Photos of hatters tools

[John Galt]

No need, John - Allie and Maillard did. Look at the original

I have nabbed a bunch of photos of the oldies, but had never noted that Olė. Thanks ;-)

 

[John Galt]

Zoiks yo! I just bought this as a BIN on eBay for $4.99 + about $13 S&H. I will no longer complain about the dirth of deals (at least not for a while ).

 

[Hatter4]

John, Great deal on the rounding jack, good luck with it. Also I use bee's wax.If you need photos of tool's and I can help just let me know

 

[Mr.Astor]

Nice find John. Good luck with it!

 

[John Galt]

John, Great deal on the rounding jack, good luck with it. Also I use bee's wax.If you need photos of tool's and I can help just let me know

Thanks Hatter4! I will be getting my new bandsaw blade soon, and may have a couple if special requests.

Oh, and bee's wax makes sense. It probably has a bit nicer finish too.

 

[John Galt]

Nice find John. Good luck with it!

Thank you. It looks like it might need a little TLC, but between this and the spring jack I bought recently, and the euro style jack I bought a while back, I have plenty of models. I do still plan to make an economical rounding jack, and to complete my own aborted design at some time.

It may, however, prove more economical for Me to just buy them from Humanshoes when his hit the market ;-)

 

[ManofKent]

Crown and brim block (spotted by a certain Danish fellow). A few minor surface cracks, but basically solid.









The brim block will be good for almost all of my hats, the crown block good for about 50% of my hats, but I'm now on the hunt for a US 7 3/8 for those with a thicker sweat or are smaller (I'm between a 60 and 61).

Thanks for the heads up Ole

 

[TheDane]

You're more than welcome, Richard. Not the #108, it looked like in the seller's pictures, but I hope it'll work out anyway. Also hope you win the 7 3/8 too

What numbers do you find on the flange?

 

[ManofKent]

You're more than welcome, Richard. Not the #108, it looked like in the seller's pictures, but I hope it'll work out anyway. Also hope you win the 7 3/8 too

What numbers do you find on the flange?

Hi Ole - no numbers on the flange. The crown block is very straight-sided and doesn't have quite as much fore-aft taper as my dodgy compact camera suggests - it should be good for re-blocking. Thanks again, Richard

 

[bloc]

Called a "dent clamp" in the book.

Of course, thank you, the resources in this place amaze me every time.

 

[bloc]

Check these out on eBay. I bought them. 500 should last me until I retire from my present career & become a real hatter ;-)

http://bit.ly/1jvaRh6

Thank you, I've ordered some from a theatrical chandler in the UK. Not quite sure what a theatrical chandler is but they look very similar to these!

 

[bloc]

Okay, I know that Allie and Maillard are probably spinning in their graves over this one, but I built it anyway and surprise...it actually works. My first homemade conformateur. My apologies to the ghosts of the original inventors, but I can't afford to buy the real thing. View attachment 10072

Looks very interesting....

 

[Mr.Astor]

John Galt- you seem to be a bit of a woodworker, for flanges take a block trace the outer edge onto a doubled up piece of poplar or basswood (flip flop your grain to prevent checking)you can follow the edge with a scribe for exact size or hold a pencil tight to the side of block and follow around you can gain 1/8" or 1/4" to your inside dimension. I would use a plunge router with a straight cut then use a rounding over bit to get your curve for outer and inner edge. Very little sanding top only.
Band saw is good for outer only than you have to use a saber saw for inner. I have taken brim flange cut it in half then I make spacers to fit between two halves to achieve the dimension I want. I use two pieces of parachute cord to one hold the flange together and one to secure flannel for ironing. Bought too many blocks and flanges and you never really have what you need! Wool felt is another way to expand the sizes of your block collection,it also makes a nice crisp edge crown to brim. Good luck on your jack look at old wooden hangars for the curve to follow around the bottom of the crown. Hope this helps

 

[TheDane]

Thank you, I've ordered some from a theatrical chandler in the UK. Not quite sure what a theatrical chandler is but they look very similar to these!

Traditionally a (ship) chandler is a shop, dealing with rope, tools, tar, clothes and even food for the shipping industry. The word "chandler" was probably imported into the theatre industry by retired sailors - the main source for earlier days' stage-hands and theatre-technicians. Anyway, I have often heard English spoken former colleagues call a technical supplier, "a chandler"

 

[TheDane]

John Galt- you seem to be a bit of a woodworker, for flanges take a block trace the outer edge onto a doubled up piece of poplar or basswood (flip flop your grain to prevent checking)you can follow the edge with a scribe for exact size or hold a pencil tight to the side of block and follow around you can gain 1/8" or 1/4" to your inside dimension. I would use a plunge router with a straight cut then use a rounding over bit to get your curve for outer and inner edge. Very little sanding top only.
Band saw is good for outer only than you have to use a saber saw for inner. I have taken brim flange cut it in half then I make spacers to fit between two halves to achieve the dimension I want. I use two pieces of parachute cord to one hold the flange together and one to secure flannel for ironing. Bought too many blocks and flanges and you never really have what you need! Wool felt is another way to expand the sizes of your block collection,it also makes a nice crisp edge crown to brim. Good luck on your jack look at old wooden hangars for the curve to follow around the bottom of the crown. Hope this helps

The hard part is the curve of the upper-side of the flange. This curve is what defines the flange, and it is very different from flange-model to flange-model. On flanges for snap-brims, the curve is even different in the front and back of the same flange. One has to have a lot of knowledge on flanges (and/or hatting) to make flanges - and the same goes for blocks. It takes a lot more than "just" wood-working skills to make flanges and blocks

 

[Mr.Astor]

A drum sander eyeballing what you want to achieve works, a palm sander also works for rounding side transitioning to top.
Snap brims I work by hand,depending on which side they cock their hat some people like a wider brim left or right. Just trying to work the economy of scale.

 

[TheDane]

The problem is not how to work the wood. The problem is getting the exact curve for the specific brim.

I'm not sure, we think of the same thing, when we say "snap-brim" - or maybe I just don't understand, what you mean with "work by hand". A snap-brim is flanged up all away around - with a little different/flatter curve in front. If done correct, the front of the brim will be "springy" and can be snapped down - and up again - with a light popping sound. I can't imagine, how you get that defining springiness by hand(?)

 

[Block Maker]

The hard part is the curve of the upper-side of the flange. This curve is what defines the flange, and it is very different from flange-model to flange-model. On flanges for snap-brims, the curve is even different in the front and back of the same flange. One has to have a lot of knowledge on flanges (and/or hatting) to make flanges - and the same goes for blocks. It takes a lot more than "just" wood-working skills to make flanges and blocks

We have a very special tool in the shop to profile flanges on our lathe. I use to do it the hard way but took the plunge on the tool and now can really get the profile I or the customer wants!

 

[bloc]

Traditionally a (ship) chandler is a shop, dealing with rope, tools, tar, clothes and even food for the shipping industry. The word "chandler" was probably imported into the theatre industry by retired sailors - the main source for earlier days' stage-hands and theatre-technicians. Anyway, I have often heard English spoken former colleagues call a technical supplier, "a chandler"

Aha, thanks for that. Looks like the chandlers came good, ferrules arrived this morning

 

[John Galt]

They look right to me. Now does anyone have a source for monofilament that will fit?