Club Obi Wan

Western New York Indy

WNY Indy, awesome job on the hat! :clap: I especially love the last picture! :mrgreen: Thanks, Canyon! I'm glad you like that last photo. I was really happy with the side profile of this hat. Sometimes I think, for me at least, it's so easy to get focused on getting the perfect straight sidedness a...

Western New York Indy

The hat looks outstanding, very impressive and clean work. :clap: You're relative is very lucky you made it for them. Cheers, Bear Thanks so much! I really appreciate your encouragement! I'm really hopeful that they like it. I will not be able to give it to them for a few months, but I'm excited to...

Western New York Indy

Indiana Jeff wrote: ↑Sun Mar 30, 2025 2:50 pm Really nice job sewing in the sweatband.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Thank you! I really like using the technique of sewing through the reeding tape behind the sweatband. It takes a few hours longer than sewing through the pre-punched holes in the leather, but I think it looks cleaner.

-WNY Indy

Western New York Indy

I just finished bashing the hat. I ended up going for an un-turned "general" Raiders shape. It's not too scene specific, since the relative who this is being made for is not a gear head like all of us here are, but is a more casual Indy fan who also happens to love hats. I decided that bec...

Western New York Indy

It's been a while since I posted my progress with the hat I'm currently working on. I suffered a bit of a setback while waiting for the sweatband to arrive (the manufacturer I use makes each sweatband made to order, so it takes a bit for them to arrive.) I'm almost completely done with this hat now!...

Western New York Indy

The tools you made look awesome! :shock: It is so nice to build your own tools, taking the hobby to another level. And the trimmed brim looks outstanding, great work. :clap: Cheers, Bear Thanks! I'm finding that I like building hat making tools quite a lot. It gives me something to do when I'm wait...

Western New York Indy

A few more updates. I 3D printed a rounding jack using these free files. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6895234 It uses an Ex-ACTO knife blade and works quite well. https://i.ibb.co/YBDv18Mt/image.png I also fashioned a pusher downer (such a descriptive name, I know) from an old hoe handle. It on...

Western New York Indy

Beautiful work, Croft! :clap: I'm always amazed with your talent for weathering gear. You somehow find a way to make it look like you grabbed your gear right off of Indy himself! That DoD jacket is absolutely beautiful, and it's especially awesome because you put your own work into weathering it/twe...

Western New York Indy

Beautiful, your open crown shape looks great! Have you already decided to which dimensions you want to cut the brim? That is always the most nerve-racking part for me :shock: Thank you! I was super happy with the open crown shape I got off of this new block. We'll see how it turns out once I put th...

Western New York Indy

bearbeast wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:23 am That looks amazing, it's really taking shape. Really great work, my friend!

Cheers,
Bear

Thanks! I always appreciate your positive feedback!

-WNY Indy

Western New York Indy

The Indy hat is now off the block! I really prioritized this hat's time on the block, just to let it sit and let the fibers settle. I tried to get as much work done as I could while it was still on the block. It's now been decatised and pounced up to 600 grit sandpaper. I wish I had some 2000 grit k...

Western New York Indy

This is an excellent thread and resource, this is a new hobby of mine and I have struggled to get information/tips even from hobbyists. I’ve received a no.52 block a week back and am on the lookout for old hats on eBay to get into deconstructing and reconstructing. Thanks Gerry Sent from my iPhone ...

Western New York Indy

Oh, so basically all three well known vendors sell exactly the same replica with only difference being that one vendor is using darker O rings. I asked you because I have Wested replica and it is exactly the same like yours, it even have same minor error on the left side of the bag (where the loop ...

Western New York Indy

Nicely done! I think you nailed the look of the jacket appearing lived-in, but not exaggerating so much that it looks unnatural. In my opinion, it looks very natural and subtle in a realistic way. Certainly better than I could have done

Good work

-WNY Indy

Western New York Indy

I noticed you have Wested MKVII replica ? It's actually a replica from What Price Glory, based off of the originals they had in their collection. I use it to store some of my Indy stuff, like the gloves and both web belt buckles you see in the photo. I also carry books in it from time to time. It s...

Western New York Indy

Great thread! I love seeing the progress you are making and I can imagine how much fun you are having. Looking forward seeing the next steps of the Indy hat! Thanks! I certainly am having tons of fun! There are some things that are frustrating (like ironing all those folds that formed during blocki...

Western New York Indy

Ahhh, that makes sense. That way you'd have one for each of the original movies, which is pretty cool!

So are you thinking of sending it off to Thomas for a reshape?

-WNY Indy

Western New York Indy

It's certainly possible to reshape it! The issue is the "ghost mark" from the off center crease. It's very hard to undo that mark, especially with the really tight front pinch. You could try to steam it out, just don't use too much steam or steam the inside of the hat. That can make it tap...

Western New York Indy

Looking great so far! And that is some great insight into the shaping process. Hat making lore is awesome, thanks for sharing. :TOH: Cheers, Bear Thanks! Glad you found it interesting. I try to share as much knowledge as I can. I'm not by any means claiming to be a master hatter, but I've learned a...

Western New York Indy

Great job on the Cavanagh, my friend! Looks awesome! :clap: And the Indy hat is really shaping up nicely. :clap: Can't wait to see it finished. Cheers, Bear Thank you! I was happy with how it turned out. It's quite different style-wise from my preferred "daily driver" hat (which of course...

Western New York Indy

For a nylon whip, I've heard great things about Sword Guy Builds Economy Indy whip. https://www.swordguybuilds.com/all-models/p/economy-indy-bull-whips#:~:text=A%20spin%20on%20the%20standard,standards%20of%20the%20SGB%20shop. You can get one for 245 USD. Keep in mind I've not owned one myself, but I...

Western New York Indy

Looking good. I especially like color of the last hat. Thank you! The color of the Indy hat is a color from Millinery Warehouse called "Chocolate," and it is a nice Indy color, even if it is just a tad darker. As for the Cavanagh, I have no idea what color it is :rolling: It is some kind ...

Western New York Indy

I liked by brass setup so much, that I decided to make the whip holder with brass snaps as well and use a light brown die for the leather: And I also made a snap on belt whip holder for the whip I usually carry on adventures: Hope you like it! :TOH: Cheers, Bear This is awesome! I love the look of ...

Western New York Indy

I finished the Cavanagh two nights ago, but didn't have time to post the photos I took. https://i.ibb.co/ymF37G2L/image.png https://i.ibb.co/wrCbdt0S/image.png I think it turned out nicely, for my first beaver felt hat and my first non-Indy hat. I really love the ribbon work on this one, the vintage...

Western New York Indy

WNY Indy, this just giving me hat buying anxiety. :rolling: And it was already very stressful. :CR: Cheers, Bear Maybe we should start a COW hat buying anxiety support group... Or maybe they should put a warning on websites selling hats- "Warning, may cause extreme stress" :rolling: -WNY ...

Western New York Indy

The block looks great, proper job, my friend. Can't wait to see the lids you produce with it. :TOH: And you just answered an age old question I had... how to choose a block for a certain size. I always thought that the sweatband would reduce the size a lot and it was very confusing for me. :CR: But...

Western New York Indy

The block is done printing. It turned out rather nicely. This one is a 61 cm block which I'll be using to make a size 60 hat for a relative. I'm a size 56, so I'm hoping to make a 57 cm block soon for my own hats. The block ended up needing a few different colors of filament, so it's not as pretty a...

Western New York Indy

Dang, my friend! That is really awesome. Making your own block is amazing, the hats you make will be really made from scratch all around! :TOH: The Cavanagh looks great and the sweat band too. Very nice, clean work. :clap: Looking forward to seeing your new tools and projects. Keep up the great wor...

Western New York Indy

Thanks! I designed the block with a big ol' hole in the middle to cut down on the amount of filament it would use. https://i.ibb.co/35H6rWY8/image.png It only goes about three-quarters of the way up so that the top of the block is pretty solid. However, the printer generated supports for the hollowe...

Western New York Indy

Hello! A while ago I posted a thread about my first self-made Raiders hat. I got some really great feedback and I am incredibly grateful for the kind words people had to say about my work. A few folks expressed interest in seeing my next hat making project, so I thought I'd make this thread to keep ...

Western New York Indy

Glad to hear that it will take the weather :D I wonder when you say crazy weather in The Big Apple how much snow does it mean? :lol: It's always interesting/funny hearing people gets shocked when it comes like 1cm snow :rolling: In Norway we are used 50cm to a couple of meters so when we only got l...

Western New York Indy

New York state is currently in a state of emergency due to brutal winter weather. Which I thought was a great time to wear my Fed IV. Okay, so in all seriousness I was walking around town when it was snowing a bit, but not very bad. I was inside for a few hours and then when I went back outside to w...

Western New York Indy

That is a beautiful hat! I really love the swoop in the brim, whatever you did to achieve that really paid off. And dang, I love how straight sided and boxy the crown looks. Did you ask for anything scene-specific or is this their standard Raiders Turn bash? I'm just wondering because I know they of...

Western New York Indy

Congratulations on a great hat! I think you did a really good job with the shaping! Don't worry too much about the brim, I've had my Fed IV Deluxe since June of last year and the brim is still conforming to my head and settling into its shape. I think that it just takes a bit of time and usage to so...

Western New York Indy

Personally always loved the look with Indy and the tie and I was very happy to see it back in DoD. Personally really liked that film. But yeah, I agree, he was dressing up to see his dad. Again, I really really love the tie for Last crusade (see my profile picture. lol) And totally dig the look of ...

Western New York Indy

I always just thought he was dressing up for going to the castle and seeing his dad. (also maybe dressing up a bit for a certain Austrian woman he's traveling with ;) ) I also imagine that maybe Indy thought this was more of an academic trip and had packed a couple ties to add a bit more "estee...

Western New York Indy

I agree. The steel buckle really does look odd with an Indy costume. That's why I always use my brass buckle when I'm in full gear. It just looks the part way more. The steel one I use only as my daily wear buckle. It's much too shiny to look "Indy" enough, in my opinion. I know that both ...

Western New York Indy

Here are a few photos. The buckle actually attached to the belt is the modern steel/silvery one, and the other is the real brass. I prefer to wear the steel buckle daily since the brass one is a bit grimy, but I like the brass when I'm wearing my other Indy gear. I feel it looks the part more. https...

Western New York Indy

I'll get a few photos this evening and post them here.

-WNY Indy

Western New York Indy

I have one buckle that is solid brass. I got it for 3 bucks at an antique store. Then I have one that is more modern and is steel of some kind with a shiny gold/brassy layer on top. I got it along with a web belt and holster second hand from someone here on COW, and they had distressed it so the sil...

Western New York Indy

What a beautiful piece! Looks like you did a great job with the modifications. Congratulations on a great find!

-WNY Indy

Western New York Indy

Eye protection certainly doesn't hurt. I've seen people use standard safety glasses/goggles. I personally never wore eye protection when learning, but if you think that it would make you feel safer, go for it! Long sleeves are probably a good idea. I wore long pants when starting out as well. I don'...

Western New York Indy

I was recently looking to buy a hat blank to make an Indy hat. I saw that Millinery Warehouse had a stock of 115 gram rabbit felts bodies in a sable color for only $53.00! Unfortunately, they sold out quickly and I didn't get one fast enough. Did anyone around here get the chance to snag one? I'd li...

Western New York Indy

Thanks a lot, WNY Indy! I think Wested’s OTR jackets (or at least the LC) are not SA; however, if you get the size right, they are good everyday jackets. I’ve been wearing mine in the field ( :dig: ) and it’s quite comfortable. Yup, to my understanding, the OTR jackets are made from patterns modifi...

Western New York Indy

Congratulations on a beautiful jacket! The leather looks really nice, and from what I can tell from the pictures, you got a great fit as well. The more pictures I see of Westeds around here, the more I think I need to get one. One of these days... one of these days... But anyways, congratulations on...

Western New York Indy

For sure you can find something suitable. The original foundation for whips was a long nail spike, I think a lot of makers still use it. Just be careful of the diameter you choose, so that you can still use 8 strands to cover the whip core. Otherwise it throws the 2nd belly and overlay off. (as in ...

Western New York Indy

As for the lead loaded handle you will need some glue or epoxy to attach it to the handle. For the core you will need a sinker cord which is a bit wider Paracord to put your BBs into it and slide onto the steel rod. Or you can use regular paracord, stuff it with BBs and use some duct tape to attach...

Western New York Indy

Save the fiberglass rods for other whips. If you want to make an Indy bullwhip you would need a heavy handle. Steel rod is what you are looking for. And lead loading if you want it to be as heavy as leather Indy whips. I will use steel for this one, then. I had fiberglass on hand due to the stakes ...

Western New York Indy

Well, normally the core will determine the taper of the whip. Using the formula I showed (how many strands needed to cover a certain diameter) you determine when you no longer need so many strands. Unless you write down the exact details of a whip and remake it identical the strand drop won't be at...

Western New York Indy

Thanks for being willing to help! I have most of those supplies except for the lacing needle, which I hope to get soon. Will a 6 mm fiberglass stake work as a substitute for the steel rod? Or is it too much of a weight difference?

-WNY Indy

Search found 227 matches