google it, its on you tube under hat blocks I think!

BTW, very nicely done! As soon as I can get moved, I might try something like that, or maybe make a full block..if I have plenty of wood handy..

 

[monbla256]

Bumped with a new, working photo of the stretcher!

Since this early photo I have finished the wood block with several coats of a tung oil/poly finish. Safe from the hat moisture now.

Anj

Ande,
Did you turn the blank on a lathe? Looks like it would be some simple, quick lathe work to get the basic shape down then fine tune with sanding and band saw work. I like the bar clamp method of spreading you came up with. Some very good work

 

[milandro]

This is a very old thread (I like using the search function ) and the pictures have since disappeared, it would be nice to see the Inventions of the people and more importantly that the pictures would be kept so that they for a future reference.