Club Obi Wan

Interesting reading

http://images.library.wisc.edu/HumanEco ... .i0005.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Edited to add--
Disclaimer-- Text is from 1917, and there are better, more modern ways of renewing and coloring a hat.
your mileage may vary
consult your professional hat maker before attempting
no warranties expressed or implied

I especially like the suggestion of cleaning your hat with gasoline.

Regards! Michaelson

Definition of "Jobbers"? Anyone?

Thanks for the article. Not sure how much I trust it, but interesting nonetheless!

Its an excerpt from here--
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl ... omleyGuide" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Michaelson wrote:I especially like the suggestion of cleaning your hat with gasoline.

Regards! Michaelson

I have an old hatmaking book from the early 20th century that talks about setting up the gasoline bath for the proper cleaning of hats. I believe they recommend a well ventilated area for it, though. Still, I remember Steve Delk recommending naptha for the proper cleaning of hats, so the article isn't all that far off!

I would think napha would be better anyway as it evaporates with no/little residue. Gasoline doesn't.

Regards! Michaelson

No it's not for the most part and naphtha is one of the best way to clean but you don't want to stand and breath that stuff.

There are parts of the article that is out of date. They say find the finest sand paper possible to clean a hat but I doubt they had as fine as sand paper we have now. Try that now and you could mess up your hat but good.

Remember how old this article it is.

It evaporates just fine... with the help of a match.

I found my book. It's "Scientific Hat Finishing and Renovating" (which has been republished in recent years, I believe). It was published in 1919. Chapter VII is titled "Cleaning Soft Hats (Continued) — The Gasoline Bath for All Soiled Hats." It talks about placing a pile of soiled hat bodies in a "small round wash boiler and pour five gallons of gasoline" in it, putting a lid over it to prevent evaporation, and soaking them overnight. They also talk about obvious precautions and the idea of letting them soak in a shed or "gasoline closet" out back if you can. But the work, they recommend, should be done outdoors if possible, including the hand scrubbing of the hats in the gasoline bath. They sat cold cream will also help your hands and arms feel better after having exposed them to the gasoline bath.

But yes, the book is only about 100 years old. I think they've come up with other options since then.

That's the book steve sent me years ago. The bath routine is very good.

Putting your hands in gasoline for extended periods? Yikes! It takes gasoline about 5 seconds to get into your bloodstream if you do that. Not at all healthy.

No wonder people looked older and died younger back then

Regards, Geert

I once helped my uncle tear down, clean, and rebuild the engine of his 1948 Willy's CJ2A, and he was all about the using of gasoline to clean the engine's parts.

With proper ventilation, it wasn't too bad, and yeah, it was very clean when I (and the gasoline) finished with it.

BendingOak wrote:That's the book steve sent me years ago. The bath routine is very good.

Yep. Me, too! It certainly is a fun read regarding some of the practices of the time.

binkmeisterRick wrote:

BendingOak wrote:That's the book steve sent me years ago. The bath routine is very good.

Yep. Me, too! It certainly is a fun read regarding some of the practices of the time.

Steve was a mench. Not only did he send me a copy but he wrote a note to me inside the book. I will treasure it for the rest of my life.

binkmeisterRick wrote:

Michaelson wrote:I especially like the suggestion of cleaning your hat with gasoline.

Regards! Michaelson

I have an old hatmaking book from the early 20th century that talks about setting up the gasoline bath for the proper cleaning of hats. I believe they recommend a well ventilated area for it, though. Still, I remember Steve Delk recommending naptha for the proper cleaning of hats, so the article isn't all that far off!

Also gas back then was a different beast then what it is today. Maybe the high octane helped in the cleaning power.


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I do doubt that gasoline in 1917 had any additives in it. It was probably more akin to white gas today.

Which would make it very similar to naphtha, yes?


Regards,

Indiana Jeff