steam wand :)

[Bald1]

Okay I know I'm a newbie and am learning to do things like "bash" hats. I had been somewhat frustrated by no longer having a tea kettle to use. I tried an open pot of water but found the lack of concentrated steam unsatisfactory as I only wanted to work the pinch and not affect the brim, etc. This morning at oh-dark-thirty I was making myself my morning libation using my semi-commercial espresso machine and the lights went on.

I swung the steaming wand away from its normal position now enabling a powerful jet of hot steam to be sent horizontally. Taking my Akubra Riverina that I've been playing with I fired hot steam all across the pinch front and side areas. Mindful of some comments I received from a local hat maker I moved forward to reshape the pinch by holding the hat against my chest and placing my palms into the area where I wanted to increase the indendations. Viola! What a difference... the hat was more pliable and reshaping was easy now that it had been properly steam prepped.

This is one use of my espresso machine that I never envisioned

--Bob

 

[jimmy the lid]

That'll be a Venti Macchiato No-Whip Extra Hot Riverina for me, please...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[duggap]

Hey Baldi, nice use of the noggin to make something nice to use for the noggin.:eusa_clap

 

[feltfan]

I swung the steaming wand away from its normal position now enabling a powerful jet of hot steam to be sent horizontally. Taking my Akubra Riverina that I've been playing with I fired hot steam all across the pinch front and side areas. Mindful of some comments I received from a local hat maker I moved forward to reshape the pinch by holding the hat against my chest and placing my palms into the area where I wanted to increase the indendations. Viola! What a difference... the hat was more pliable and reshaping was easy now that it had been properly steam prepped.

This is what I've been doing with my single group commercial
San Marco Type 80 Leva machine for many years now. Never had
a problem. Two things to keep an eye out for- the steam wand
often accumulates a bit of water which I blow out before starting to
steam. This practice can also blow out accumulated milk solids.
Also, if you get the hat too close to the steam wand you can
leave trails of concentrated steam blast in the felt (which disappear
with water or sometimes brushing).

Your next challenge: find a way to bring hats into a discussion on
home-barista.com

 

[Bald1]

Feltfan,

I always clean the nozzle after each use as well as shoot steam into a small pitcher until any water is gone before steaming milk. So these practices obviate any of the concerns save distance you mention. Glad to read that others have used their machines for this purpose

Your San Marco is a nice machine. Mine is a Isomac Zaffiro wiith a E61 grouphead. A review can be found here: http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/detailed/isomaczaffiro

As for home-barista.com, I'd be more inclined to start a hat thread over at the coffeegeek site LOL

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I'm smacking my head wondering why I didn't think of this before...our espresso maker is sitting right on top of the dishwasher - that was my find a couple months back for giving the whole hat a nice even blast of steam - hold it over the dishwasher while opening the door.

Maybe we need to have a thread on "Hat Shaping with Kitchen Appliances..."

 

[HamletJSD]

Electric kettle here ... Lid closed for small pinch and brim adjustments ... Lid open if I want to take out the lining and recrease the whole crown ...

The espresso machine probably takes the cake, but any other interesting appliance uses out there? lol

 

[Bald1]

It would indeed be interesting to see what other creative techniques folks here have employed to aid in their bashing / customization efforts.

I also took the "bait" and created a new topic about the unusual use of espresso machine steam wands over in the espresso machine forum at coffeegeek. Thread replies should be interesting

--Bob

 

[mineral]

It would indeed be interesting to see what other creative techniques folks here have employed to aid in their bashing / customization efforts.

I don't know if this would count, but let's see. After reading (on here) that sanding is a way to deal with (light) moth damage on the surface of a hat, I was tempted to try it out but I did not have the trust in being even and gentle enough with sand paper on a hat. I have one of these things around:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkstone

and I thought that if ink sticks can be ground on them (and they do have a very smooth surface, at least, to touch) then surely hat felt would do as well. My stone also happened to be fortunately shaped, so I went over the trouble spot like a brush and "ground" it like I would with an ink stick (i.e. by wetting the stone first). It worked surprisingly well and gave new life to my otherwise "second tier" hat.

 

[Daniel]

I bought a small hand-held steamer at Target (for around $30.00, as I remember.) I've used it to re-shape hats, pull wrinkles and odors out of delicate suits, smooth linen shirts, etc.

It heats up rather quickly and has certainly paid for itself. I can quickly brush and steam a suit, so I no longer dry clean them unless they were just purchased at a thrift shop.

 

[Dr Doran]

I bought a small hand-held steamer at Target (for around $30.00, as I remember.) I've used it to re-shape hats, pull wrinkles and odors out of delicate suits, smooth linen shirts, etc.

It heats up rather quickly and has certainly paid for itself. I can quickly brush and steam a suit, so I no longer dry clean them unless they were just purchased at a thrift shop.

Daniel, is this advertised as a milk steamer or a clothing steamer? Would you terribly mind posting the link to the item in the Target catalogue? Many of us will thank you. Sounds marvelous.

 

[HamletJSD]

I don't know if this would count, but let's see ...

That counts in my book. Particularly if it worked! :eusa_clap

 

[Daniel]

Daniel, is this advertised as a milk steamer or a clothing steamer? Would you terribly mind posting the link to the item in the Target catalogue? Many of us will thank you. Sounds marvelous.

It's a clothing steamer. This one is similar, but not exact -- it says the item is not available in stores. Mine is a basic Conair model, without the temperature control, but seems to work just fine.

It also does wonders on silk ties, my wife's wool skirts, etc.

 

[Dr Doran]

It's a clothing steamer. This one is similar, but not exact -- it says the item is not available in stores. Mine is a basic Conair model, without the temperature control, but seems to work just fine.

It also does wonders on silk ties, my wife's wool skirts, etc.

Thank you, my good fellow. I appreciate it.

 

[J.B.]

"Look Holmes -- that fellow's fedora is such a unique shade of brown...??!"

"Ah yes. And if I'm not mistaken, Watson -- that color was accomplished with a thorough misting of Ethiopian Yrgacheffe contrasted with casual spatterings of a nice affordable city-roasted La Minta Tarrazu on the grosgrain ribbon! Further, I'm willing to wager that you will soon experience the remarkable floral bouquet of last Friday's ultra-pasteurized half-and-half from AltaDena Dairy wafting from his whipstitched brim as we pass!"

 

[duggap]

JB, what you drinking out of that cup in your avatar.lol

 

[Edward]

That handheld steamer is an intriguing idea.... to date I have only used an open pot (poured boiling water right out of the kettle into it), with the hat set over it just long enough to soften, worked well enough for me whether I'm donig a full bash or tidying up. A more directional tool is attractive - though it could be a dangetous facilitator in buying too many more new hats! lol