This could be dangerous

[tonyb]

A couple of hours ago the postman delivered the antique crown block/brim flange/band block set I bought off eBay late last week.

First victim is an early 1940s (I think) Disney. I removed the liner and the ribbon, soaked the body in cold water and persuaded it over the block. It's now tied to the block at the brim break line and the liner is soaking in a solution of cold water, dish soap and color-safe bleach. I'm off to the fabric shop to buy some thread close in color to the burnt-orange ribbon.

I chose this hat first because it's quite faded and its crown was less full than I would like. It seemed to have a touch too little crown to balance its generous, ribbon-bound brim. By the looks of it, this No. 52 block of mine should give the results I'm hoping for.

Lot of other old beaters around here, so ... here comes trouble.

 

[Viper Man]

That's so cool. Any chance you could take photos and document the process? I'd be interested in seeing your handy work for future reference. I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Be sure to give us a few before and after pics. Have fun!

 

[RBH]

Good Luck!

 

[Stoney]

Alas this is how it starts. First re-blocking then full blown OCLD.

 

[tonyb]

Well, it's a little late for "before" shots of the Disney. But, I'm back from the fabric store, where I scored some thread (close enough in color), a pair of embroidery scissors and a couple of X-Acto knives. The new tools helped make short work of ripping apart a 1950s-vintage Mode Edge Stetson, of which I took a couple of "before" shots before setting to work. The Stetson was bought cheap, mostly due to some bug damage (removing the ribbon disclosed even more), which sanded out, mostly, and a subtle but persistent smudge near the front of the crown, which rendered it all but unwearable, except for trips to the dump and such. So I'm gonna flip this one around -- turn the front into the back, and vice-versa. I would turn it inside out, because the interior is so pristine, but there's that Mode Edge, you know, and I just can't see putting it on the bottom of the brim. (Hmm, it would be unique, though. And only we hat nuts would know that it was indeed an inside-out Mode Edge Stetson. Better think about this.)

 

[Art Fawcett]

put the exacto knife down and step away from the hat!!!!!lol lol


and so it begins...have fun!!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Standing-by for full documentation of this procedure with text and photos.

-dixon cannon

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Careful...

I've heard of a time or two where folks were coaxing a hat on a block and tore the brim away from the crown. I think to avoid this, it is why the old hatters used (probably still do) "puller downs". If you're not already aware, these are thinnish pieces of wood curved in the shape of a flat lazy 'C'. By grabbing the brim with these in your grasp it seems to distribute the tension over a wider area of the hat blank rather than risking it all being focused in one small area where the brim meets the crown.

Never done it myself but I think the theory is sound.

G

 

[Stoney]

lol I actually tore the brim off of a new Dobbs hat trying to stretch it over a block. One thing that it did have going for it was the LARGE stitching at the brim line that made a perfect "tear here" perforation much like a postage stamp.

Beware the stitch line and distribute the pull evenly.

 

[tonyb]

Well, the Disney came out so-so. It's certainly no worse than it was, so it remains a foul-weather, maybe-get-dirty-in-it lid.

The Stetson, on the other hand, is much, much improved. (I'll post pics of my work in progress just as soon as I can figure out what I'm doing wrong with photobucket.) I did indeed flip it around -- turned the back into the front, etc. This of course involved turning around the sweatband, the liner, the ribbon, the bow and the wind string. (I was pleased to find all its parts reusable.) And I pounced the hell out of it, finishing with 1500 grit paper, being careful to avoid the Mode Edge. And I used the brim break block, but probably not properly. I see no point in reflanging the brim, because it seems to be of proper swoopage as it is.

The crown filled almost all of the six-inch block. (The Disney is an inch or more shorter.) I'm diggin' this block -- a No. 52, which has just a slight amount of taper, near the top. A tall hat blocked on it will see even that little bit of taper disappear when it takes its wearing-out-in-public shaping.

The Ermatinger book makes considerably more sense now than it did before I attacked these two lids with my newly acquired equipment. It's kinda like a driving manual that way -- it's kinda hard to figure out just what the author is trying to convey, until you get behind the wheel.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I've heard of a time or two where folks were coaxing a hat on a block and tore the brim away from the crown. I think to avoid this, it is why the old hatters used (probably still do) "puller downs".

Yup... happened to me with my brother-in-law's hat.

I'll be making myself a pair of puller-downs as soon as I finish rearranging my garage work bench area.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Stoney]

tony,

What was wrong with the Disney.

One tip on re-blocking.

If the hat is losing it's shape you may want to apply some steam to the hat while on the block. The heat will reactivate the stiffener in the hat. Depending upon the hat involved, this approach may give you better results than adding more stiffener. Since the hat is on the block steaming it will shrink it to the shape of the block.The same is true of the brim. Pushing steam into it against a flange will usually make the brim stiff again without adding stiffener to the hat. Just don't iron directly on the felt. I use a t-shirt between the felt and the iron to protect it and that works great. I think it's just as effective as the old hot sandbag and wet felt method.

 

[tonyb]

OK, so here's why I wanted to flip it around ...

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0973.jpg

I just couldn't get this smudge (there might be a better word for it) out. Naphtha didn't do the trick, nor did denatured alcohol nor dish soap and water nor sandpaper. So I figured it would be less conspicuous at the rear instead of right in front. At least I won't have to see it every time I look into a mirror.

And here's the worst of the moth damage.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0972.jpg

It is fortunate that it is almost entirely hidden by ribbon, especially now that the hat is flipped. Now, the bow serves to cover even more of it. But the felt is quite thin at this spot, so I reinforced it on the inside of the crown with some waterproof cloth tape from the first-aid kit. (You know, the kind that takes all your arm hair with it when you try remove it.) I really doubt the felt will tear on account of this damage, seeing how it's in a spot that gets very little stress, and that it is now reinforced.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0974.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0982.jpg

On the block ...

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0976.jpg

All put back together again ... (sorry for the blurry shots)

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0983.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/tonyb56/IMGP0984.jpg

I was up quite late putting this thing back together. It'll get easier with practice, I'm sure, but for you guys who are contemplating doing this yourselves, know that it IS more than a bit of work.

 

[tonyb]

For my next project ...

An old Lee I bought for something like five bucks a year or two ago. It was a size 7, and a smallish size 7 at that, which made it way too small to fit my head, which is somewhere between a 7 and 1/4 and a 7 and 3/8s. (7 and 5/16s?)

I stretched it shortly after it came into my possession, but I used one of those cheap Hat Jack gizmos, which act only on the bottom inch and three-eighths or so of the crown. The result was a hat that fit onto my head well enough, but which was also considerably wider at the bottom of the crown than at the top. And the brim had an odd shape. In other words, it looked like hell. So into a box in the closet it went.

It got ripped down this morning and its body put on the block. Its originally 2 and 3/4-inch brim will be more like a 2 and 1/2 incher when I'm done turning this into something I'll actually wear. The crown will be about an inch taller and should have hardly any taper.

This equipment has me taking longer looks at hats I would have once summarily rejected. Got another five-buck wonder coming my way. The block and flanges await!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

tonyb, BRAVISIMO!!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Stoney]

I concur. The hat looks great and see you have jumped right into number two.
Pace yourself... my friend.

:eusa_clap

 

[surely]

"I'm sure, but for you guys who are contemplating doing this yourselves, know that it IS more than a bit of work." tonyb

but was it fun?
outstanding

 

[jimmy the lid]

Wow -- nicely done, tonyb!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[tonyb]

Good advice, Stoney. I won't be up late tonight, unless the house catches on fire or some other totally unforeseen event comes to pass.

I'm pumped up over the possibilities of this Lee. I do believe the change will be dramatic. But there are a couple of basic skills I wish to bone up on before I set to finishing this one. So I gotta do some research and ask some questions before I put it back together. As time allows this afternoon and tonight, I'll continue work on the body -- pouncing and brim flanging. Changing a hat's dimensions (crown height, brim width) is a more advanced task, according to Ermatinger, but I don't see what's so tough about it, provided you have the equipment. Maybe I'll find out yet, eh?

Yes, surely, it is fun. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't. But it's still a time-consuming, laborious process. I suppose a person needs a certain passion for hats to do this without it quickly becoming pure tedium.

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words, J.T. and Jimmy.