The Conversion Corral

[DOGMAN]

Thank you,T Jones. The red hat has become one of my favorite hats.I like your Stagecoach.Your doing nice work on the campaign bows.I think it looks good whether you keep it or not.

 

[T Jones]

Thank you,T Jones. The red hat has become one of my favorite hats.I like your Stagecoach.Your doing nice work on the campaign bows.I think it looks good whether you keep it or not.

Thanks buddy. That red hat definitely looks nice, and I love the bow work you did on it.

 

[moehawk]

Hey everyone!

I've found recently that I can lose hours and hours playing around trying to fix up old hats. I love the softness of the felt, all the different styles and shapes of brim and crown to try to steam in, even (most of the time) the smell of the vintage old felt. I can start messing around with a sweatband and the next thing I know it's 3 hours past dinnertime and I'm sanding a crown or trying to stitch a ribbon with no idea where the time went...I am calling it "going down the moth-hole"

3 dollar Stetsons are a great thing for people with this affliction. I got this one at a flea market Saturday and it has been a great learning experience.





It had a 4" brim, remains of a leather hatband glued onto it and a yellowish tinge to it. Also, a bit of moth damage to the crown and to a less noticeable extent some moth tracks on the surface of the brim and crown.

After a lot of sanding, a white-gasoline bath (first time I attempted this), a re-block, a trim job down to a more manageable 3" front and back, 2 3/4" on the sides (also a first for me), a reshape and lots more sanding, it was ready for an alligator band. Or, rather, an alligator belt that I cut down...I also experimented a little with trying to repair a large moth furrow on the crown by watering down a little Elmer's glue and dabbing some in the hole and putting felt lint that I had sanded off the brim into it. Worked better than I thought it would.

The results:






I took the first two as the sun was getting pretty low but the color is still close to real life. I'm thinking about a pencil roll to the back of the brim, but not sure yet.

I think it came out well for my first conversion. Now for that old Resistol...

 

[LuvMyMan]

Hey everyone!

I've found recently that I can lose hours and hours playing around trying to fix up old hats. I love the softness of the felt, all the different styles and shapes of brim and crown to try to steam in, even (most of the time) the smell of the vintage old felt. I can start messing around with a sweatband and the next thing I know it's 3 hours past dinnertime and I'm sanding a crown or trying to stitch a ribbon with no idea where the time went...I am calling it "going down the moth-hole"

3 dollar Stetsons are a great thing for people with this affliction. I got this one at a flea market Saturday and it has been a great learning experience.
View attachment 22437
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View attachment 22440

It had a 4" brim, remains of a leather hatband glued onto it and a yellowish tinge to it. Also, a bit of moth damage to the crown and to a less noticeable extent some moth tracks on the surface of the brim and crown.

After a lot of sanding, a white-gasoline bath (first time I attempted this), a re-block, a trim job down to a more manageable 3" front and back, 2 3/4" on the sides (also a first for me), a reshape and lots more sanding, it was ready for an alligator band. Or, rather, an alligator belt that I cut down...I also experimented a little with trying to repair a large moth furrow on the crown by watering down a little Elmer's glue and dabbing some in the hole and putting felt lint that I had sanded off the brim into it. Worked better than I thought it would.

The results:

View attachment 22441
View attachment 22442
View attachment 22443
View attachment 22444

I took the first two as the sun was getting pretty low but the color is still close to real life. I'm thinking about a pencil roll to the back of the brim, but not sure yet.

I think it came out well for my first conversion. Now for that old Resistol...

Yep, you did just great! More than we would be willing to try here in my home.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Nice work and great color but another western trimmed...

 

[moehawk]

I still have 2 more westerns that I'm leaving untrimmed if that makes you a little happier...

 

[moehawk]

oh yeah and thank you Luv and Joao!

 

[1mach1]

Nice looking work, moehawk!

 

[RJR]

Yes,it looks good.

 

[DOGMAN]

Nice work,Moehawk.You saved a 3 dollar hat.I've did the glue with sanded felt fuzz to fill in a moth hole with pretty good results also.Just be careful,converting western hats can become an addiction.I'm working on my 21st conversion now.

 

[moehawk]

TYVM, mach and RJR! And yes Dogman, it can be very addictive to turn a beat-up piece of junk into a wearable piece of...art. I have the feeling that I'll be going down the moth-hole quite often now.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I'm working on my 21st conversion now.

Nooooooooooooooo

 

[moehawk]

Dogman, I think you just harshed Joao's mellow...

 

[DOGMAN]

Yes I killed 21 westerns,that I didn't like that much.But now they have a new life as fedoras,and I love them.Joao,I still have my 7x clear beaver that I haven't trimmed.Hope that makes you feel better.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Joao,I still have my 7x clear beaver that I haven't trimmed.Hope that makes you feel better.

A little...

 

[bond]

This is a re do of a 3x that I liked but wanted more of a casual looking hat to wear for summer so I re did this one and repounced the felt and added different ribbons , liner, sweatband. Feels lighter and more pliable now after taking the felt down.

 

[RJR]

Nice job,Scott.

 

[moehawk]

yeah, agreed on nice job. I especially like the choice of ribbon color.

 

[Redshoes51]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?22306-The-Conversion-Corral&p=1880185&viewfull=1#post1880185


Wow... what a GREAT looking hat!! I LOVE it!!!

~shoes~

 

[Strapped-4-Cache]

Dang, Scott. That's one nice looking hat. Great job.