Choosing the height of your hat block crown

Perhaps you ask, what does he mean about choosing the height of a hat block crown?

''I know i want 22'' and broad fit, so whats this extra decision"? Standard hat block crowns from Blocks by Design come at 6'' (150mm) high*. You may need yours to be 5'' for example, depending on how you plan to make the hat.

Some Milliners prefer to make the brim and crown parts of the hats separatly and stitch them together, while others prefer to block all in one, that is, on brim and crown at the same time. Of course, a 6'' high hat block can make a short crown but it's a bit harder to make a shorter crown make a taller hat.

Perhaps i can illustrate this with pictures and diagrams.

First up a picture of a 6'' high fedora crown sitting on a 'flat' brim*:

As can be seen, if this was blocked in one peice, it would make a very tall crowned hat. Not a problem if thats the style you are after of course! But a short crown hat made this way would need a 5'' high crown or maybe even shorter.

Now for some diagrams to illustrate it further: First up is a diagram of blocking in one peice on what i call a flat hat block brim:

Followed by a diagram of 'one peice blocking' of a hat block crown pushed through the hole in a donut or 'flange' brim:

When looking at a crown and flange brim from the top you will note the thickness of the hat fabric has to be taken into account... If the crown is 22'' then the flange hole will be 22'' PLUS clearance.

Again, this can be seen by looking at the picture below* of a mini top hat crown in a flange or donut brim. You can see the gap between the crown and the brim. I usually make the gap between 2 and 3mm, but it can be requested to be more, or less.

The aim of this post has been to help visualize how some make hats and in particular to help you work out, one, if this is the method you wish to use, and two, if so, to work out the height of the crown block when you purchase one.

*All photo's of hat blocks are of 'Blocks by Design' hat blocks

Darryll

Gift Certificate

Gift Certificates are available from Blocks by design!

Conditions:

1.Gift certificates must be paid for before the certificate can be posted out to you.
2.They can only be redeemed by the named recipient.
3.They can be for a dollar value or for particular product.
4.They can only be ordered and redeemed at Darryll's workshop.
5.Quote your unique certificate number to redeem.

To contact Darryll, email hatblocksbydesign@gmail.com

Choosing your first hat blocks

From time to time I am asked ''What blocks should I get?".

It must be quite daunting to look through a catalogue of hat blocks or browse the internet and see so many blocks and so many shapes, then try to choose what to buy. I know from talking to my customers that hat blocks are a very personal thing and the first blocks purchased are possibly the most cherished.

So, when asked, what do I recommend as blocks to start with?

The full dome would have to be the most versatile hat block of them all. With skill it can used to create facinator's, bowler's, dome's, cloche's and fedora shapes among the possibilities.

 As far as basic brims go, the most universal would have to be the cartwheel. Being large in diametre it can make wide brim hats and be trimmed closer to the crown for smaller brims, and with skill for creating fedora brims for example.

It's close relative is the 'dior', or domed cartwheel, depending on the shape you want it can be shallow or as steep as an upside down wok. 

 When it comes to facinator's, the most popular are the buttons as I call them. I make a variety of shapes, mostly in sets, and the most popular are the 5 button combination set. 

These basic blocks can get you a good way in millinery and to get the most from them you will want to learn how to manipulate your chosen fabrics for hat making.

Of course, not everything can be made with these few. That is of course why Block Makers have so many styles for you to choose from! But the skills learned while using the basic blocks can easily be turned toward more complex shapes...really, you are only limited by your imagination. Many of the hat blocks made by Blocks By Design started as a customers idea.

I do hope this is of help to you.

Darryll

Head sizing and the hat block

Most old school Milliners would be aware of the following, but it is likely that a good many newer milliners and students may not be.

A head size is not just a head size!

Take for example a hat block made to 22'' oval. Did you know that in that size (as in all sizes) there can be several variations?

On top of 22'' there is slim fit, broad fit...and custom shaped oval as well.

The human head is not a perfect oval. While the majority of heads can accomodate a basic oval hat, because we are all different, one does not fit all. If you take for example, a perfectly fitted hat from your head and put it on a friends head you might fit it just does not sit right. Perhaps the brim buckles where it didn't on you. Why would this be? Because her head may be the same ''size'' in circumference but shorter front to back and wider side to side. This may not matter with softer/floppy hats but will matter when it comes to stiffer ones.

A blocks by design oval 22'' for example, come in 3 shapes. as you can see, the difference is in the front to back and side to side measurements yet all 3 are 22'' circumference.

On top of that, some people had vey odd shaped craniums that may need to be accomodated and measured with a 'conformature' or 'head mapper' (If you can find one).

It looks like some sort of top hat straight out of a steampunk convention! (I WANT ONE!)

Here is a picture of one, borrowed from the below website so you can see one, I recomend having a good read of this site as it is an excellant explanation of the device.

http://houndwelfare.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/houndbloggers-abroad-huntings-historic-clothiers/

So when you are buying a block to suit yourself or a client, to start with you need 3 measurements. (If you are making hats to be bought off the shelf, then you might just go with the basic sizing)

1. circumference
2. front to back
3. Side to side

Then within reason I can select the correct template for the creation of your hat block. Most of the time, a 'slim' or a 'broad' is sufficiant. If the head to fit is very different i may need a diagram and full measurements. These days hat mappers are few and far between so 'close enough  may have to be good enough'!

Now, the same carries over to brim blocks and collars as well. A cartwheel brim block for example can be fitted with multiple collars to match crowns. A donut brim block is often (but not always) made to match a crown.

cheers

Darryll

What are my hat blocks made from?

One of the questions I am asked is "what are the hat blocks made from"?

The timber I use is called 'Jelutong'. It comes from trees that produced latex rubber. It is technically a hard wood yet its low density and straight grain have made it a favorite of pattern makers. It was once overharvested, but today it is grown as a renewable source or timber.

The timber I use is imported into Australia and is kiln dried. It contains about 12% moisture on average and contains no sap.

It comes in raw plank lengths that I cut to size and glue into raw blocks before being turned into artworks...I mean, hat blocks.

The real benefit other than being easier to carve than harder woods is that it pins very easily. Pins can be pushed in by thumb, no little hammer needed. The downside is that too many pins on thin edges can cause the edge to break away, but with due care this will not happen.

darryll

Hot weather warning!

Hot weather is not a friend of hat blocks.

If you leave a hat block in the sun or worse, sitting on the floor of a car for example on even a warm day, you may well come back to a cracked block. You see, hat blocks are timber, and timber always moves. Heat and cold expand and contract all things especially wood.

The hat blocks that I make are made from kiln dried timber. That doesn't mean they are as dry as an old bone! They still retain about 12 to 15% moisture content and that can go up or down a bit depending on the weather. A stinking hot day will suck all the moisture out of the air and thus also a block of wood, causing it to shrink and pull, causing cracks and the breaking of glued sections.

Varnished blocks are subject to the same problem, especially once they have been used...pin holes will have broken the seal of the varnish allowing moisture in and out too.

So, keep those blocks stored well. Don't leave them in the sun in your studio all day and definatly not in your car!

If you can't control the temperature put the block into a plastic bag and seal it up. That way, the moisture content of the block will stay the same no matter what the weather does.

Darryll

Be careful loaning out hat blocks

Milliners beware! Be careful when you loan your blocks out.

The other day I was posted back a block I had made for a milliner who obviously cares for her blocks very much. The block was loaned out and came back very badly damaged by blocking pins.

Now, the blocks are meant to pinned, thats why I use the soft wood that I do. But care needs to be given to just where the pins are placed. On thin edges and corners are not good places for pins and if you must, do it sparingly.

The block was so badly pinned around the base of the crown that I had to machine 10mm off the base and glue a new piece of timber to it and finish it off. When done it was as good as new and I know she will never loan out another block.

Here is a photo of good and bad placement of pins...

So if you do share, and that is a wonderful thing, please make sure your friend knows how and where to pin to make the block last a lifetime!

Darryll

WELCOME

Thankyou for finding the blog of BLOCKS BY DESIGN!

My official website address is hatblocks.com.au

There you will find the full catalogue of hat blocks

My father ( Doug Osborne) started the hat block company in 2000 as a hobby interest and from there it grew by word of mouth. Myself, Darryll joined him in 2011 and after some time took on the lions share of trade and is striving to continue the high customer service level started by Doug.

I am very pleased to be supplying milliners all over the world with my hat blocks.

Essentially I am a reserved person on the internet, carefull about how much of everyday life i share but will be endeavoring to do do some of this here...

please enjoy and share

Darryll