The Conversion Corral

[John in Covina]

Some fine creations, and cool ribbons too.

[Duck]

Very nice ribbons!!!!

[J.B.]

Your ribbon change-out feature is terrific, Davidson!

Hat No. 2 -- the old 3X Stetson -- looks particularly nice, and the crown blocks on all of them look professional.

[Tango Yankee]

I bought a Resistol hat on eBay to use in trying my hand at a conversion. I hope it turns out even half as good as yours!

Cheers,
Tom

[jimmy the lid]

Really nice job, Davidson!

Cheers,
JtL

[Earp]

Nice idea for your hat ribbons. Looking forward to your hat conversion walk-through. Thank you for your time and for sharing your stuff.

[Davidson]

Included below is rather long text on "refreshing" a cowboy hat. To make the pictures to go with it, I have to buy another hat

First, I anticipate having 15-20 pictures embedded in the text. What's the best and accepted way to do that? Multiple posts? Just put it all in one?

Second, if anyone cares to read the info below and provide comments before the pictures go in, I'd appreciate the feedback. Especially where I make no sense, or say to do something that is a genuinely bad idea

Thanks Loungers!

-------------------------------------
Cowboy Hat Hacking Notes

Disclaimers:
1. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR HAT. I have no idea how well it will turn out.
2. I don't expect this DIY fun with ebay hats to give results like a professional.
3. I won't spend more than $50 on a hat I'm going to do this to. If I'm going to spend close to $100, I would prefer a new Akubra. I might trim the brim and/or change the hatband on the Akubra, though

Instructions:

1. Prepare the hat
Comments: Removing the hatband is optional. I replace them, so I take it off to make cleaning and crown shaping easier. Removing the liner is optional. It makes it easier to wash the liner if it needs it. It makes it easier to shape the crown. The rest of the instructions assume the liner and hatband are removed.
Supplies: Seam ripper, small scissors, knife or safety razor blade, tweezers, hat brush.
1.1 Remove the hatband. The hatband is tacked down in a few spot at the base of the crown. Cut the little stitches and work the hatband off the hat. The tweezers can be handy in pulling out the threads left from removing the hatband. Leather hatbands may be glued on. Use a safety razor blade between the felt and the hatband and gentle tugs to get the band off. I don't know how the felt bands that are so common today are attached. If you want to re-use the hatband, take care not to damage it.
1.2 Remove the liner. Turn down the sweatband. The liner is usually held in by a few spots of glue. Don't try to cut the liner loose. Work each glue spot loose by pulling with your fingers on the liner around the glue spot. Try to avoid tearing or stretching the liner. Try to avoid pulling a big plug of felt out of the hat. Note how the liner was positioned if you want to put it back in later.
1.3 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.

2. Cut the brim
Comments: First choice to trim the brim is to take it to a store, probably a western wear store, where they have a brim cutter - just measure the brim before you go and be ready to tell them how much to take off. It won't take them 2 minutes. Or, if you want to do it yourself, consider buying a 1/4" brim cutter for your own use ($50?). Last choice is to continue with this step, which is to use scissors to cut the brim, and is the hard way. I start with 2 3/4" brim, and only go down from there slowly and when I am confident I won't regret it.
Supplies: Iron, ironing board, spray bottle with water, cloth for steaming, 60-100 grit sandpaper, ruler or compass, sharp large scissors, flat clean work surface, hat brush.
2.1 Thoroughly brush the hat brim, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.
2.2 Iron the brim flat. This makes it easier to trim if you are using scissors. Put the hat on the ironing board. Put the iron on medium setting or wool setting. Wet and wring the cloth, fold it, and lay it over part of the brim, covering from crown to brim edge. Iron a section flat, making sure you get some steam and heat going. Rotate the hat and do another section until the brim is fairly flat (it need not be perfect). Give the brim a few minutes to dry.
2.3 Mark the brim just outside the new wanted width. The line won't be perfect, so you want to cut inside the line using the line as a guide. This is a bit tedious to do, just be patient.
2.4 Cut the brim. Try to cut in long curved sweeps, not short straight snips. Rotate the scissors as you cut. Take your time.
2.5 Put the hat on a flat clean surface, like a kitchen table, with part of the brim hanging off. Sand around the edge of the brim to get any bumps and flats out. Use long curved strokes to follow the brim edge. Sand several strokes, rotate the hat, and repeat until you are satisfied, with a nicely curved brim edge all the way around. It takes me 2-3 minutes of sanding.
2.6 Thoroughly brush the entire hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush.

3. Maintain/preserve the sweatband
Comments: I don't know if this helps preserve the sweatband, but at least I have tried.
Supplies: Lexol or other leather conditioner, clean soft cloth.
3.1 Put some Lexol on a folded cloth. Rub a coat on the finished side of the sweatband (the side you can get to). Try to avoid getting Lexol on the felt.
3.2 Turn down the sweatband. Rub a coat of Lexol into the other (rough) side of the sweatband. It will soak up more than the finished side and turn dark.
3.3 Rest the hat on its crown and let the sweatband dry a while (say 30 minutes). Wipe off any excess Lexol. Turn the sweatband back up.

4. "Wet" cleaning
Comments: If the hat is clean enough for you, you can skip to Step 5, "Shape the crown".
I think the soaking and especially the wet brushing "raises the nap" of the felt. I don't mind it on "converted" cowboy hats. Be warned.
Supplies: Hat brush, Woolite, plastic tub, kitchen sink (cold running water), dry cloth, flat clean work surface (kitchen counter)
4.1 Brush the hat, counterclockwise, with a hat brush to remove all the dust, dirt, and debris you can. Note where the dirtiest parts are, they will be much harder to see when wet.
4.2 If you have on long sleeves, push or turn them up. Put a few capfuls of Woolite and a couple gallons of warm water in the tub. 4 inches of water is deep enough.
4.3 If you removed the liner in Step 1, wash the liner in the Woolite. Set it aside to dry.
4.4 Turn the sweatband down (out). Try to keep the sweatband dry for this entire operation. Keep it out of the water and use the dry cloth to wipe it off when it gets wet. Put the hat, crown down, on the water. Let it float. Reach underneath and rub around underwater on the crown, to get it wet. As the wet part of the crown softens, push out the old blocked shape by pushing on the inside of the crown. You want to get an "open crown" round top so you can scrub it evenly and thoroughly.
4.5 Tilt the hat and push it down to get the crown wet on one side all the way down to where it meets the brim (where the hatband was). Don't let water run inside the hat if you can help it. Rub the felt with your fingers to get the water to soak in. Rotate the hat and continue, until the entire crown is nicely wet.
4.6 Holding the hat over the tub, dip the hat brush in the soapy water, and start brushing the crown as you would if the hat were dry. Give the dirtiest parts extra attention. Dip and brush, brush, brush. Rotate the hat and tackle the next section of the crown.
4.7 Turn on the cold water in the sink. Rinse and brush the crown.
4.8 Repeat 4.6 and 4.7 if you think it could help. The crown is now clean.
4.9 Turn the hat on its side and rotate the brim through the soapy water (like a water wheel). Rub the brim with your fingers to get it thoroughly wet on both sides. Dry the sweatband if needed. Scrub the junction of the crown and the brim (where the hatband was). Dirt, dust, and sweat collect there.
4.10 Put the hat brim down on the clean work surface. Brush the brim with the hat brush thoroughly, all the way around (brush, brush, brush, rotate hat. Repeat.) Turn the hat onto its crown and scrub the underside of the brim also, continuing to always brush counterclockwise.
4.11 Carefully rinse the crown and brim in the sink under running water. Try to keep the sweatband dry. Dry the sweatband, since it got wet anyway The hat is now as clean as it is going to get, and ready for shaping.

5. Shape the crown
Comments: Decent felt is a lot like modeling clay when thoroughly wet. Bad felt isn't as fun to work with and gives worse results. If you find yourself struggling to get a good shape, it may be the felt.
I start with the crown 4" - 4 1/4" high in the front and 1/4" lower in the back. Others will have other preferences.
Supplies: clean work surface, ruler, spray bottle of hot water, 2-4" round object (a ball, bigger than a golf ball, smaller than a grapefruit), dry clean cloth.
5.1 If the crown is not already wet, spray it both outside and inside with water and rub the water in, until the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband with the cloth. Let the felt soften for a couple minutes. During the following steps, respray as needed to keep wet.
5.2 Use your hands and the ball from the inside of the crown to smooth out the crown to as round and uncreased open crown as you can. This is the time to get out old creases from previous crown shapes. When the crown is more or less round, spray again inside and out to wet evenly. Work out all the lumps and dents you can. Dry the sweatband. Try it on for fun. Take a picture and post it on Fedora Lounge
5.3 Turn the brim up or shape it flat so its out of the way. Rest the hat flat on the work surface.
For a "C crown":
5.4 Push down from the top of the crown until you have a round depression. Measure the crown height with the ruler front and back, and continue working the felt down in the middle and rolling the fold all the way around the sides until you get the wanted height front and back. Measure the sides too to keep them even. Once you have the right height, shape and even up and crisp the fold all the way around. Run your finger around in the fold from the inside of the hat to get a consistent shape.
5.5 From the center front, reshape the front half of the fold from a curve into a straight line on each side. Make sure the peak is in the middle of the front of the hat. Then grasp the hat with your fingers inside the top front of the crown and use your palms to press in the front pinch on the sides. Shape the pinch to your liking. Take care to keep things symmetrical.
5.6 From the inside back center, start pushing up from inside the crown with the ball to form the lifted center of the "teardrop" of the crown. Push up until the center towards the rear is up to the sides, or almost so, when viewed from the side. Use the ball and your fingers to smooth, sharpen and refine the shape into a dome with a point in the front.
5.7 Try on the hat and see what you think of the crown. Go back through 5.1-5.6 until you are happy.
5.8 Let the hat dry overnight.

6. Shape the brim
Comments: 3/4" rise or drop on a 2 3/4" brim is about right for me. Other tastes will vary.
Supplies: 4 feet of 3/4" foam weatherstrip, duct tape or masking tape, spray bottle of hot water, clean work surface (ironing board), clean dry cloth, folded bath towel, and one 2" thick book for weight.
6.1 Make a brim ring. Put the hat on the ironing board brim down. Take the foam strip and wrap it around the edge of the brim. Cut slightly overlength. Now more carefully place the foam just under the edge of the brim. Cut to exact length (a little under is OK). Use the duct tape to connect the ends of the foam to fix the circle / oval shape.
6.2 Wet the brim with the spray bottle, top and bottom. Work the water in with your fingers so the entire brim up to the crown is thoroughly wet. Dry the sweatband. Try to not get the crown wet, especially the front. If the brim still seems stiff, get out the steam iron and put some steam to it, as in Step 2. You have to work fast at the end to get the whole brim still steaming hot at once.
6.3 Slap the hat onto the foam ring and fiddle with getting the ring evenly under the brim edge all the way around. When you are more or less satisfied, put the folded bath towel squarely on top of the crown and the book on the towel, a little towards the back of the hat. Too much weight in the front can collapse the crown there, especially if the bottom of the crown is wet.
6.4 Let the hat dry undisturbed for several hours or overnight.

7. Replace the hatband
Comments: My gracious wife uses stretch grosgrain ribbon to make new, interchangeable hatbands and bows of different colors and widths. I like them a lot. I have no experience in tacking the original or a replacement hatband back on with stitches (or glue), but there are good examples already pointed out here on the FL.
Supplies: Offray stretch grosgrain ribbon in 3/8" and 7/8" widths at www.ebay.com->crafts->ribbon->grosgrain, search on (elastic,stretch). She says she uses Nymo thread and a sharp needle.

8. Replace the liner
Comments: I suggest wearing the hat a few days before replacing the liner to make sure you have a crown shape you want to keep for a while. My wife was kind enough to make me new silk liners.
Supplies: New or clean liner, double-stick fabric tape.
8.1 Turn down the sweatband.
8.2 Put 4 small pieces of fabric tape on the felt - front, back, and each side.
8.3 Drop the liner in the center of the crown, carefully drape and press the liner against the tape. Tuck in the liner all around.
8.4 Turn the sweatband back in, and give things a final press and tuck with your fingers.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

[Lorne]

Dear Davidson,

How do you reshape the brims like that? I didn't know you could turn the "left to right" shaped brim into a "front to back" shaped...


Lorne

[Earp]

Very nice job, Davidson. This will be very helpful to many here at the Lounge. Thank you very much for taking the time to write this up. One question ... you haven't had any problem with crown taper after everything is dry? Or is there a way you are avoiding that? I was wondering if I needed to buy a hat block -- not only for projects like this, but also in case any of my fedoras needed reblocking ( I have an old outback style that could use some work). Thanks again for the great information on how you handle cowboy conversions.

[Tango Yankee]

Thanks for the detailed instructions, Davidson!

I'll be looking forward to seeing the photos to go with it. I'm not sure I'm imagining the brim-shaping part correctly.

Cheers,
Tom