How to stiffen a felt hat with Shellac

Рет қаралды 62,091

Mike Birch

7 жыл бұрын

How to stiffen a Felt hat using shellac.

Пікірлер: 48

@masenmolina814 6 жыл бұрын

I did this today with some 91% isopropyl alcohol and cheap orange shellac flakes. They worked great on my black wool fedora

@Theodorevonz 2 жыл бұрын

Wow! Thank you so much this worked so well! Made a mix yesterday(shellac and isoproryl alcohol (and sprayed it today (yes it solved quickly) and now my hat is stiffer than my grandpa's upper lip🥳

@sxsboy2253 3 жыл бұрын

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. The commercial “ hat stiffeners” in my opinion don’t work very well at all. I’ve heard that hat companies used shellac but never was able to see how it was used. This is perfect. FYI: from the auto parts store, the gasoline additive “Heat” is 100% ethanol. I use it in my back packing stove.

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@riffmaj7 7 жыл бұрын

Very informative video. Thanks for your help.

@bartvanderoordt510 7 жыл бұрын

for the people who want to know aboud the health and savety of shellac. its a natural product made by the lac bug and if you have pure shellac it can even be used in food as a coating depending on the kind of denaturalisation of your ethanol you may want to look out with that methanol for example is ofcourse very toxic however with the drying proces those products will mostly evaporate

@donutpanic 7 жыл бұрын

Judging from this I don't think you will come to a lot of harm as long as usual common sense precautions are taken. ETHANOL Ethanol is an example of a primary alcohol. It is colorless and clear with a pleasant smell. Most alcoholic beverages are made from ethanol as the impurities in the fermentation process give specific liquors -- such as whiskey, brandy or scotch -- their distinct flavors. Ethanol is used frequently as an alternative fuel for cars and boats. It is also used in other industrial products such as hairspray, deodorant, mouthwash, soap, shampoo, perfume and hand-sanitizer.

@alexlail7481 3 жыл бұрын

It is important to note that pure shellac in dry form is stable indefinitely however depending on temperature, container, and various other conditionsits liquid form will degrade usually in 6mo to a year in storage... as noted above it os used in food and is a common ingredient on certain candies made by the process of panning... and at least in the USA most often is labeled as 'confectioners glaze' and even occasionally as shellac. I have no idea what it may be listed as in other countries.

@masenmolina814 6 жыл бұрын

I ordered orange shellac flakes on eBay. I'll post again to let everyone know how it turns out. Gonna use it on a black wool hat

@Nathan-mx8zx 5 жыл бұрын

great video !can this be used on ppanamas or what not ?

@mrssquirrel2349 7 жыл бұрын

would 91% isoppropyl alcohol be the same as the bio ethanol?

@barasitohang9621 5 жыл бұрын

Can we make a felt hat from premade felt fabric? It's hard to find wool felt here

@saharfreemantle9298 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video! Just what I needed as I also recently visited Stockport hat museum and was going to experiment! I have trouble using stiffener on fur felts which have a long or velour pile. I find the other stiffeners either matt it down or leave white marks. The main advice I've heard is to just stiffen the inside but that's no use if you have an upturned brim you want stiffening!! Would love to hear your experience regarding velour etc furs...?

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

I've only used shellac on my alpaca felt hats, but it leaves it feeling natural with no marks although it will leave a tint on a light coloured felt. I stiffen inside and out as required.

@elcano56 5 жыл бұрын

Can I stiffen hats with varnish?

@USMC_BABE38 4 жыл бұрын

Would this work for an 43 years old hat that my dad got in Durango Colorado way before I was born

@isabelladavis1363 4 жыл бұрын

I’m assuming you do this before you add liner and trimmings? Thank you for doing these well presented videos that answer so many questions !

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

Yes - I stiffen the hat body before trimming. It is easier to sew the binding around the brim if it has been shellacked first.

@fishface6888 6 жыл бұрын

Love your videos! You should turn on monetization so you can get some support for your hobbies - just saying since you have so many views already! Can't wait to make a hat. Already bought a custom Havstad hat but always wanted to be a hatter.

@michalkozar5051 7 жыл бұрын

Great tutorial! Clear and concise. Can it be also used on light-colored hats? Does it leave stains or traces of some sorts? Thank you.

@donutpanic 7 жыл бұрын

Hi Michal. Thank you for your comment. The shellac is a golden colour so it will add a golden tinge to a light coloured felt. If you apply it sparingly though perhaps acceptable in most cases. The more you add the darker it will be.

@michalkozar5051 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for your answer I appreciate it. I´ll give it a try. Have a nice day!

@aaminabadran7491 7 жыл бұрын

Hi, I hope you don't mind if I jump in. You can buy shellac flakes in different colours. I just purchased super-blonde, the lightest (and most expensive) online from Lee Valley Tools. I chose this as I don't want it to leave any amber tinge behind. I haven't tried it yet but that is my plan for this week, to find a good old fashioned recipe that works and looks good. I haven't figured out the ratio yet.

@donutpanic 7 жыл бұрын

Frank Iacobucci I look forward to hearing how you get on! The flakes used in the video are blonde. Does the Super-blonde look much lighter?

@michalkozar5051 6 жыл бұрын

Hi, I used super-blonde shellac but when I gently scratch hat by nail, on the felt stay white line. Do you have same problem with blonde shellac? Thank you. Have a nice day. Michal

@JKHunter 3 жыл бұрын

Where can I buy a abs fedora hat block? I'm in Nashville, TN, USA? I can't find a good source on the internet or Amazon. Thanks!

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

search for 'Hatshapers' in US.

@lewinfranke5496 5 жыл бұрын

What retio you would Go for? (g/liter or something...) Really like your Videos! Greetings from Germany

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

Around 30g/litre to start with - you can add more or dilute the mixture if required. Dankeschön.

@alexeyre6765 4 жыл бұрын

Would this be the same spray some hatters use and then light for a few seconds?

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

....only the pretentious ones. No - I think they just use alcohol and then just for show.

@isabellastone-wilson1701 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Mike, Do you recommend 50g shellac to 2litre ethanol, even on a larger scale? 2m wide hat :) If we put more shellac will it effect the felt consistency? Thanks, Isabella

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

I give the quantity in the video which is quite a weak mix - you can add more shellac or further dilute the mixture if to is wrong.

@spinningtopchildrensentert7265 4 жыл бұрын

Does this take as long with mentholated spirit 7 days?

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

I think meths would take the same - the hat will smell of meths every time you steam the hat to reshape in the future. I like the smell of meths!

@paulviditomusic 5 жыл бұрын

hey how are you? thanks for the informative video. would you say you had a preferable mixture ratio? smaller batch size.

@donutpanic 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Paul. In the video I used 30 grams in 2 litres - in fact rather a weak solution. So perhaps start with 20 gm. per litre, or make it stronger and then dilute as required. The effect will depend on the strength of the solution and also how much you apply.

@basil_jackson 7 жыл бұрын

So I'm starting all felting and hat making and all adventure and I found some ready made shellac politures that are 15%, which is roughly what you use here. Will they do for crown shaping? (assuming I'll get to that stage, felting already seems a wee challenging) Also how much the colour will change? I'm going for rather bright, fancy coloured hats. A bit of change won't be a biggie, but would certainly prefer them not to get half-brown no matter what colour base I'm using.

@donutpanic 7 жыл бұрын

Basil Jackson - Malabarista Hi. I have only used what you see in the video, but assuming it is the same, then the more you add, the stiffer it will be. You could therefore spray or brush onto the entire hat, let dry, and then if more stiffness to say the crown, apply more to that area only. If you are making the felt from scratch yourself then you can also make a test piece to test for colour separate to the hat. Good luck!

@CinnamonGirl0707 3 жыл бұрын

Apply the stiffener to the inside only.

@dickiebom 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the videos. I have made up a solution using the same solutions and ingredients except my mixture is very cloudy. Does this effect the end results?

@donutpanic 3 жыл бұрын

It will have a colour to it, but mine is clear.