Made my own hat - Tutorial

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:03 pm

Most people go for a Fed or Fed Deluxe if they grow impatient waiting for their AB to arrive. I opted to make a hat to hold me over instead.

I made the block myself with a tutorial I found here at COW. The flange I got off of eBay for about $50. I got about 95% of the actual hat supplies from, well... hatsupply.com (plus 2 small items from Michael's).

I made an absolute mess of the apartment working on this, and had a blast. Things that I thought would be a problem were not at all an issue, and some things I hadn't even thought about left me stumped, but it all worked out in the end. The ribbon that Leko gave me from hatsupply.com isn't a very good match for an Indy hat, so I'm waiting on one of Todd's replacement ribbons.

The links are pics of the hat in progress, while the tagged photos are, obviously, the finished hat. One of the "in progress" photos makes it look like there are two hats, but that was just a photoshop trick.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... aking9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... king10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/ ... king11.jpg

GoldenHistorian · Post by **GoldenHistorian** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:14 pm

wow,
that is one great hat i cant believe you did that from how it started on the first pic.

Kilgour Trout · Post by **Kilgour Trout** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:17 pm

Brody: this is Fantastic!!!

It is what this crazy hobby is all about.
When the enjoyment of a character, a time or the Spirit of Adventure
leads to the resurrection of a craft.

Honestly, This is exactly what I want to do, Perhaps "minus" making the blocks. To be able to take a hat body, block, flange and whatever else and be able to create a work of art.

To create a hat like this is truly wonderful to see!
My hat is off to you

Warm Regards
Kilgour Trout

genphideaux · Post by **genphideaux** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:26 pm

That is one excellent hat. There must be a great deal of pride when asked who made your hat to say you did. Congrats

Indiana Scones · Post by **Indiana Scones** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:35 pm

Well done, sir, excellent work.

Wear it proudly.

Indiana Max · Post by **Indiana Max** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:44 pm

That is amazing

You did what I´m just dreaming abou´t, outstanding work :!: :!:

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:53 pm

Thanks for all the complements guys! If you like hands on projects, I highly recommend it. The hat itself was a full day's work. The block, on the other hand... well, I can't tell you how many hours I spent on that (maybe about 40). It wouldn't have taken so long if I didn't lose access to power tools halfway through the process

IndyFrench · Post by **IndyFrench** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:53 pm

THAT is FREAKING COOL!

Awesome work!

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:01 pm

Oh man. How awesome is that! That hat looks great, dude!

Chiliana Jones · Post by **Chiliana Jones** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:04 pm

that is fantastic! you did a great job! what type of felt is it?

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:06 pm

"Fur felt", so I assume rabbit. They were advertising beaver hatbodies on the website, but when I called, she said they didn't have any available. Come to think of it, she may have even confirmed that my hatbody was rabbit.

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:08 pm

Wow, you made that yourself?

Fantastic work!!!

Last Crusader · Post by **Last Crusader** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:12 pm

Outstanding work. This is really the first hat you´ve made? Awesome!!!

Steve27752 · Post by **Steve27752** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:14 pm

Well done the hat is a work of art.
Steve

Chiliana Jones · Post by **Chiliana Jones** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:19 pm

Mark Brody wrote:"Fur felt", so I assume rabbit. They were advertising beaver hatbodies on the website, but when I called, she said they didn't have any available. Come to think of it, she may have even confirmed that my hatbody was rabbit.

what about the lining, the logo?

starks_6 · Post by **starks_6** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:26 pm

Thats Awesome! that first pic has Indy written all over it! I hate to say it but I think you need to write the HAT MAKING TUTORIAL!

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:45 pm

Wow, I really appreciate these compliments guys! I'll work on a tutorial to add to this thread.

The liner was advertised as the same liner that Stetson uses. Whether or not that's true, I really don't care because it does the trick. The logo, I printed on inkjet printable silk. I cut it out with a 1/2 inch lip to fold back and sew in place in the liner. You can see the silk in pic #9, it looks like paper.

rjallen70 · Post by **rjallen70** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:05 pm

Nicolas Jones · Post by **Nicolas Jones** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:08 pm

Wonderful! You did a great job! congratulation!

What next? A self made jacket

?

Nicolas Jones

Chiliana Jones · Post by **Chiliana Jones** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:09 pm

thinking about starting your own hat business?

or work at adventurebilt hat co.

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:27 pm

Wow! That is fantastic.......

I wish I had the talent, tools and the time to try something like that myself!

There is one question I wanted to ask. How did you apply the stiffner to the felt? Is it something that is already in the felt or is it something you spray during the process?

I'm totally clueless when it comes to that part of the hat making process.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:28 pm

I'm not daring enough to attempt a jacket, but once I have a sewing machine, I think I'll give a shirt a try. I also doubt I'll actually go into hatmaking, as I only expect to ever have a 7 1/8 and 7 3/8 block. I had a little trouble with my block, having made it from pine (big mistake). Long story short, it ended up being a little small when it made the hat, so I will have to stretch it out slightly. I might shave a little more off the block to make a hat for my brother, and make a new one for myself out of poplar.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:07 pm

Mark, can you give us a ballpark on what this hat cost you to make, out the door?

Nobody · Post by **Nobody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:46 pm

WOW! That's awesome, great work.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:02 pm

Assuming you have normal household items (scissors, iron, large kitchen pot), all the tools and materials cost about $170. If you'd rather buy a hatblock as opposed to making one yourself, you could probably add $30-$100 to that figure.

I get to re-use the tools, obviously, but I was also left with a few materials left over (felt hat stiffener, printable silk, and white ribbon). For me to make another hat right now would cost about $70.

In my opinion, it was definitely worth it. When my AB arrives, there's no question that it'll be better than what I made and I'll probably admire it above all my other hats, but I can really appreciate what went into the hat that I made.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:06 pm

Definitely. And anytime anyone ever asks you "say, where'd you get that hat?" you can tell them that you made it. That would be a great way to start a convo!

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:38 pm

Great work, if you don't mind my asking I'm just curious how much materials ran in total. I realize the time required would be the biggest investment. Well done indeed.

Spatterdash · Post by **Spatterdash** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:46 pm

Mark,

a comprehensive tutorial of how YOU did this, the Mark Brody Method, would be frikkin' sweet.

I'm inspired, but I'm gonna cheat. I'm buying a hatblock, but the question is, do I contact Lamode hat blocks or Fred's hat blocks?

Seems Fedora (Steve) has used both at one time or another.
I'll have to ask.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:59 pm

Pitfall Harry, the felt that I got was pretty dense, but it didn't feel like it had any stiffener in it. I just poured the stiffener into a dish and applied it with a paintbrush. Other people have used spray bottles to apply it to get a more even coat. I'll probably try that next time I make a hat. I wasn't sure how much to use, so I put on what I felt was a medium-light coating. I could have been a lot more generous if I'd wanted to, but I think what I did will work fine. I think it ended up being 1/2 cup of stiffener over the entire hat.

bigrex, I guess I don't know how to answer your question any better than I already have. I think you're looking for what it cost me, specifically, to make this. I spent about $170 on tools and materials specifically for this project. I used other tools and materials in this project (iron, computer, my computer with Adobe Illustrator, printer, hammer, etc.), but seeing as how I would have these things whether I wanted to make a hat or not, I don't consider them hat-related expenses. If you were to include absolutely everything I used to make this hat, you're probably looking at a couple thousand dollars (with the majority of that being computer equipment and programs, which were only even used to make the logo on the liner). Short answer: about $170.

Spatterdash, you might just want to check eBay every couple days to see what hat blocks they have. Like I said, that's how I got my flange. I can't tell you a good source for a new block however. I can't even really give you measurements. I just eyeballed most of it.

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:07 pm

Mark Brody wrote:Short answer: about $170.

Mark B.,

Thanks for the response, yep just wondering about actual hat materials and other specific specialized items used to physically help shape it. I should have that other stuff on hand.

Marcus Brody · Post by **Marcus Brody** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:19 pm

Haha, I think Fedora's always looking for someone to take up making hats so that they can lessen his caseload.

I'm also pretty sure there's plenty of fans out there that wouldn't mind a cheap handmade hat even if it used polyester ribbon glued together, and the cheapest non-leather sweatband possible, and had no liner.

jkdbuck76 · Post by **jkdbuck76** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:29 pm

Mark Brody,

that is a cool hat you made!

eazybox · Post by **eazybox** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:09 pm

Wonderful job, especially for an initial effort. I wonder if there would be a niche market for people interested in making their own hats-- a "Do-it-yourself" kit for making an Indy hat, with block, flange, felt and ribbon, etc. included. I'm not sure the idea is feasible, but it sure looks like it might be a fun project.

Jack

indy89 · Post by **indy89** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:50 pm

Holy smokes! That is impressive! Good job!

Neolithic · Post by **Neolithic** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:27 pm

eazybox wrote:Wonderful job, especially for an initial effort.

Agreed.
I'm amazed by the guys on this forum who get up and do it themselves.
Seems COW is a club of self starters. Well done, MB.

I wonder if there would be a niche market for people interested in making their own hats

I'd imagine shipping a block would be horrendous in terms of cost, otherwise it would be a cool idea!

viper80134 · Post by **viper80134** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:07 am

Awsome job, a true work of art and creativity. I look forward to a tutorial in the future.

Abner1925 · Post by **Abner1925** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:32 am

You should be very proud of yourself for doing such a nice job.

~A

IndyFan89 · Post by **IndyFan89** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:04 am

Great job brody!

Please make a tutorial!

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:10 am

I ought to have a chance to write up a tutorial tomorrow. For now, thanks all for the complements! Believe it or not, you've got me wanting to make more hats now, but unfortunately, that probably won't be an option for another year or so.

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Weston · Post by **Weston** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:19 am

That is incredible work! I'm going to try that!

Weston

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:28 am

Brody, I altered the title of your thread (added "tutorial") so if you can keep the pics thumbnails that folks can click on for a larger view, feel free to add the additional pics.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:27 pm

Brody, that look's awesome! you shouldn't announce that you're making hats.......i might come and take you up on your offer......then you'll never get rid of me.....just ask fedora what kind of insane customer i am.....

Nicolas Jones · Post by **Nicolas Jones** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:51 pm

I wondering: Is it possible to make a hatblock with resin or plaster?

A good and easy way would be to pour the material into an unbashed hat's crown (protected with some plastic) and wait it to harden...

The other part could be made of plywood, saw in the middle, following the base of the "resin casted" block...?

Nicolas jones

swcrazyfan · Post by **swcrazyfan** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:58 pm

Nicolas Jones wrote:I wondering: Is it possible to make a hatblock with resin or plaster?

A good and easy way would be to pour the material into an unbashed hat's crown (protected with some plastic) and wait it to harden...

The other part could be made of plywood, saw in the middle, following the base of the "resin casted" block...?

Nicolas jones

I was also thinking that same idea, but i always forgot to post to ask if it would work.

Kokopelli · Post by **Kokopelli** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:08 pm

DUDE!! That ROCKS!! ...MUCH better than another factory hat I recently purchased!!

theinterchange · Post by **theinterchange** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:13 pm

I've been seriously thinking of doing this myself. What eBay category does one look under to find hat making supplies. I searched with modest results.. not enough keywords to get an accurate search. How expensive was the felt body?

Post by **Dalexs** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:13 pm

I would actually like to have you re-post the thread as an actual tutorial that we can sticky by itself.

Only add the photos you really need with the decriptions and the various steps.
It'll be a great resource.

Dalexs

WeeMadHamish · Post by **WeeMadHamish** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:33 pm

Nicolas Jones wrote:I wondering: Is it possible to make a hatblock with resin or plaster?

It's been done with success. You need to seal the plaster so the wet felt doesn't soak into it.

Nicolas Jones · Post by **Nicolas Jones** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:36 pm

I guess that you just have to spray some varnish or paint on the block made of plaster, in order to seal it and avoid the wet to penetrate in it...

Yep... the more I think of it, the more I think I going to try to make my own hat.

Nicolas

Spatterdash · Post by **Spatterdash** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:07 pm

Didn't BinkmeisterRick make a plaster block by pouring into an existing hat that was lined in Saran Wrap? He filled in the gaps and rough spots with bondo then sealed it.

Worked like a charm, if I recall the pics