Photos of hatters tools

[1mach1]

Nice score, JG! That thing is awesome.

 

[T Jones]

Nice score, JG! That thing is awesome.

+1 Nice score John G.! I like that!

 

[John Galt]

John, is looks like the stretcher in the first photo is electric, is it ? what looks like a wire hanging down makes me ask.

Oliver,

I believe it is, but that is also based on the photo, and there was only one. It may be cut, I suppose. I'll let you know when it arrives. I don't even know the brand yet.

 

[John Galt]

Thanks fellas. I've been looking, and am too frugal to pay $400.

 

[TheDane]

We'll soon be on the same continent, John. That makes shipping more realistic, and reparing stuff like that is pretty much down my alley

 

[alanfgag]

Oliver,

I believe it is, but that is also based on the photo, and there was only one. It may be cut, I suppose. I'll let you know when it arrives. I don't even know the brand yet.

Looks like it takes an old 2 pin waffle iron cord. Best not to use it heated.

 

[DOGMAN]

Here is the stretcher I found. URL=http://s598.photobucket.com/user/gokutdog/media/2013-2014051_zps2c824ffe.jpg.html]

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[TheDane]

Looks like it takes an old 2 pin waffle iron cord. Best not to use it heated.

+1 Electric equipment from that era is made to very different standards. A solid grounding (three wires) is a must - and an internal re-wiring will most often be a reasonable solution ... should you want to use it switched on

 

[John Galt]

You got a great deal too Dogman. I agree Alan & Olė, which is why I didn't really care if it was electrified (although I did see the cord).

 

[John Galt]

+1 Electric equipment from that era is made to very different standards. A solid grounding (three wires) is a must - and an internal re-wiring will most often be a reasonable solution ... should you want to use it switched on

Probably a rheostat too, huh?

 

[TheDane]

At least. I would prefer a sensor and an electronic regulator - a PID controller

 

[Hatter4]

Does anybody have any photographs showing the working area of a hat shop prior to 1940 (showing work benches and tools)?

 

[John Galt]

I do not, but will see if I can find one.

I finally finished my trial and got back to hatting last night. Finished a sweatband replacement for a very patient fellow lounger (thanks DW), and will probably try to finish another hat for a long suffering FL colleague tonight if I feel ambitious.

In the meantime, I'm working on a flange stand. My first attempt was a flop - I hadn't really thought out the joints well, and it didn't help that my bandsaw was out of commission.

This one will work. I'm laminating poplar and gluing it into the rough shape before I put it on the band saw & cut the final shape, which will be traced from my vintage flange stand.

It requires a gob of clamps to glue this stuff together properly, but this way I know the pieces are square & the joints will be strong. When I tried to glue & screw one of these after cutting up individual pieces traced from a vintage one, it did not go well. It was just too difficult to cut the individual pieces square enough to make the joints fit right, or to clamp it together due to the odd shape.

Note that the end pieces are upright and cross grained, so that I can screw it together for extra strength without it stripping, after I shape it on the bandsaw.

 

[John Galt]

Repost of Aureliano's rounding jack from page 154, broken link, but image rescued from Google.

 

[John Galt]

Resistol hat ruler

 

[John Galt]

Magnet (Electric) Hatter's Iron

http://vintageelectricirons.blogspot.com/2011/10/magnet-hatters-iron.html?m=1

 

[John Galt]

Does anybody have any photographs showing the working area of a hat shop prior to 1940 (showing work benches and tools)?

No luck so far Oliver. Your shop is the best representation I've seen so far.

 

[TheDane]

I have always found it strange how no two hat size charts are the same.

That's partly due to the use of Inch-fractions - instead of decimals. A 7-1/4 head should have a circumference of 22.7765". Some manufactorers round that up to 22-3/4" and some to 23".

All in all our hat-sizing system is not a very bright convention. It would be a lot smarter to just use the head circumference - instead of the diameter of the corresponding circle. Who needs that - and for what? [huh]

John : A very nice bronze tolliker. I didn't see it in the first place, but it sure is a nice piece of work

 

[mayserwegener]

No luck so far Oliver. Your shop is the best representation I've seen so far.

There are many photos, book, films posted here. Also machine assisted felt / hat making was an upgrade (produced a superior product). Most of the major factories produced felt to finished hat. Many components (sweats, liners, ect.) were produced in house along with felt (production, dye, finish) / hat machine development. When all this comes together at the highest level a hat like this is produced (see the many other examples on here).

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-hueckel%c2%b4s-soehne-hueckel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page__st__20#entry273

 

[John Galt]

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-hueckel%c2%b4s-soehne-hueckel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page__st__20#entry273

Wow! A lot of info there. Gotta get me a Gottfried. Can't believe he's actually doing it all from start to finish. What sort of price for the hat you bought?