The Conversion Corral

[T Jones]

Great job on the Bandera !
Nice Ram Jam! So...Do ya call it “Black Betty”?
I’m a definite Mopar man who’s, at this time, driving a Ford pickup as a work truck.
My last pickup was a Dodge Duelly 4x4 with the Cummins. Loved it.
Got this Ford cheap, so I’ll drive it awhile. I lean towards Mopar trucks and Chevy cars, but buy whatever brand and model that happens to made well at the time I’m buying and whatever I can get at a bargain.
Here’s my “full size” Mopar muscle car. It’s the reason I had plenty of left over spray paint. View attachment 351227

I've had just about every U.S. make of pick up truck and muscle car at one time or another. My last truck was a GMC before I got this Ram truck. It has the 5.7 HEMI, truck version, @ nearly 400 hp. It's pretty quick and can set you back your seat when you jump into it. MOPAR has even more powerful HEMIs than this 5.7. The new RAM TRX has the 6.1 Hellcat HEMI at just over 700 hp, while the 6.2 Hellcat Red-eye HEMI has nearly 800 hp. I'd love to have one those in my truck! I'd even be happy with the R/T 6.4 HEMI @ just 485 hp! Gotta say, though, my RAM's a blast to drive! Anyway, I like that plumb color on your block. It really stands out nice.

 

[T Jones]

Looks awesome, Terry! Still don’t know how you get those huge paws to do such perfect, intricate, tedious work.
No doubt that you do, though.
The new Randal Alan block I got had sides with absolutely zero taper front, back or sides. That’s great when doing C-crowns, but for a single crease it can only cause reverse taper because the single crease pushes out the front and rear. So I ended up belt sanding a small taper toward the top. It’s a 60cm block at the bottom and now 59.4 at the top.
Not much, but it helps. My block also had a sharp shoulder where the break of the dome started from the sides.
Didn’t translate well to a crown so I sanded the sharpness off, too. Still a nice shoulder, just not a creased transition. Randal’s new composite material he uses don’t like to belt sand very well, but I finally had my way with it. Wants to melt while sanding, but can be done.
On the old Randal block that I used bondo on it now has completely square sides, but tapered front and back with a difference of a full 1.3 cm taper from bottom to top. It’s a 59 cm block. Shaping it that way makes it perfect for fedora crowns having either a single or diamond crease.
Produces 90 degree sides and square front and backs.

Thank you, kemosabie! I do a lot of teardrops and Cattleman creases with mine. It also does a very nice job with with Montana Pinch and Gus creases when I do Westerns. I have to say, though, I've never encountered a problem at all when doing a Center dent. No reverse taper at all...

 

[Tukwila]

Terry, I wish I had half your talent. Your work always impresses the heck out of me. Wonderful work, man.

 

[T Jones]

Terry, I wish I had half your talent. Your work always impresses the heck out of me. Wonderful work, man.

Thank you, Tuk!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

My brother—a Marine war vet, fireman, real cowboy and forever Don Williams fan—came by today so I took some pics wearing his new hat.
Hat and materials: $90
Many hours to build, free gift.
Hug from brother: priceless.

 

[1967Cougar390]

View attachment 351738 My brother, the big Don Williams fan, came by today so I took some pics wearing his new hat.
Hat and materials: $90
Many hours to build, free gift.
Hug from brother: priceless. View attachment 351739

Priceless is Awesome! Well done Randall.

Steven

 

[T Jones]

View attachment 351738 My brother, the big Don Williams fan, came by today so I took some pics wearing his new hat.
Hat and materials: $90
Many hours to build, free gift.
Hug from brother: priceless. View attachment 351739

That hat was just my size! Great job!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

That hat was just my size! Great job!

Someone else needs a hug...

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Priceless is Awesome! Well done Randall.

Steven

Thanks, Steven! It sure is.

 

[Blare]

View attachment 351738
My brother—a Marine war vet, fireman, real cowboy and forever Don Williams fan—came by today so I took some pics wearing his new hat.
Hat and materials: $90
Many hours to build, free gift.
Hug from brother: priceless. View attachment 351739

Suits him well. Nice job may friend.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Suits him well. Nice job may friend.

Thanks, Joe. may suit him even better once the beard grows out that he says he’s gonna trim up like Don’s.

 

[sebastian czentner]

I converted a fedora in a pork pie in the first try isnt exactly like the pork pie of buster keaton, but is close.

 

[suitedcboy]

Thanks buddy. I've done quite a few with that RA block. It gives a nice straight full profile. Here's the Bandera completed. I forgot to post a picture the hat after I finished it.

The Bandera turned out GREAT!

 

[T Jones]

Thank you buddy!

 

[T Jones]

My latest latest conversion project. Bailey 100X Beaver. It started out as a 7 1/8 Western, (too small for me), that I blocked up to a 7 1/4 LO to fit me. The hat is something of a cream color that I paired with a 1 1/2 Burgundy ribbon, and a slight up-swoop to the bow work. The brim is 2 5/8 inches and the crown is creased to my preferred Teardrop...

Before:

On the straight sided RA Block:

Brim trimmed to 2 5/8 inches:

After:

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My latest latest conversion project. Bailey 100X Beaver. It started out as a 7 1/8 Western, (too small for me), that I blocked up to a 7 1/4 LO to fit me. The hat is something of a cream color that I paired with a 1 1/2 Burgundy ribbon, and a slight up-swoop to the bow work. The brim is 2 5/8 inches and the crown is creased to my preferred Teardrop...

Before:

On the straight sided RA Block:

Brim trimmed to 2 5/8 inches:

After:

That really came out nice, Terry. I always enjoy seeing your work and seeing the transformation of these hats.

 

[T Jones]

That really came out nice, Terry. I always enjoy seeing your work and seeing the transformation of these hats.

Thank you Brent! Much appreciated.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

My latest latest conversion project. Bailey 100X Beaver. It started out as a 7 1/8 Western, (too small for me), that I blocked up to a 7 1/4 LO to fit me. The hat is something of a cream color that I paired with a 1 1/2 Burgundy ribbon, and a slight up-swoop to the bow work. The brim is 2 5/8 inches and the crown is creased to my preferred Teardrop...

Before:

On the straight sided RA Block:

Brim trimmed to 2 5/8 inches:

After:

Awesome bow job.
(Said that way, sounds...weird)
Cool color combo.
Job well done!

 

[T Jones]

Awesome bow job.
(Said that way, sounds...weird)
Cool color combo.
Job well done!

Ha ha... Thank you Randall!

 

[Scooterz]

Really nice job on that hat! Looks like something Art would do.

My latest latest conversion project. Bailey 100X Beaver. It started out as a 7 1/8 Western, (too small for me), that I blocked up to a 7 1/4 LO to fit me. The hat is something of a cream color that I paired with a 1 1/2 Burgundy ribbon, and a slight up-swoop to the bow work. The brim is 2 5/8 inches and the crown is creased to my preferred Teardrop...

Before:

On the straight sided RA Block:

Brim trimmed to 2 5/8 inches:

After: