How do you remove Glue from a hat?

[easportsracer13]

On my Akubra Boss' they glued the hatband on. I remove it and want to put on another one but the unsightly glue bothers me. How can this be removed from the felt?

 

[TipTop]

I'd try contacting them or locally, ask your dry-cleaner. There are so many adhesives now that even the most traditional craftsmen are using modern compounds, if for no other reason than OSHA regulations. If it can't be simply rubbed off with your finger (e.g. a rubber cement--what my shoemaker uses) you'll probably need something to act as a solvent, and that could make a mess. But dry cleaners are all too familiar with what glues are used in fabrics.

Or, get yourself a nice w-i-d-e-r band...[huh]

 

[Aureliano]

Smallest grit sandpaper. Lightly sand with the grain, even pressure. Don't use any blade, ever.

 

[scottyrocks]

Assuming that you're going to cover the area, you might want to try a single-edged razor blade. I've removed all kinds of semi-hard materials from things, including callouses from my feet with a careful shaving with a bare single-edged blade. On the hat, the results may not be visually perfect, but it'll be flat so that there is no bump behind the new ribbon.

 

[Aureliano]

including callouses from my feet.

Too much information there Scotty! lol lol

 

[scottyrocks]

Yeah, I was thinking that was a possibility as I wrote it, but I was trying to get the point across that with a careful hand, you can remove enough of the glue to get a flat surface.

And I watched a podiatrist do it a couple of times. Looked easy, so now I do it myself (oops, too much info again?!) lol

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Glue on felt...I would try the least harmful thing to get it to "soften" first, a light spray of water, let if sit for a while, see if the water will work it's way between the glue and the fibers of the hat. If it softens up, you may be able to start "picking" it off a bit at a time. What ever you do that would work, I myself would suggest you go at it slowly, don't be in a rush to such a point you damage the felt.