Question for you hatters

[MAB1]

Should I wet it, stretch it on the block, leave it to dry... then shape it?

 

[thunderw21]

I'm not a hatter, but that's what I would do.

Letting it dry completely on the block will give you a nice open crown that you can bash from scratch.

 

[MAB1]

Being from Iowa myself I would tend to agree w/ ya thunderw21.

I'm tempted to pull it off the block while it's still in a damp formidable shape though. Maybe I'm cutting corners and allowing shrinkage to set in.

I'm trying to stretch the crown taller and rid my Akubra Riverina of some taper.

Got the crown close to 6" now. My antique block/stretcher (my bud loaned to me) is quite formidable. It wants to make a long oval and I keep turning the hat from side to side to keep it straight. That's kinda why I want to pull it off early. I just have the crown saturated, not the sweatband.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

If it's going to shrink, it will usually happen at the very END of the drying period. If you want to be safe, leave it on the block till well after it is completely dry. (i.e. Another half day is good.)

 

[MAB1]

It shrunk. I'm somewhat angry. But, I'm learning.

THE HARD WAY!

 

[bolthead]

How long does it take a fully soaked hat to dry on the Block?

 

[Art Fawcett]

I let mine dry a minimum of 24 hours. Sorry MAB, I wish I had logged on earlier, I could have save you the aggrevation. Never, never work with a wet or hot hat. Let it dry and or cool before working it. The only exception is when recreasing. I have never used the wet method, but others here do with success, but that's just the crown, misted, I believe.

 

[MAB1]

Thanks Art:

I appreciate your expertise. I'm gonna lock that in the back of my hatted mind.

For now... I did rid this thing of a bad taper but, it's still got that typical Aussie slouch taper. I can live w/ it. It came w/ it.

Stilll learning 24/7.

 

[HamletJSD]

Since the topic was brought up ...

Can you reblock without removing the sweat, or will that leave a line showing around the outside of the felt due to its thickness?

Also, does sending a hat out for cleaning mean a reblock by necessity, or can it be "just" cleaned?

Full of questions at 1:30 a.m., I suppose ...

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hamlet,
if you are careful ( and the sweat is in good condition) you can stretch it over the proper block by turning the sweat inside out, then sliding it down. Otherwise, you have to go one block smaller ( if you are 7 3/8, you would use 7 1/4)and leave the sweat in normal position, however, you're right, there is often a line where the top of the sweat is. I've never been terribly successful with either method and routinely dismantle the hat, then rebuild. This is because I'm not easily satisfied and would rather go through the extra effort than send out a hat less than would make me happy personally.

 

[MAB1]

I took your advice Art. I let it dry on the block. It came out much better, Thanks. Got more height in the crown.

I did have to dampen it here and there to tweak.

Hell, I'll prolly be tweaking it for the rest of my life. Hopefully somebody will be doing the same thing 50 years from now.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hell, I'll prolly be tweaking it for the rest of my life. Hopefully somebody will be doing the same thing 50 years from now.

lol lol lol lol

Wouldn't surprise me at all Sir!!!

 

[MAB1]

lol lol lol lol

Wouldn't surprise me at all Sir!!!

And thank you, Sir.

My hat is off to you,

MAB