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🥳
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.
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
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.
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.
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...?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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?
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.
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!
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.
I did this today with some 91% isopropyl alcohol and cheap orange shellac flakes. They worked great on my black wool fedora
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🥳
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.
Glad it was helpful!
Very informative video. Thanks for your help.
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
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.
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.
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...?
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.
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
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 !
Yes - I stiffen the hat body before trimming. It is easier to sew the binding around the brim if it has been shellacked first.
great video !can this be used on ppanamas or what not ?
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.
would 91% isoppropyl alcohol be the same as the bio ethanol?
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.
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.
Thank you very much for your answer I appreciate it. I´ll give it a try. Have a nice day!
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.
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?
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
Would this work for an 43 years old hat that my dad got in Durango Colorado way before I was born
What retio you would Go for? (g/liter or something...)
Really like your Videos!
Greetings from Germany
Around 30g/litre to start with - you can add more or dilute the mixture if required. Dankeschön.
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
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.
Can I stiffen hats with varnish?
Can we make a felt hat from premade felt fabric? It's hard to find wool felt here
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?
It will have a colour to it, but mine is clear.
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.
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!
Apply the stiffener to the inside only.
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!
search for 'Hatshapers' in US.
hey how are you? thanks for the informative video. would you say you had a preferable mixture ratio? smaller batch size.
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.
Would this be the same spray some hatters use and then light for a few seconds?
....only the pretentious ones. No - I think they just use alcohol and then just for show.
Does this take as long with mentholated spirit 7 days?
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!
is there any other way to make hat stiffener?
Whats wrong with this one?!
Or buy hat stiffener and spray w that..😕
Thanks for the comment Kevin - love your videos. No doubt in NY you can buy hat stiffener easily - here in sunny Nottinghamshire I can't!