My New Homemade Hat Torture Device- Stretcher

[Ande1964]

I acquired some vintage lids recently that were great, but a little snug. Well, I'm a 7 5/8 long oval, so it's pretty damn hard to find one that fits perfectly. As we all know, the hat jack stretchers are okay, but they can lead to a bad taper in the felt, as they only stretch the sweat band.

Vintage whole hat stretchers show up from time to time on ebay, but they're pricey, and the shipping costs are somewhat daunting. Besides, I like to make stuff... so, I set my mind on creating my own whole hat stretcher.

First, I needed a hat block that would be the right size for me... one I could cut in half. Our own Rick Blaine tried to help, but his already-halved block was too short for my purposes. I had a 7 5/8 block, but it wasn't much of a long oval, and it seemed a shame to cut it in two, anyway. So, I found an old chunk of sycamore I had lying around, and off to the lathe I went. By measuring one of my best fitting hats (my Whippet, which is a 1950 7 1/2 long oval, strangely enough), I determined a good diameter for my noggin (6 3/8, if you're curious).

It had been awhile since I turned anything, so the block came out a little less than perfect, but plenty good enough. Off to the band saw it went, and I had my two halves.

The mechanism for spreading those halves was the tricky part. I tried attaching the block halves to one of my hat jacks but, as I feared, the pressure on the simple nut and bolt mechanism was too great. I decided it would be easiest for me to use one of my bar clamps. I had to do a little screwing and gluing to get the block halves mounted on there, and was concerned it wouldn't hold up to the pressure that would be needed, but... the first test was a big success! I took my newly-acquired Know Westlite to the rack, and it now fits perfectly.

The process for the hat was pretty simple. I lubed the sweat with plenty of Lexol, removed the liner, dunked the hat in cold water, and put it on the stretcher. By putting a well-fitting hat on the device first, I was able to measure how far to spread the block for my stretch. I took the hat a little beyond that point, letting it sit on the block while drying for a couple of hours. When I removed the hat at that point, it was actually a bit too big. No problem... I just removed it and wore it around until it had dried more thoroughly. It started to conform to my head, and it feels great now. And, while the felt was still wet, I was able to put in a good bash to replace the old cattleman it came with.

Okay... sorry about the ramble. Here are the pics:

The device:

The stretched Westlite:

Best,
Anj

 

[tonyb]

Now that's really cool, Ande. Does it also help make the old creases disappear?

And, may I be the first to ask ... are you at all interested in producing more of these gizmos? I happen to know a guy who'd gladly pay a reasonable sum for one.

 

[bolthead]

Wow.....Anj

That's awesome.....:eusa_clap

You are indeed very crafty for sure. I'll bet it works like a charm & let me echo Tony, I'd be willing to go on that waiting list, if you plan on mass producing them.

 

[RBH]

That hat looks fantastic!!! :eusa_clap
Looks like you might have yourself a new job.
The folks here at the Lounge could keep you busy for years. lol

 

[bolthead]

That hat looks fantastic!!! :eusa_clap
Looks like you might have yourself a new job.
The folks here at the Lounge could keep you busy for years. lol

That's no joke......

 

[ideaguy]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

terrific work! have you thought about making a mold of the two halves, so that you might replicate the blocks in another material?

and-how did you compensate for the taper at the very top of the crown?
I've tried all kinds of things with my stretcher-an old aluminum number with no electricity to warm it, so I use a hair dryer to warm the metal before clamping hat down. But there's always an inch or so at the very top that doesn't get stretched. Any ideas?

and again, great work!

 

[Rick Blaine]

GOOD ON YA'!


Firstly Kudos to you my friend, both inovative and talented, for a simply brilliant solution... proof's in the pudding, just look at that lid! :eusa_clap

T...I'd be willing to go on that waiting list, if you plan on mass producing them.

Me too, should this come to pass.

 

[Justdog]

Innovation

Great innovation and craftsmanship

 

[J.T.Marcus]

and-how did you compensate for the taper at the very top of the crown?
I've tried all kinds of things with my stretcher-an old aluminum number with no electricity to warm it, so I use a hair dryer to warm the metal before clamping hat down. But there's always an inch or so at the very top that doesn't get stretched. Any ideas?

With the hat well soaked, put it on the stretcher at the smallest (closed) setting. Use the palm of your hand to press down on the top of the hat crown. Once you get it as flat as it will go, continue to press down on the top of the crown, with one hand, while you slowly turn the crank with the other. Let it dry for a couple of days (If you don't use the heat. I don't!). In some cases you may have to repeat the soak and stretch, a few days later. I was able to do an old Akubra that had the worst case of taper I've ever seen.

 

[Ande1964]

Thanks all for the nice comments. I'm delighted that it seems to work. Next up is a Cavanagh I just received, that also just needs a bit of stretching. After that, I'm going to try something that needs more severe help.

I wouldn't be opposed to making more of these. As I turned the block, I was actually thinking that it was fun. I would have to play with the design, but it's possible. I may try to make a usable whole block soon, just to see how that goes. There will be some glue-ups involved, so the process will be a little different.

Thanks for the tips on controlling taper, J.T.. I did hold the crown down on this one while I cranked, just to be sure the top was getting some of the stretch. This hat didn't have far to go, though, so it wasn't really an issue.

Anj

 

[Rick Blaine]

MANY THANKS

With the hat well soaked, put it on the stretcher at the smallest (closed) setting. Use the palm of your hand to press down on the top of the hat crown. Once you get it as flat as it will go, continue to press down on the top of the crown, with one hand, while you slowly turn the crank with the other. Let it dry for a couple of days (If you don't use the heat. I don't!). In some cases you may have to repeat the soak and stretch, a few days later. I was able to do an old Akubra that had the worst case of taper I've ever seen.

fftopic:
I am in the same situation as ideaguy, I have an old stretcher that looks as though it was wired when Mr. Edison was in short pants. It is far from being a "Universal" stretcher as I would like though. I always use lexol & shoe stretch on the sweat & then hit it all over w/ a hand held clothes steamer to "loosen" the felt while it is being stretched. Often it seems that the very top of the crown is not "filled" I am a little afraid of the H20 dunking method however. Let me reiterate though, I would gladly come up with the scratch (or a suitable trade) to acquire one of these

little machines!

 

[DeaconKC]

Very clever idea with outstanding execution sir!

 

[Wolfmanjack]

The mechanism for spreading those halves was the tricky part. I tried attaching the block halves to one of my hat jacks but, as I feared, the pressure on the simple nut and bolt mechanism was too great. I decided it would be easiest for me to use one of my bar clamps. I had to do a little screwing and gluing to get the block halves mounted on there, and was concerned it wouldn't hold up to the pressure that would be needed, but... the first test was a big success!

Anj, for those of us who might want to try to build one of these, can you be more specific about the "screwing and gluing to get the block halves mounted"?

 

[surely]

you my man go to the head of the class!

 

[Bull Moose]

Awesome job.

 

[Ande1964]

Anj, for those of us who might want to try to build one of these, can you be more specific about the "screwing and gluing to get the block halves mounted"?

You may be able to see it in a picture below. There's not a lot to it... a piece of 2x4 is screwed to each of the clamp jaws. A few scraps of plywood sit atop those (glued and screwed), and then the block halves are screwed to the plywood. It all gives a little... flexing inward slightly (these clamps were not really meant to be used this way), but it seems to be strong enough to do the job.

Anj

 

[Ande1964]

I went ahead and tackled a pretty big job next... this Penn-Stuart hat I acquired the other day in an ebay auction. I wasn't really sure what I'd be getting. I had never heard of the brand, and it looked a little rough, but I've been wanting a light gray with a big brim. This is, at 3 inches, the widest brim I own.

Anyway, it arrived about a size too small. The sweat measured at about 23 1/4, and I need close to 24. So, anxious to see if my device could handle more of a challenge, I put this lid in the sink!

As you can see in the before pic, this arrived with little or no bash. The open crown was about 5 1/2 inches tall.

Here it is on the stretcher. I decided to leave the liner in this time. The hat is quite wet here. You can see that the stretcher bends in slightly, but not enough to matter much, as far as I can tell. The top got a little rippled when I had it cranked all the way out, but it didn't seem to affect the final product. I cranked the stretcher just past where I felt I needed it, and left it for a few hours.

And, here's the result. Again, I am thrilled with it. I took this hat to about 23 3/4, will no ill effect that I can see. The stretcher doesn't long ovalize the hat as much as I need, but the wet hat conforms to my head as it finishes drying. The photo in the lower left is closest to the correct color. I don't think this was considered a great hat when made, but it'd well-made, with some unique touches. Instead of the button at the end of the wind trolley, the button is sewn onto the hat, with the trolley string wrapping around it. Also, the brim edge is interesting... it's stitched and then over welt. No stitching shows on the underside of the brim.

Thanks again for the kind words, all!

Best,
Anj

 

[ideaguy]

Thanks JT- our difference is that I don't soak the hat, merely steam the daylights out of it, getting it moist & warm, then trying to do something that requires 3 hands. And a wet hat. I'm learning, but the curve is sometimes too steep for this cement-head...:eusa_doh:

 

[ideaguy]

ANJ- I was writing my post as yours was loading, so I missed all the action- great work, and kudos for the problem-solving; dunked the hat, liner and all??
And I'm still afraid to wear my hats out in the rain. really.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Nicely done

Very innovative.