# Outback hat - WIP



## TimR (Jan 28, 2013)

Josh, aka Waterboy12, stopped over yesterday and we chatted a little, but didn't have much time to get into discussion on finishes. I was in middle of turning a hat and it's one of those things that when started, needs to be completed in one session to avoid problems. Anyway...these are progress pics...hoping for success after it comes out of bending/shaping rack. I've done 4 of these in past, and never got one exactly like I wanted/hoped...so this could be another 'practice' piece. 
Wood is poplar freshly cut frpm my front yard. Naturally, Josh took home some more wood from this visit to get that new lathe all dirty with!!

Anyway, this started out as a blank about 18" diam and 8" tall, wanting it to be a cowboy hat (larger brim), but I found some defects that forced me to go smaller with an outback style, and about 16" diameter on the brim. 
First step is to clean up the bottom of the brim and then create a tenon that will allow reversing the orientation to turn the top sections of the hat. 
[attachment=17364]
Next, the hat is turned around and the top of the hat is sized, and turned to final shape, this pic showing the brim ready to be finished. I'll take it down to a light 1/8" thickness at the outside before turning it back around to hollow. I use a center save tool to pull off a large ring from top of hat. 
[attachment=17365]
In this pic, I'm hollowing out the inside after having turned the rim to consistent 'light' 1/8". I'll continue to hollow and will use lamp as my thickness gage on sides as I'm hollowing it out. The bottom is critical to get a good shape that mimics the underside of a hat, as this will be followed in final steps using only light to gage thickness.
[attachment=17366]
The hat is mounted to a jam chuck, and a light cord running through the spindle. 
This is the part where you have to really have faith!
[attachment=17367]

The hat is in a bending rack now, squeezing the sides, pulling down the brim with rubber bands and jigs...I'll try to get some more pics and add on hopefully good news in next day or so. If it cracks or ?? ... expect nothing but expletives (well, symbols to that effect).


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## waterboy12 (Jan 28, 2013)

"Naturally josh took some more wood home". Well then...see if I ever take anymore wood from you Mr. Tim. Lol Thanks again by the way. 

In all seriousness it was great watching you work on this hat. I've watched a few vids on the process but there's nothing like actually being there. I'm surprised I didn't leave with a mouth full of shavings from my mouth being open literally the entire time. 
And as always it was great being able to fellowship with a fellow turner, and ever better being a fellow turner that I sincerely admire. I don't think I'm stepping out on a limb here when I say you do great work Tim. Good job buddy.


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## hobbit-hut (Jan 28, 2013)

That's going to be a fine looking hat. Hope to see your results.


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## TimR (Jan 28, 2013)

Hey Josh...I should have rephrased that...perhaps something like this...
"Naturally, Josh was able to help me clean out my woodpile before letting the critters get to it!" 

I'm happy to help you out Josh...and you're welcome anytime to come get some wood. I know I cut up and prep way more than I'll ever need...just trying to pace the type and quality of wood with your level...which is rising fast I will add.

Here's a pic of the hat in the drying rack!
[attachment=17368]


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## duncsuss (Jan 28, 2013)

Looks great!

I met Johannes Mikkelson at Donna Zils Banfield's "open house" a couple of months back, but if he demonstrated turning a hat I missed it. Your photos and guide sequence are pretty good at explaining the steps, thanks!


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## TimR (Jan 28, 2013)

There's definitely more than one way to do it. I think there's something fundamentally different between how Michelson and Ramsey do their hats, but can't recall details. I've been at a couple demos where Johannes is working on one, and using some special tools he had developed to make removal of some bulk material easier. The big ring of material above the rim is one chunk that I use a straight cutter from the McNaughton set to remove, and then some of the core from the inside I remove with small McNaughton curve tool. 
Mine are pretty much Ramsey's technique that I learned second hand from someone who was a student of his class on doing them.


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## waterboy12 (Jan 28, 2013)

TimR said:


> Hey Josh...I should have rephrased that...perhaps something like this...
> "Naturally, Josh was able to help me clean out my woodpile before letting the critters get to it!"
> 
> I'm happy to help you out Josh...and you're welcome anytime to come get some wood. I know I cut up and prep way more than I'll ever need...just trying to pace the type and quality of wood with your level...which is rising fast I will add.
> ...



Haha. Yea I like that better. It might be a little out of my ability but I'm going to try the hat. I might go down in flames but at liest I can say I tried.


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## TimR (Jan 28, 2013)

[attachment=17372]
Well, this is why more folks aren't cranking out hats left and right, or at least why I'm not. 
Just checked after having lights on for couple hours and found a crack at the transition to the rim. I'm guessing I either had too much side force squeezing (but don't think so), too much pull down with rim (possibly...to most likely), or just a blind weak area that decided to fail(would love to think that).

Guess I need to go prep a new blank...


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## duncsuss (Jan 28, 2013)

TimR said:


> Guess I need to go prep a new blank...



I'm told rimless hats are all the rage this year ... trim it all the way round an it's a fez 

(but seriously, sorry it went south on you after all the effort you put into it)


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## Kevin (Jan 28, 2013)

Tim, I know zilch about turning hats, but my guess is it cracked because that's figured grain there where the stress is the greatest. Figured grain is inherently weak so I'd bet that's what did it. It's still salvageable though isn't it?


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## TimR (Jan 28, 2013)

Kevin said:


> Tim, I know zilch about turning hats, but my guess is it cracked because that's figured grain there where the stress is the greatest. Figured grain is inherently weak so I'd bet that's what did it. It's still salvageable though isn't it?



If it doesn't crack 'much' more, I'll throw it in backseat of my truck along with my fez's, fedoras, beanies and ballcaps. :rotflmao3:
By the way, you're probably right about the figured grain at least contributing. Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that next time and perhaps take things a bit more conservatively.


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## NYWoodturner (Jan 28, 2013)

Tim - awesome work. Thats a project on my bucket list, but Cowboy hats aint too popular here in NY . Just a thought or really a question. Could you separate the bending and drying process? Could you apply the bending forces in a tub of water to help prevent the cracking and aid the bending? That might allow for less bending pressure and allow you to "creep up" on the shape you want. At least it makes sense in my head. Feel free to tell me I'm nuts.:wacko1::wacko1:


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## Mike1950 (Jan 28, 2013)

NYWoodturner said:


> Tim - awesome work. Thats a project on my bucket list, but Cowboy hats aint too popular here in NY . Just a thought or really a question. Could you separate the bending and drying process? Could you apply the bending forces in a tub of water to help prevent the cracking and aid the bending? That might allow for less bending pressure and allow you to "creep up" on the shape you want. At least it makes sense in my head. Feel free to tell me I'm nuts.:wacko1::wacko1:



Or how about Deans cheapo steamer- Remember though I have no clue how you do it but love these threads..........


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## TimR (Jan 29, 2013)

NYWoodturner said:


> ...but Cowboy hats aint too popular here in NY . Just a thought or really a question. Could you separate the bending and drying process? Could you apply the bending forces in a tub of water to help prevent the cracking and aid the bending? That might allow for less bending pressure and allow you to "creep up" on the shape you want. At least it makes sense in my head. Feel free to tell me I'm nuts.:wacko1::wacko1:



I'll tell you what...there's a bunch of closet cowboys up there...I know! I went to a Toby Keith concert a few years back at UMass, and the place was wall to wall cowboy hats!! I would never have thunk it.

As to the separation of processes...it really needs the two combined as has been explained to me. It's the liberation of the intercellular water while bending/drying that helps take final shape. 

Well, I just took the hat off the rack and the crack doesn't go all the way through. I'll further stabilize it and then finish sand and finish the piece with lacquer. This won't be a 'signed' piece, but perhaps a friend or family member it fits will want it. It doesn't fit me. I follow the 'template' for sizing and such, but some woods shrink more than others, and that's just part of the learning curve I suspect. For poplar, I'll make a note to add about 1/4" to diameter to account for that.
I do like how the top of the hat came out, has a nice amount of 'dome' protruding from rim at top. This was something I wanted to improve from last one I did, and so that came out well.
Colors and balance on the hat came out well, but I may need to modify the brim to get even more 'pull down' in the front/back. 

[attachment=17415]


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## Kevin (Jan 29, 2013)

Everyone is a cowboy at heart. Even cowpokephobics.


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## duncsuss (Jan 29, 2013)

TimR said:


> Well, I just took the hat off the rack and the crack doesn't go all the way through ...



That's great news -- it's a good looking hat


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## cabomhn (Jan 29, 2013)

Ok so this is probably a really stupid question, but is this meant to be a showcase piece or something actually worn? Either way it's a really cool process and finished product, but I was just wondering.


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## TimR (Jan 29, 2013)

cabomhn said:


> Ok so this is probably a really stupid question, but is this meant to be a showcase piece or something actually worn? Either way it's a really cool process and finished product, but I was just wondering.



Matt, Not a dumb question at all. The answer is..."it depends".
I've seen folks, including the father of the guy I learned the process from, sporting his hat whenever he shows up at any of our functions. 
I suspect most folks just want to display it...but they are very light and are typically made for a specific persons head. 
To size the persons head, a flexible rule is used to trace around person's head, and transfer that to a piece of paper, and ultimately to a sizing block that is used to help restrict the side to side mainly while drying. 
I'll have to weigh what mine is now when I get out to shop later...it started out somewhere around 45 lbs or so.


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## TimR (Jan 29, 2013)

Joe Rebuild said:


> That is very cool and on my bucket list. How do you think rosewood would work?



Joe,
I've not done enough to be an expert by any means, but let me wing an answer. All I know is that the ideal wood is one that is fresh cut, lots of moisture and at least an inch cut away distance wise from pith. 
I've seen all sorts of funky woods, including burls, made into hats...so it's probably doable by someone with enough experience in making hats and working with the wood...or by someone willing to sacrifice a few pieces to work out the logistics of what works and doesn't.


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## cabomhn (Jan 29, 2013)

TimR said:


> cabomhn said:
> 
> 
> > Ok so this is probably a really stupid question, but is this meant to be a showcase piece or something actually worn? Either way it's a really cool process and finished product, but I was just wondering.
> ...



Very cool. I have a friend who's grandpa does these and I never really knew the answer but I figured they could be worn. I am curious of the final weight


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## TimR (Jan 29, 2013)

NYWoodturner said:


> Tim - awesome work. Thats a project on my bucket list, but Cowboy hats aint too popular here in NY . Just a thought or really a question. Could you separate the bending and drying process? Could you apply the bending forces in a tub of water to help prevent the cracking and aid the bending? That might allow for less bending pressure and allow you to "creep up" on the shape you want. At least it makes sense in my head. Feel free to tell me I'm nuts.:wacko1::wacko1:





cabomhn said:


> TimR said:
> 
> 
> > cabomhn said:
> ...


Just checked... 11 oz


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