Tabletop Hatters of The Lounge

[ChicagoWayVito]

@humanshoes and I both picked up some flat back for fabric covered buttons. Here is what they look like covered in grosgrain ribbon and just by themselves. I found that I get a better looking button if I double up the ribbon when cutting the circles out and using both pieces of fabric to cover one button.

Next I need to do the following: 1) Figure out how the cord is supposed to be setup 2) Figure out how to attach said cord to the button 3) Last, work on dying white elastic cord to color match ribbon.

 

[ruvort]

@humanshoes and I both picked up some flat back for fabric covered buttons. Here is what they look like covered in grosgrain ribbon and just by themselves. I found that I get a better looking button if I double up the ribbon when cutting the circles out and using both pieces of fabric to cover one button.
View attachment 160083

Next I need to do the following: 1) Figure out how the cord is supposed to be setup 2) Figure out how to attach said cord to the button 3) Last, work on dying white elastic cord to color match ribbon.

Where did you get the buttons? I'd like to pick up some myself.

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[ChicagoWayVito]

Where did you get the buttons? I'd like to pick up some myself.

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www.workroombuttons.com has them. We are using size 16. We both have a press, cutter and setter dieset for these buttons.

 

[ruvort]

www.workroombuttons.com has them. We are using size 16. We both have a press, cutter and setter dieset for these buttons.

Thank you very much! Which shell do you guys use?

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[ChicagoWayVito]

Thank you very much! Which shell do you guys use?

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I am using the low wall aluminum shell, they have one other shell in size 16 and that is the ultra low wall shell.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Please forgive my interruption but every time I see this thread's title in the thread list I automatically think of "The Treetop Tattler", the name of the newspaper in a favorite comic strip, "Shoe".

 

[ruvort]

I thought this book might be helpful to the aspiring hat makers here at the lounge: https://archive.org/details/scientifichatfin00erma/page/n9

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[DRB]

Blank Hat Bodies.

Cruising the internet, I came across this website that has ALOT of hat bodies. I have not bought from them and cannot vouch for them yes or no.

https://jaygerish.com/products/felt-hat-bodies/

Also, Winchester Hat Company has alot. I can vouch for them.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I'm trying to learn by doing, and have been buying up thrift store felt, mostly wool, turning it back into hoods, capelines or hat bodies, then attempting to reblock, while I play around with stiffening in the process. I've also lucked onto some fur felt, but am not sure if it's more valuable left alone than after anything I can do with it.
In particular I have an Australian western hat in 6 7/8 that was finished quite stiff. It had a really flat, pinched telescope crown, which is why I call it western not outback, and a 3 1/2" brim. I did some damage to the leather sweat when I was less than judicious with steam (not the only hat I did it to), but it's made of Jakaroo fur felt, and was produced for an Australian collection. I already opened the crown, and it's a little over 5". It has grommets for a stampede string, and had a gold liner with a 360 degree pleated fit to the top, which seems to be protected with a coated silk rather than plastic sweat stopper. The gold satin type fabric is so limp I pulled it out of the hat, but still have it. I want to cut the brim and convert it to a fedora, replace the sweat and liner and turn it into my own creation. I'd also like to make a buck though, if I can (It isn't my size). Am I better off leaving it alone, or should I have at it? It's black, so there's nothing special about the color.
Any thoughts?
I have to learn somewhere, right?

 

[hatsRme]

I'm trying to learn by doing, and have been buying up thrift store felt, mostly wool, turning it back into hoods, capelines or hat bodies, then attempting to reblock, while I play around with stiffening in the process. I've also lucked onto some fur felt, but am not sure if it's more valuable left alone than after anything I can do with it.
In particular I have an Australian western hat in 6 7/8 that was finished quite stiff. It had a really flat, pinched telescope crown, which is why I call it western not outback, and a 3 1/2" brim. I did some damage to the leather sweat when I was less than judicious with steam (not the only hat I did it to), but it's made of Jakaroo fur felt, and was produced for an Australian collection. I already opened the crown, and it's a little over 5". It has grommets for a stampede string, and had a gold liner with a 360 degree pleated fit to the top, which seems to be protected with a coated silk rather than plastic sweat stopper. The gold satin type fabric is so limp I pulled it out of the hat, but still have it. I want to cut the brim and convert it to a fedora, replace the sweat and liner and turn it into my own creation. I'd also like to make a buck though, if I can (It isn't my size). Am I better off leaving it alone, or should I have at it? It's black, so there's nothing special about the color.
Any thoughts?
I have to learn somewhere, right?

Rightyouare, you have to learn somewhere! Have you explored and digested anything from “The conversion corral” thread? Or, for any hat-related question you’re going to have, just Googoo your question or topic and add “Fedora Lounge” to the querie. Get ready to find out everything you ever wanted to know, I hope. It could be like trying to take a sip off an open fire hydrant, though...

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Rightyouare, you have to learn somewhere! Have you explored and digested anything from “The conversion corral” thread? Or, for any hat-related question you’re going to have, just Googoo your question or topic and add “Fedora Lounge” to the querie. Get ready to find out everything you ever wanted to know, I hope. It could be like trying to take a sip off an open fire hydrant, though...

I'm more of a Duck Duck Go guy when searching, but I was already getting very interested in hats before I found the Fedora Lounge. Several searched led me to the Lounge before I took notice. I had ordered some reeded sweatbands. Like I mentioned, until I knew better, I did some crown steaming from the inside. It really destroyed a couple of sweats that were already fragile. I wasn't sure how to proceed changing them. My idea was to measure the old reed, then try to make the new band the same size as the other. Everything I found though pointed to using head measurements. That's the first time I really dug into some threads here, reading page after page. I was pretty worried about getting the entire thing wrong, but finally dove in and successfully did two sweatbands, following one member's example of joining the back of the band and reed after sewing it in, but with about 1/2" on each side unsewn. It was a real pain. I didn't even have a thimble! the second one was easier, and I think it even helped me think through how the parts all work together. Next time I may put one in after building it.
I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but I have plastic wire and some ferules. I've cut some 2' long curved leather strips and am going to try my hand at making some reeded sweats. Other than reshaping a Stetson fedora and western silverbelly that were my own, personal hats, the demand would not be high for my first attempts, using Great Stuff foam "Hatblocks". The felts bulge out at the brim break from the foam compressing, and the string pinches in a deep furrow. Pretty grim.
I blocked an open crown out of creamy white wool felt on a foam block that I carved, then sanded before a coat of Bondo body filler.. The Bondo made the block firm, and stretching it down worked much better on this hat until the felt tore where the old hot glue was bad, and the felt thin after I pulled it out. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Eventually I hope to have these practice wool felts start to be something people would give me a bit of cash for. The cheapest reeded sweats I could locate were $7.50, but $10 after shipping. I can't justify that in a $25- $30 lid, but if I can produce them myself for $4, then use my less refined sweats to help teach people about hats, and even to upsell some of them.s
I'll buy them for better hats. My wife hates all of the hats around here, a good percentage thrift store hats I hope to refurbish as I learn. $3 hats sound cheap until you have as many as I have, and I am hoping to get some of my money back.
That isn't all I've learned about here, but I had a lighbulb go off about basting a sweat based on a casual comment that might have been Art when talking about seeing hats sewn through the same holes as the sweat shield ribbon. I just won a bid on a Champ sewn that way. Seems counter productive to me because the thread can conduit the sweat from the head to the felt Belling the bottom out with a longer reed than leather sounds harder too. I'm very excited about guzzling from the firehose!

 

[hatsRme]

I'm more of a Duck Duck Go guy when searching, but I was already getting very interested in hats before I found the Fedora Lounge. Several searched led me to the Lounge before I took notice. I had ordered some reeded sweatbands. Like I mentioned, until I knew better, I did some crown steaming from the inside. It really destroyed a couple of sweats that were already fragile. I wasn't sure how to proceed changing them. My idea was to measure the old reed, then try to make the new band the same size as the other. Everything I found though pointed to using head measurements. That's the first time I really dug into some threads here, reading page after page. I was pretty worried about getting the entire thing wrong, but finally dove in and successfully did two sweatbands, following one member's example of joining the back of the band and reed after sewing it in, but with about 1/2" on each side unsewn. It was a real pain. I didn't even have a thimble! the second one was easier, and I think it even helped me think through how the parts all work together. Next time I may put one in after building it.
I'm not sure how this is going to work out, but I have plastic wire and some ferules. I've cut some 2' long curved leather strips and am going to try my hand at making some reeded sweats. Other than reshaping a Stetson fedora and western silverbelly that were my own, personal hats, the demand would not be high for my first attempts, using Great Stuff foam "Hatblocks". The felts bulge out at the brim break from the foam compressing, and the string pinches in a deep furrow. Pretty grim.
I blocked an open crown out of creamy white wool felt on a foam block that I carved, then sanded before a coat of Bondo body filler.. The Bondo made the block firm, and stretching it down worked much better on this hat until the felt tore where the old hot glue was bad, and the felt thin after I pulled it out. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Eventually I hope to have these practice wool felts start to be something people would give me a bit of cash for. The cheapest reeded sweats I could locate were $7.50, but $10 after shipping. I can't justify that in a $25- $30 lid, but if I can produce them myself for $4, then use my less refined sweats to help teach people about hats, and even to upsell some of them.s
I'll buy them for better hats. My wife hates all of the hats around here, a good percentage thrift store hats I hope to refurbish as I learn. $3 hats sound cheap until you have as many as I have, and I am hoping to get some of my money back.
That isn't all I've learned about here, but I had a lighbulb go off about basting a sweat based on a casual comment that might have been Art when talking about seeing hats sewn through the same holes as the sweat shield ribbon. I just won a bid on a Champ sewn that way. Seems counter productive to me because the thread can conduit the sweat from the head to the felt Belling the bottom out with a longer reed than leather sounds harder too. I'm very excited about guzzling from the firehose!

There’s a lot to it. I’d say you should read more than write at this point. Keep asking ask questions, digest and understand so to maximize your knowledge. There is nearly everything you need here, especially in the brain trust if folks feel you are doing your homework first. Remember the Googoo method to search, find, and read. You’ll minimize your errors along the way.

And I still seem to recall a thread about “what to tell your wife when she asks if you got another hat...”

Best of luck, enjoy your journey!!

 

[mayserwegener]

It's black, so there's nothing special about the color.
Any thoughts?
I have to learn somewhere, right?

Actually pure black is difficult to produce. Here a couple of good examples especially the one on the right.

 

[DRB]

Actually pure black is difficult to produce. Here a couple of good examples especially the one on the right.

Sorry this is off subject but, Steve, I was floored when I clicked to these amazing hats of yours. These go into my personal hat index file. Can you tell me their names?

 

[belfastboy]

Blank Hat Bodies.

Cruising the internet, I came across this website that has ALOT of hat bodies. I have not bought from them and cannot vouch for them yes or no.

https://jaygerish.com/products/felt-hat-bodies/

Also, Winchester Hat Company has alot. I can vouch for them.

I plan to inquire about price but the Chinese origin gives me pause. But with China, you never know, they may still use mercury

 

[mayserwegener]

Sorry this is off subject but, Steve, I was floored when I clicked to these amazing hats of yours. These go into my personal hat index file. Can you tell me their names?

Dennis, Thank you! On the left is a TONAK Formely Hückel Zephyr Seal Velour, size 7 3/8 (late 1940s very early 1950s) and on the right a J. Hückel´s Söhne (JHS) Zephyr Seal Velour, size 7 3/8 (late 1930s). Both were made for the American market.

 

[Bertie.Wooster]

I cannot afford a hat blocking machine for my proposed straw hat production.
How would I block a hat using a wooden hat block and a steam iron?
I have heard milliners/hatters doing this method but I cannot seem to find much info on how to do so?

 

[humanshoes]

Question Bertie. Are you using a pre-shaped wood block or an open crown wood block. You can iron straw hats the same way you would felt by using a damp pressing cloth between the iron and the straw. If you're forming your hats on a pre-formed block then you can just use steam and manipulate the shape by hand. That's what I did with this hemp straw hat. I used the cloth/iron method with a flange block on the brim and steam and hand manipulation to form the crown around the pre-formed block.

 

[Bertie.Wooster]

Thanks, humanshoes.

It's just a simple a boater hat with a flat top.
Can I use a damp cloth and a dry iron?

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

If you cover the straw with a damp cloth as to not to singe it, I think it would be worth a shot!