Photos of hatters tools

[humanshoes]

I know exactly what you mean Mustang. I had a friend in the shop watching me work and she thought it was very strange for me to have a coaster on top of the coffee mug. She gets a lot of mileage out of the term "mad hatter" when she hangs around me.

 

[buler]

Cummins Initial Machine

 

[humanshoes]

What a beauty! I love the old Cummins initial machines and that one appears to be in excellent condition. Nearly half of my hat customers go for perforated monograms with about half of those preferring the smaller size monogram from the Cummins Junior. They tell me they like the fact that they'll never wear off like the gold monograms will. Definitely old school cool!

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Thanks and copy away CWV! One of the things I love about the Lounge and this thread in particular is the sharing of ideas on how to make a better hat. Btw, I'd be interested in seeing a pic of your plating machine.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to this thread and reply @humanshoes
I just put in my order for my own 21st Century Sealing Iron, be here real soon.

Here are pictures of my brim plating machine. I just used it for the first time the other day and I love it. The break it gave me was fantastic. This is the same machine used by other hatters such as Art Fawcett (VS) and Mike (Northwest Hats).

Plater opened: Hungry

The thin aluminum ring in the middle is specific to a hat size, so I have 12 plates. I only have regular oval configuration at the moment. Hope in the next few months to get plates for long oval but I don't even have LO blocks or flanges anyhow.

Plater Closed: Full

Not a bad toy for an amateur (Tabletop) Hatter. This machine reside my garage on my workbench that also has my hat spinner on it. I built the table to be 7 foot long so had the extra room.

Sometime I will take some pictures of the room in my house that has been taken over for hat making and other hobbies.

 

[DaveSobel]

Sorry for taking so long to get back to this thread and reply @humanshoes
I just put in my order for my own 21st Century Sealing Iron, be here real soon.

Here are pictures of my brim plating machine. I just used it for the first time the other day and I love it. The break it gave me was fantastic. This is the same machine used by other hatters such as Art Fawcett (VS) and Mike (Northwest Hats).

Plater opened: Hungry
View attachment 112557
The thin aluminum ring in the middle is specific to a hat size, so I have 12 plates. I only have regular oval configuration at the moment. Hope in the next few months to get plates for long oval but I don't even have LO blocks or flanges anyhow.

Plater Closed: Full
View attachment 112558


Not a bad toy for an amateur (Tabletop) Hatter. This machine reside my garage on my workbench that also has my hat spinner on it. I built the table to be 7 foot long so had the extra room.

Sometime I will take some pictures of the room in my house that has been taken over for hat making and other hobbies.

That’s a really nice machine! Is that the one JW sells?

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

That’s a really nice machine! Is that the one JW sells?

No, this is not the one from JW Hats (rest in peace JW). The JW Hats Model is huge and seems to be built on a barrel and is fully manual in operation, no pneumatics. His version also was about $7K which is $1.2K more.
This one came from a guy in Missouri who worked in the hat industry for 30+ years. I never did ask to confirm but I think it was Beaver Brand hat company. He does great work and I am very happy with the machine. In my opinion this machine is hands down a better option than the one by JW Hats, and I spent a week in JWs shop using his equipment. I would say though the vintage steam platers that JW Hats have in their shop are very cool but those are not what they manufacture or sell.

 

[humanshoes]

What a great machine CWV and thanks for the pics. I really like the fact that it's a bench top model. In answer to you your question over on the new Phoenix Hat thread, I have a 110 year old Davis hand crank walking foot sewing machine that I use for the binding. Good on you for scoring the 108. Rare and pricey and always missing the binding attachment. Is the attachment you had made adjustable for different size ribbons like the original was?

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

What a great machine CWV and thanks for the pics. I really like the fact that it's a bench top model. In answer to you your question over on the new Phoenix Hat thread, I have a 110 year old Davis hand crank walking foot sewing machine that I use for the binding. Good on you for scoring the 108. Rare and pricey and always missing the binding attachment. Is the attachment you had made adjustable for different size ribbons like the original was?

My binding attachment should be adjustable for different ribbon widths, I don't have it yet as I just put the order in last week. But I sent them the picture below of what I was looking for.

The welting attachment is the one that I already have.

 

[DaveSobel]

No, this is not the one from JW Hats (rest in peace JW). The JW Hats Model is huge and seems to be built on a barrel and is fully manual in operation, no pneumatics. His version also was about $7K which is $1.2K more.
This one came from a guy in Missouri who worked in the hat industry for 30+ years. I never did ask to confirm but I think it was Beaver Brand hat company. He does great work and I am very happy with the machine. In my opinion this machine is hands down a better option than the one by JW Hats, and I spent a week in JWs shop using his equipment. I would say though the vintage steam platers that JW Hats have in their shop are very cool but those are not what they manufacture or sell.

Thank for the response. I hadn’t looked closely at the ones JW Hats sells. I’m not making anywhere near enough hats to justify one of these yet. I will probably build my own when it comes time though.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

I’m not making anywhere near enough hats to justify one of these yet. I will probably build my own when it comes time though.

I don't make enough hats to justify it either
Still very much a hobby for me. I thought about building my own but don't know enough about making a heating element.

 

[humanshoes]

My binding attachment should be adjustable for different ribbon widths, I don't have it yet as I just put the order in last week. But I sent them the picture below of what I was looking for.
The welting attachment is the one that I already have.

That original Singer binding attachment was the real deal. I believe it would adjust to ribbons as narrow as 1/4". I wonder where the many, many thousands of those original binders disappeared to, probably got thrown away, or left to rust, or stored and forgotten about in boxes in garages, attics, basements, closets, etc. I'm often saddened by the obsolescence of such fine examples of American craftsmanship and ingenuity. Anyway, I look forward to seeing pics of your new binding attachment if you don't mind sharing.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

That original Singer binding attachment was the real deal. I believe it would adjust to ribbons as narrow as 1/4". I wonder where the many, many thousands of those original binders disappeared to, probably got thrown away, or left to rust, or stored and forgotten about in boxes in garages, attics, basements, closets, etc. I'm often saddened by the obsolescence of such fine examples of American craftsmanship and ingenuity. Anyway, I look forward to seeing pics of your new binding attachment if you don't mind sharing.

For sure, I will share images once I get it. I don't know where I am in the queue for TAC so might be a couple of months but Amy there will definitely let me know when I need to pay them.

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks! Btw, that's the best and most detailed picture I've seen of one of those original binders. By looking at the parts list, they seem to have more than a dozen different parts.

 

[humanshoes]

I've been browsing Tennessee Attachment Company's catalog (thanks for that lead CWV) and they have an incredible variety of attachments. I was amazed to see this sweatband guide which is usually absent on the old Singer 107-1 sweatband machines. http://www.tennattachment.com/671-36730 Sweat Band Guide.html

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

I've been browsing Tennessee Attachment Company's catalog (thanks for that lead CWV) and they have an incredible variety of attachments. I was amazed to see this sweatband guide which is usually absent on the old Singer 107-1 sweatband machines. http://www.tennattachment.com/671-36730 Sweat Band Guide.html

Nice find in the catalog. I have that guide on my ASM 1107 although wasn't made by TAC.

 

[humanshoes]

Okay, so my new little baby is not hat related in any way, but it is a great example of Singer sewing machines that where designed and built to perform very specific tasks. This one is a Singer 91K5 two thread pique stitch (chain stitch) machine that was made in 1938 in Scotland with a run of only 300 for that year at a time when Singer was kicking out tens of thousands of home sewing machines per month. It was made to sew leather palms onto knit gloves...period. The narrow post allows the user to sew up into the glove fingers. I spent many, many hours sourcing one tiny little obsolete part and then fine tuning all the adjustments to breath new life into this machine. My thinking is that I may be able to use it to tack on hatbands, but I haven't tried that yet so we'll see what happens. As I said, not really hat related, but some things are just too cool not to share.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Okay, so my new little baby is not hat related in any way, but it is a great example of Singer sewing machines that where designed and built to perform very specific tasks. This one is a Singer 91K5 two thread pique stitch (chain stitch) machine that was made in 1938 in Scotland with a run of only 300 for that year at a time when Singer was kicking out tens of thousands of home sewing machines per month. It was made to sew leather palms onto knit gloves...period. The narrow post allows the user to sew up into the glove fingers. I spent many, many hours sourcing one tiny little obsolete part and then fine tuning all the adjustments to breath new life into this machine. My thinking is that I may be able to use it to tack on hatbands, but I haven't tried that yet so we'll see what happens. As I said, not really hat related, but some things are just too cool not to share.
View attachment 114034 View attachment 114035

Nice machine. I am curious about all the leather stamping tools that you have. Any leather tooling projects that you have pictures for an can DM to me? I have been slowly building up leather tools but have not yet done any projects.

 

[humanshoes]

Hey CWV, It seems I'm not tech savvy enough to attach pictures to my PM's so I'll post a couple here. I did some leather work when I was younger, but just started carving and tooling last year. Definitely a learning curve involved and, for me at least, an expensive hobby to gear up for. I tend to obsess about buying good tools, stamps, swivel knives, round knives, mallets, etc. So far I'm just making smaller tooling projects like bracelets and bookmarks for friends and family. I plan to do a few hand tooled leather hatbands, but haven't found the time as yet.

 

[Marcelle]

Hi all,

Need some help please. My sweatband supplier has let me down big time so we are having to take the manufacturing of the sweats in house. I wanted to know if anyone here has made a jig for a zig zag machine which helps with the reed tape and leather.i have attached pictures of one I’ve seen but is very complicating and just need something simple. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciate.

 

[DaveSobel]

Hi all,

Need some help please. My sweatband supplier has let me down big time so we are having to take the manufacturing of the sweats in house. I wanted to know if anyone here has made a jig for a zig zag machine which helps with the reed tape and leather.i have attached pictures of one I’ve seen but is very complicating and just need something simple. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciate.

Hi Marcelle.
I haven’t made one of these, but I am good at reverse engineering things. It should be fairly easy for you to copy this. It looks like it’s just a really basic binding tape attachment, with a plate added on top to feed the leather. If you wanted to keep it ultra simple, you could just buy a binding tape folder the correct size, and solder a square of steel or brass sheet to the top. You could cut a notch in the plate perpendicular to the feed direction at the end closest to the needle and bend it up as a guide before soldering. I think that would be the simplest solution in my opinion.