When Naphtha DOESN'T Work

[mthatter]

erased by mt

 

[Magus]

I Wondered...

lol....

I tried to respond to the thread ...and got a weird message...Now I see why.


But...as to using Coleman Fuel, I have noticed that Coleman imparts an odor which take a few days to go away while straight Naphtha dosn't.

M

 

[tonyb]

Thanks, John. I have a well-used old OR that just won't come clean no matter what I try--naptha, Scout-brand granules, etc. I mean, those stains are SET! But it's still a great hat for wearing in a snow storm. And a snow storm is something I occasionally encounter during my wintertime voyages over the mountains.
Is the naptha (naphtha) you use the same stuff I find at the hardware store? Or do you stick with that Stoddard's stuff you mentioned?
Again, thanks for sharing your expertise.

 

[thefedorastore]

I have enjoyed seeing the progression of hat cleaning techniques on the Lounge evolve from vinegar and brushing to the use of solvents.

John
www.rockymountainhatcompany.com

I clean every vintage hat before it goes up for sale. I must say that I have used the Naptha, but have found that a bit of elbow grease with the white hat sponge (I get them from the bickmore folks), steam and a brush has done an equally impressive job without the messing with solvents. Not that I am against the solvents, and I have to spend more time with the hat. But while going over it, I am able to pull up the felt in and around moth bites hidden under hat bands and such, and work on any defects on the felts to make them new. Steam turns most good felt into a very workable product. For the liners, I usually pull them out and hand-clean them in cold water with woolite. Once dry, I steam them to get all wrinkles out and they go back into the hat. It has been only on a rare occasion that I have had to use Naptha (i.e. paint on a hat). I have not had one unhappy customer when it comes to hat restoration. Everyone has always emailed me back with amazement, and most are unknowing of how simple it is. The last restoration was a bowler from 1895. That was fun, as they all are.

This forum is the most outstanding resource. I would have never ventured into this part of the business and experimented without the FL threads.

Duane

 

[DanielJones]

This place has been a goldmine of information for me.:eusa_clap I've been fortunate enough to possess some knowledge to be able to share in the different departments. Thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge, you don't know how much you're appreciated.
These hat cleaning threads have been great. It gives one a wee more confidence in attempting such things.

Cheers to all!

Dan

 

[Marc Chevalier]

In my experience light or pastel hats that have been worn hard never will look new without the use of powders ...

John
www.rockymountainhatcompany.com

John, I want to thank you (and everyone else who's given advice) for clearing up my doubts and answering my questions. I appreciate very much your taking the time to share your knowledge! Glad to know that there are folks around here protecting people like me from unscrupulous "experts".

Cheers and have a happy Fourth, everyone!

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Sorry Marc, I meant to ask what happened on the third hat, maybe pictures of the problem areas would help and/or pictures before the hat was cleaned for reference.

John
www.rockymountainhatcompany.com

Thanks again, John. I'll take photos and post them. Basically, the third hat looks exactly as it did before the two soakings in Naphtha: neither cleaner or dirtier.

.

 

[Fedora]

Basically, the third hat looks exactly as it did before the two soakings in Naphtha: neither cleaner or dirtier.

Strange that the naphtha did not get some of the dirt out. On the stains, you might try scrubbing the area with a penetrating brush while the hat is fresh out of the solvent. Many times, you have to scrub a bit. But, naphtha will not get out all stains. Only certain ones. If you have access to Scientific Hatmaking, you can find the old remedies for almost every type of stain, although you may have to do some research to find a comparable cleaner as they mention esoteric chemicals that tend to befuddle unless you are a chemist. Fedora

 

[Tommy Fedora]

Slow but sure

You guys have me all set to try to get the stain out of my OR. It seems simple enough but I'll be sure to start slow, brushing etc, and progress to the chemical bath if/when it needs it. I'll take some pics before and after to post. Just hope the hat survives.

 

[Magus]

Upon Further Reflection...

.

Folks, thanks to your very helpful posts, I went ahead and soaked a dirty old fedora overnight in several gallons of Naphtha. Worked like a charm. Took the cleaned hat out and put another dirty one in. Again, worked great. Finally, took that one out and put in a not so dirty, light grey fedora. (All three fedoras are made of vintage beaver felt.) Left this hat in for 12 hours, took it out to dry, and ... it didn't come out clean. So, I soaked it again for another 12 hours. Again, it didn't get clean.

My question is, how many soakings is Naphtha good for, before it needs to be replaced? Considering how much the stuff costs (and what a hassle it is to dispose of it responsibly), I'd hoped it would work on more than two hats.

Thanks in advance for any input!

.

My guess is that you might have missed in a couple of points....Perhaps the first two dirtier hats should have been cleaned last. Secondly...I am not seeing an mention of filtering the Naphtha after each cleaning process...if you didnt' then all the dirt was still in it and that might account for the poor job it did.

Just thoughts...but by no means conclusive.

M