Quick way to steam a hat...

[MAB1]

Give it a bath.

Pop it in the microwave for a minute.

You may want to remove any metal objects first but... that's up to you.

I know... call me crazy but... it works.

What can I say? I was in a hurry.

 

[tonyb]

I admire your courage and I look forward to learning from your experience.

Ever cooked a sweatband? I have. Too much heat is what does it. Steam can indeed have that effect, in a hurry, I regret to tell you. A once nice, supple sweatband that remained essentially good as new for 50 or 60 years can be ruined in a matter of seconds. I know his through bitter experience.

And even with lots of salt and pepper, sweatbands don't taste very good. But hey, at least a person can end up with a reason to learn how to replace sweatbands.

 

[MAB1]

Great point Tony. It just so happens that this sweatband was a gonner long before my experiment. What remains of the sweatband (sewed in) was unaffected.

What I can say is this:

If you don't want to shrink it... start stretching it before it dries.

 

[Woodfluter]

I'm really glad it worked and there weren't ill effects, but are you quite sure this is faster? Takes a while to get cold water to penetrate good felt, and then you have to get the microwaving time just right. But it only takes about three minutes to boil a quart of water, it softens right up with a quick pass through the steam, and isn't all soggy afterward. Hmmmm. Think I might stick with steam meself.

- Bill

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Well MAB1, I don't doubt your words!
But, there are a number of remarks:
for one, my cowboy hats don't fit into my old microwave which, moreover, has one of those turning plates in it...imagine that soggy hat turning round and round all twisted like a felt corkscrew...
On the other hand, leaving on the pin, the resulting sparks might make it look like a good bottle of bubbly...

 

[Ande1964]

Multi-tasking!

You could fill the hat with popcorn, too!

Anj

 

[The Librarian]

Did this once...

With a Stetson straw hat. I think it was a rice straw. My kids had gotten to it and it was crushed. I soaked it in the sink to soften it. Then after shaping it I was thinking about how long it would take to try when I spied our microwave on the counter. So I popped it in and turned it on. Not sure how long I "cooked" it but I think I did it in short increments. When it was a little bit damp I tried it on. It was back in original shape and still fit.

Wore it for months till the cats got to it. Looked for months to find a hatter who would make me a hat from cat felt. No luck.lol

 

[J.T.Marcus]

But it only takes about three minutes to boil a quart of water.. - Bill

Your fire is a lot hotter than ours.

 

[MAB1]

I've done it with my Akubra, now. No damage to the sweatband.

NOTE:

I didn't leave it in there to dry. Just to heat it up for stretching.

 

[Woodfluter]

Your fire is a lot hotter than ours.

Cookin' with gas, baby! OK, maybe 3.5 minutes.

 

[MAB1]

I only leave it about a minute. I think it's about 900W.

 

[indycop]

Cookin' with gas, baby! OK, maybe 3.5 minutes.

Love the new Avatar!:eusa_clap

 

[Brinybay]

Give it a bath.

Pop it in the microwave for a minute.

You may want to remove any metal objects first but... that's up to you.

I know... call me crazy but... it works.

What can I say? I was in a hurry.

Just don't try that with your pet poodle...

 

[fabiovenhorst]

 

[quintox]

Would that be buttered popcorn you fill the hat with.........

Q

 

[Marchesa Luisa]

I find the quickest way to steam a hat is to ask one's servant to do it.

 

[WideBrimm]

Microwave sure sounds like a great way to sanitize a hat, i.e. kill all the bugs. How about smells? Will the microwave eliminate tobacco smells? Has anyone tried it?

 

[Dinerman]

sounds like a patently bad idea.

 

[RBH]

sounds like a patently bad idea.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap