felt blank fumbles

[Sean Gadhar]

The Wife picked up two felt hat blanks at Bridger days last year and I had no idea where to even start :surrender:

Well I've been trying to get some projects in the done column so I thought I would get going on one of the Felt blanks and see what I get :idunno:

Found a bowl as big around as my head (yes they make them that big :blah: ) filled in the void in the crown with plastic bags, and got some Aqua net at the dollar store

Steamed the felt blank until I could stretch it over the bowl & bags. Held on with a strap, let it dry and brushed in Aqua Net until it held the form.



Sewed Jute webbing into a cloth liner, then the liner into the hat.







Now I'm a little stumped :idunno: can't find any shellac that is "real" & I'm guessing any bit of weather will wash the hair spray out.

Can I use the "shellac" that is made by rust-oleum that is ethanol based? or do I need to order some on line?

Also have no idea how much brim to cut and how much of the brim to stiffen

well I'm this far from a blank



So for a guy with no idea what I'm about, I'm happy so far :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Lookin good Sean..... :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[BillinOregon]

Sean, that hat looks authentic to a lot of the European prints and engravings that Stophel and others have put up over the years from the 1600s through the 1700s.
Very nice work. This is an endeavour that has long intrigued me.

 

[Flint311]

Felt, as in real beaver? It should get fairly stiff after steaming, I believe. My Stetson does after steaming. I wear it a lot, so does loosen after time. Stetson's may be thicker felt though. Just an idea. Yours is looking great! Keep us posted.

Just got the though.....spray on laundry starch?

 

[KingofDerby]

I had a hat that was old and floppy when I got it, reshaped it a few times over the years, cut it down and reshaped it to a round, flat topped had last year...

Any stiffening had long gone, but I found Briwax Brown Hard Varnish.

It's a "traditional blend of Button Shellac and Copal resin"

The gunk looks brown, but not noticeable on the hat. Made it quite solid.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Thanks, good info. I took a quick look and found Briwax Brown Hard Varnish at a few places but all in England and not shipping here, but I'll keep looking.

It sometimes seems the Western U.S. is still the Old West where you make due with what the dry goods store has in stock. In England they seem to have 23 shellacs, in New England they have half a dozen shellacs, in Western Colorado they have "this one stuff that is supposed to be shellac like"

If it wasn't for the hunting, fishing, Mountains, rivers, I'd be upset to live here :wink:

 

[LaBonte]

Sean - check out old style hair spray - they are mostly shellac/lacquer or go to a western wear store and see if they sell one of the hat stiffener sprays available which are also shellac.