The way to use Naptha???

[Pyramid Jones]

I am going to reblock an old cowboy hat to a fedora and am wondering about the use of Naptha. What I need to know is how to use and anything that concerns it and the hat. I need to do this because 1:the cats got there hair all over it 2: Dust from the closet has well seeped into it I guess and won't fully come out with the brush.

[Canasta]

Hey P.J.
When I cleaned my AB, I just got a big 5 gal bucket with a lid, poured a gallon of naptha/coleman camping fuel in it and dropped the hat in it. Every once in a while I would turn the hat over or swish the bucket around a bit. I let it sit in it for nearly a day. Took it out, put it on the block and let it dry. Clean as a whistle.

The other thing I did when it needed cleaning a couple of months ago was this.
Put the hat on the block, sprayed it with hot water, put some hand soap on it and gently scrubbed it with the hat sponge and brush. I then rinsed it of with the water. I did this both to the crown and brim. It too came out looking great when it dried.
You may want to try this before the naptha. Just an idea.

Best of luck.

Chris

[Pyramid Jones]

Ok thanks for the advice I will try the soap method before the naptha. Does the naptha make the hat taper if its not on a block. I have an AB too and once I learned more about this I was going to try it on the AB as well. Can I leave the liner in it or will it soak through?

[Canasta]

I would put it on the block so it doesn't taper. It dries pretty fast because it's a fuel.

I left the liner in. It will soak right through. The liner will get soaked. It should coume out cleaner too.. The inside of the sweat band came out cleaner too. Prior to soaking, I could no longer read Steve's signature and information under the sweatband. After the cleaning, it was like new.

Chris

[BendingOak]

Naphtha shouldnt shrink the felt but since your re blocking it, does it matter. After soaking let everything air out first. Then make sure to give the sweatband a good treatment of Pecards.

[Pyramid Jones]

Ok I can leave the sweat and liner on it. What about the ribbon would that do anything?

[BendingOak]

Ok I can leave the sweat and liner on it. What about the ribbon would that do anything?

If you are just cleaning it and not reblocking just throw the whole thing in.

Then pull it out and let it air dry. Then make sure you treat the leather and brush the snot oit of it when it is completely dry. When you think it's dry. Give it another day after that.

[Pyramid Jones]

Ok, Then when I get to a store tomarow that has Naptha I will do that to my AB first. It won't do anything to the ribbon though?

[Canasta]

The ribbon will be ok.

[BendingOak]

Ok, Then when I get to a store tomarow that has Naptha I will do that to my AB first. It won't do anything to the ribbon though?

How many hats have you reblocked?

[Pyramid Jones]

Ok good. I have reblocked 3. They were all cowboy hats that I turned into fedoras. My block is not great but I hope to be getting a new one soon.

[BendingOak]

Ok good. I have reblocked 3. They were all cowboy hats that I turned into fedoras. My block is not great but I hope to be getting a new one soon.

Can I make a suggestion. Let steve reblock that hat.

[Pyramid Jones]

Ok I will keep reblocking the cowboy hats and let Steve do the hats I wear everyday.

[BendingOak]

Ok I will keep reblocking the cowboy hats and let Steve do the hats I wear everyday.

I had reblock at least a 100 hats and make a 100 hats before even thinking about reblocking one of Steve's hats.

[Pyramid Jones]

Ya I understand except I don't want to screw up one of Steve's masterpieces.

[BendingOak]

Ya I understand except I don't want to screw up one of Steve's masterpieces.

That was my point.