I made another hat. Updated with new pics

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:34 pm

i made myself a new indy hat... the felt is really poor quality rabbit and i didn't bother putting in any stiffener, i did treat it with a good saturation of waterproofing though. So this hat is very floppy, like a strong breeze will change the bash floppy. after i took these photo's i put a bit of starch on the brim to make it a bit less floppy.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... CF1679.jpg
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... CF1673.jpg
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... CF1671.jpg
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... CF1682.jpg

here's the link to some more pics
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... ndy%20hat/

and here's the links to pics of the first hat i made and a stingy brim hat i made for a friend:
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... rst%20hat/
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa16 ... gy%20brim/

New Pics below!

DR Ulloa · Post by **DR Ulloa** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:06 pm

I realy like that hat! Extra floppy? Extra awesome!

Dave

jacksdad · Post by **jacksdad** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:11 pm

I think it looks good, don't sell yourself short, alot of people cannot make hats, you did a good job.

Ohio Jones · Post by **Ohio Jones** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:28 pm

Looks GREAT!!!!....I like the bow work....keep it up!

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:56 pm

Great work, looks like your very ready to move up to the good felt

theinterchange · Post by **theinterchange** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:22 pm

bigrex wrote:Great work, looks like your very ready to move up to the good felt

HA

If he can source it.

Sorry, we've had an ongoing search for felt. I've given up trying to find quality felt. No one will sell to individuals so we're relegated to inferior felt.

Randy

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:14 pm

thanks guy!

Randy, i haven't given up. i'll find good felt. it will happen. i'll make it happen.

Ohio, it's my best bow yet. each one keeps getting better and better.

JC1972 · Post by **JC1972** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:57 pm

Nice work, WE!

theinterchange · Post by **theinterchange** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:12 pm

Oh, in my frustration, I forgot to mention.. it looks good! Nice work!

Randy

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 12:24 am

theinterchange wrote:
bigrex wrote:Great work, looks like your very ready to move up to the good felt
HA

If he can source it.

Sorry, we've had an ongoing search for felt. I've given up trying to find quality felt. No one will sell to individuals so we're relegated to inferior felt.

Randy

Should've known, that has to stink.

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:38 am

360 stovepipe Walking Eye? Turned? Looks good. All you need is a brim flange.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:40 am

3thoubucks wrote:360 stovepipe Walking Eye? Turned? Looks good. All you need is a brim flange.

not quite. it has an asymetrical side profile. the back radius is lower than the front radius which itself is lower than the side radii. and there is a bit of taper on the back side.... and a tiny hint of it on the front. yes it is turned, about 13/16ths of an inch. i have a brim flange, and i did flange the brim but the felt is so light and floppy that just sitting on the block (or my head) the brim goes all wavy. any suggestions?

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:41 pm

Maybe hit the brim with steam just before you flange it?

fedoraiders · Post by **fedoraiders** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:28 am

Wow, the very good shape. I would like to see picture of your hat block.

Thanks

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:27 am

Wow! WalkingEye, you've done an astounding job!

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:36 pm

Thanks Canyon!

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:40 pm

can you take us step by step on how you flanged this hat. Maybe I could help.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:12 pm

BendingOak wrote:can you take us step by step on how you flanged this hat. Maybe I could help.

i ironed the brim flat after blocking the crown.
i sprayed some water on the brim... both sides mostly the underside.
i put the hat in the flange and used an old tee shirt to cover the felt.
i started to iron the brim against the flange pulling the shirt/cloth tighter over it as i went and securing it (the shirt cloth) to the underside of the flange until the shirt was taught against the flange. i ironed the brim alot until the water was no longer saturating through the cloth. and the brim contoured to the shape of the flange. then i ironed some more for good measure. i let it sit for a while before i removed the hat from the flange.

i think it's just a matter of not having any stiffener in it.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:58 pm

Stiffener is not what keep the curl in a brim after you flange it. The felt shrinks to the flange is what keeps it's curl. Do you tie the shirt down over the brim? It could be your iron is not hot enough to shrink the felt.

Ranger36 · Post by **Ranger36** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:08 pm

Deleted by Ranger36

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:46 pm

BendingOak wrote:Stiffener is not what keep the curl in a brim after you flange it. The felt shrinks to the flange is what keeps it's curl. Do you tie the shirt down over the brim? It could be your iron is not hot enough to shrink the felt.

yup, i tie down the shirt... i've used this method on five other hats successfully. this is really bad felt, very light... not dense at all. you can feel it condense when you gently squeeze it in your fingers. it's not that it didn't take the flange. it's that even with the flanging it's very limp under it's own weight and goes kinda wavy.... i just re-ironed the sides flat and left the back flanged and it helped quite a bit. maybe i'll take off the ribbon and just give it a retry... maybe iron it longer and see what happens.

my iron actually died while making this one and i had to buy a new one... the new one seems to get just as hot as the old one. i think i should find an industrial use iron to make hats because the one i'm using is just a black and decker from the department store. i'm sure certain things take me much longer to do because it doesn't get as hot as a professional iron.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:50 pm

If the felt isn't dense should make it easy to flange. I think it's the iron. Try this soak the t-shirt in cold water. Stretch it over the hat while it's on the flange. Tie it down reel tight. Iron it as hot as you can. Then water down the edge with cold water iron again. let it sit over night 12 hours and see what happens.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:05 pm

BendingOak wrote:If the felt isn't dense should make it easy to flange. I think it's the iron. Try this soak the t-shirt in cold water. Stretch it over the hat while it's on the flange. Tie it down reel tight. Iron it as hot as you can. Then water down the edge with cold water iron again. let it sit over night 12 hours and see what happens.

Thanks Oak... I'll give it another shot.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:57 am

I reflanged the brim... took much better this time. i'll take a picture after work today.

Oak, i soaked the shirt and set the iron as hot as it gets. it did the trick, though i didn't bother letting it sit on the flange for 12 hours. i popped it out after 20 minutes and it looks great. Thanks.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:01 am

WalkingEye wrote:I reflanged the brim... took much better this time. i'll take a picture after work today.

Oak, i soaked the shirt and set the iron as hot as it gets. it did the trick, though i didn't bother letting it sit on the flange for 12 hours. i popped it out after 20 minutes and it looks great. Thanks.

You need to let the hat sit for a lot longer than 20 minutes. It may seem dry but it's not.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:20 am

BendingOak wrote:
WalkingEye wrote:I reflanged the brim... took much better this time. i'll take a picture after work today.

Oak, i soaked the shirt and set the iron as hot as it gets. it did the trick, though i didn't bother letting it sit on the flange for 12 hours. i popped it out after 20 minutes and it looks great. Thanks.

You need to let the hat sit for a lot longer than 20 minutes. It may seem dry but it's not.

well, it's been off for hours now with no ill effect. i guess i'll find out. honestly, i'm not concerned as it's a 'practice hat' just to see how the felt blocked. it's cheap stuff and no more than costume grade felt... i will definitely leave hats on the flange longer when i find some good quality felt. Thanks for the time and info Oak. much appreciated. it's a blast learning how to make these.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:21 am

here are some new, better, pics of the hat after about three weeks of wear. the flanging has held well even though it only rested on the flange for 20 minutes.

fedoraiders · Post by **fedoraiders** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:37 pm

Your hat is very beautiful same after 3 week.

Mitch LaRue · Post by **Mitch LaRue** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:05 pm

It's holding up VERY nicely WalkingEye!

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:11 pm

nice work WE.....i might just have to play with the real floppy stuff in the future....you guys are getting me curious

nice bow work btw.

WalkingEye · Post by **WalkingEye** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:36 pm

Indiana G wrote:nice work WE.....i might just have to play with the real floppy stuff in the future....you guys are getting me curious

nice bow work btw.

thanks G! the floppy stuff blocks so incredibly easy. too easy. the first floppy body i blocked just slid right on and didn't get any of the rippling near the brim block that needs to be ironed and shrunk out that happens on the thicker denser felt. in fact, it kept stretching and stretching.... no good. it's very easy to over-stretch this stuff, so you need a light touch. then lots of additional wetting and ironing to compress the felt. this stuff is airy. i also totally soaked the hat while it was still on the block with a teflon based waterproofing, hopefully this, along with all the extra ironing, will slow the inevitable shrinkage. i have a couple of much thicker/denser bodies on the way, i can't wait till they arrive and i get to make a couple more hats. one of the bodies is pecan.... i'm joining the pecan hat club.

you know it would be really cool if all us home hatmakers could meet up and trade techniques and tricks.... like a hatmaking symposium. there are alot of us popping up these days.

i finally nailed down the way to make the flying v bow. just a center stitch in the middle of the bow, bunching it and then a couple of little folds radiating from the stitch and a couple quick passes of the iron the keep the definition of the fold and you're good to go. and my stitching is not nearly as embarrasing as it was the first few attempts.

and thanks mitch and jason!

CW_Alden45 · Post by **CW_Alden45** » Mon May 25, 2009 10:01 pm

Not bad man, I had a similar experience with a gray scala with a teardrop shape; second fedora I worked on after my raiders replica (which I'm still working on, but what the hey!). Good project hat though, always messing with it getting that front bash right

Indycrazy5187 · Post by **Indycrazy5187** » Fri May 29, 2009 1:27 pm

i have to say that lid is very nice

I made another hat. Updated with new pics

I made another hat. Updated with new pics

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