Photos of hatters tools

[John Galt]

Loving this creativity. Welcome Bear! What are you asking for your rounding jacks?

Great work Dogman! It's nice to see options out there. There are so few tool makers.

Update on my brass tolliker - turns out it did not have enough clearance to be useful as built. I'm going to have to offset the handle more. I'm disappointed, but it is a prototype, so working out the bugs. Ended the auction early because it wasn't functional like this...

Thinking out loud, I may build a new handle that affords the necessary clearance...

 

[Mr.Astor]

Nice work Bear and welcome! Dogman I also like your work very innovative!

 

[DOGMAN]

John Galt,Mr.Astor,thank you.Outsidebear,your rounding jacks have a cool design.

 

[T Jones]

DOGMAN, outsidebear, those rounding jacks look awesome. I gotta get a rounding jack, and a hat block

 

[DOGMAN]

Thank you,T Jones.They were fun to make.Now it's time to convert a western hat.I gave a Resistol Stagecoach a naptha bath yesterday.Hopefully today a brim trim.

 

[outsidebear]

DOGMAN - nice work - isn't fiddling with a design is part of the fun - great touch with the fitted stands, classic styling that is.

Here's some detail in their making: in order to get the 4 blind holes in the top aluminum square, drilled almost through the metal, then put a tap into an old drill press (had removed the v-belt) and turning the chuck by hand, tapped the 120 corner blind holes, then also the 30 center threaded holes. Inch mark lines on the sliding bar/ruler: 390 by hand hacksaw cuts. Made a punch system (male and female pieces) in order to counter sink the bottom metal plate attachment for the machine head screws. Hole in the end of the sliding rod so they may be hung on a nail.

Now they look like all parts will interchange, and some may, but each one was hand fitted and refitted and refitted as needed in order to work properly. I am by no means a machinist, but can handle a drill press pretty good! Used a band saw in cutting the wood, then finishing each piece by hand. Finding the set screws with the tops like that was a real chore in itself!

Why did I make 30 of them? I'd been using antique original rounding jacks for years, but these eventually wear n' get loose. The only one making a rounding jack for the general market was JW. His is a finely milled tool and works good. I don't have one of his, but we've set n' talked about our separate designs in his shop a couple of times. I'd talked to custom hat shops all around the west, when personally visiting with them, asking if they would be interested in buying one if I made another batch similar (but improved) to my 2007 model? Every shop I talked with told me yes, make them. Again, I've not been back to all of the custom shops in my travels since, have not tried to eBay them, or push them on the market. This Forum is the most exposure they've seen. I am NOT here to try and sell or market them in this thread, rather sharing about them and how they came about. I may(?) post a couple in the selling section, not sure? Still too new here.

I sell them for $265, which includes Priority Mailing. With the custom hat shops that's paid back for in their price of one, or maybe two, hats they sell. I've not really marketed them, rather showing at a custom shop when wandering by their door. Besides one for his own use, a hatter I know in Idaho bought one to send to his sister shop in Australia. I've several left. Once these are gone doubt will make the same design again (though it works very well). Each has it's own S/N and is dated n' signed (engraved into the metal ruler rod). I'm working at creating a simpler and less costly model, that wouldn't bear fruit until next year sometime.

thank you all for your welcome to the Forum, and especially patience with my windy dissertation in this reply...

 

[John Galt]

Marc DeCou has a new design for a shackle, or is it? It seems like I've seen this before on vintage shackles. Anyone seen a shackle that swings closed with a handle like this?

http://etsy.me/1pPH3wJ

 

[Hatter4]

John, here's one from my collection. They were referred to as a "rope curl shackle" or a "pencil curl shackle". They came in 1/4", 5/16", 3/4" and 1/2" sizes. Sold new for $2.50. One recently sold in good condition for $2.50. The original is not made out of wood. The base is iron with a wooden handle so it can be heated and used.

 

[Miamibruno]

Incredibly cool stuff, gentlemen. I love the perspective you bring Hatter4. And Outsidebear, those are some great rounding jacks. I love the creativity you all bring to this thread. TJones, I haven't gotten to my Resistol, yet. I'm going to have to wait till summer and some more free time. You guys rock.

 

[Hatter4]

John there was a typo it should have read $250.00 for the auction price not $2.50

 

[TheDane]

Marc DeCou has a new design for a shackle, or is it? It seems like I've seen this before on vintage shackles. Anyone seen a shackle that swings closed with a handle like this?

http://etsy.me/1pPH3wJ

He has made those for years - and they are still ridiculously expensive! Why pay $400 for a small piece of whittling wood, when you can buy a new set of three iron shackels from JW-Hats for $300? That would be a very bad deal in my book [huh]

PS: The ones from JW do not open with a handle, but I would still prefer them to Marc's

 

[John Galt]

Thanks Hatter4. I knew I'd seen this before.

The ad said he was seeking a patent because the design is unique:

On antique hinged shackles, the hinge motion was designed to "open" the shackle so that it could be removed off of the finished brim edge. In my research, I came up with the idea of "clamping" or "closing" the shackle foot against the felt by using a clamping action provided by squeezing the split handle together. If you want more pressure under the felt curl, you squeeze tighter on the handle, but if you want less pressure, you just relax your grip a little. It's so simple, I am surprised it wasn't previously invented, but so far in my patent application investigation I've been unable to find a previous invention of such a design.

 

[Hatter4]

John, sounds like you have been doing your homework.

 

[John Galt]

Well, everything after the colin is Mark DeCou's statement from the Etsy ad. I don't have a didactic memory, but I saw the ad and knew I'd seen a vintage example of a "pull closed" shackle. I'm glad you had one to post.

 

[TheDane]

It's shown on a drawing in Ermatinger's book on page 67 ... "The hinge shackle for pencil curls". Several machines has also been made for curling. Some use a ball and a curved piece of metal to "squeeze" the felt between

 

[John Galt]

Here's the new stretcher, it is electric, and is in pretty good shape, but I can't identify a brand.

The sizing is an interesting issue in light of the taper. The scale is not accurate at the bottom, but I think it is at about 3/4 the way down...

 

[John Galt]

It's shown on a drawing in Ermatinger's book on page 67 ... "The hinge shackle for pencil curls". Several machines has also been made for curling. Some use a ball and a curved piece of metal to "squeeze" the felt between

I would not give the patent application very good odds...

 

[Hatter4]

John: Did you know that the company Allie Maillard who made the comformateur also made a Straw Hat Conforming Machine. I would love to find one of these.

 

[John Galt]

I have a vague recollection of having seen an ad, but had forgotten. It looks intriguing, and I would also love to find one. I'm sure they are quite rare...

 

[John Galt]

Here's an interesting video I found searching for the AM straw hat conforming machine:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gu9H3sOcifk