Felt stiffener and white marks??? - Learn How To Make Hats Online | Hat Academy Millinery Courses

Hello, I also make hats in Ca…

2024-08-04T20:20:35.346Z

Hello,

I also make hats in Canada, and I use the Leko felt stiffener on occasion I've not had any issues with white streaks using that product, but if you are spraying it rather than painting it on, be sure to clean the spray nozzle promptly and thoroughly as it will clog up other wise!

Carolyn

Hi ther how are you? My name…

2024-07-23T15:10:33.656Z

Hi ther how are you? My name is Asgrim. I use pva mix and also become white marks. I stiffen my hats after blocking and from outside. To remove the white marks I spay water on the felt and brush it in one direction. After no more white marks. I try different techniques but this one was successful. Thx 🙏🏻

You can buy this one where yo…

2023-11-14T19:19:56.342Z

You can buy this one where you are and FedEx ground delivers it. Hats by leko. The stiffener is considered one of the best in the world...https://www.hatsupply.com/leko-purpose-stiffener/

thanks for posting this im go…

2023-11-14T17:48:54.804Z

thanks for posting this im going to try it too! never making that mistake again.

Hi WA, My stiffener mix for s…

2018-06-04T16:10:48.407Z

Hi WA,

My stiffener mix for silk is PVA or acrylic glue + water in proportion of 1/3 aproximately (sometimes up to 1/5, depends of the "hardness" I want and of the thickness of my fabric)

Hope this helps, M.

Marie - do you mean that you…

2018-05-31T16:03:26.922Z

Marie - do you mean that you will dissolve PVA and acrylic resin with water for a stiffener mix? if so, would you mind sharing that recipe - I just used water based varathane - clear- mixed with water - I used it mixed in 1/2 and 1/2 and it worked wonders to hold felt in a shape and to make felt rods that were stiff as horns for some of my pieces

Hello ! I am trained as an he…

2018-05-31T10:30:13.676Z

Hello !

I am trained as an heritage conservator/restorator in France, I know well about paint chemistry.

Maybe this will be helpful for the people using PVA mix : you can easily dissolve PVA and acrylic resin with simple alcohol. Let's be clear : don't dilute your mix with alcohol, it will destroy the product. Dilution is water!

But if you need to remove PVA traces, alchol will do the trick perfectly (it dissolves the resin).

Sorry for my strange English ;-) & hugs from France, Marie.

Hello Maureen, I live in Toro…

2018-05-22T14:13:59.706Z

Hello Maureen, I live in Toronto and I don't make hats - well not like you do girlfriend - nice work!!! I am a felt sculptor and I am in need of some advice regarding your foray into stiffeners - I have used the brickmore Khal stiffener for some of my needs, but I work large - I mean LARGE and at 19 bucks for a wee bottle shipped from Montreal - ugh... I can use it for shaping rods and surface design pieces, but not for a large vessel. So, how did it go with the water based varathane and water or ethyl alcohol to dilute? - btw - the back of my brickmore kahl states that it's denatured alcohol and natural resinous glaze. I have used it to fully wet out wool rods and they dry stiff as horns without any residue. Looking forward to your response.

best to you,

Hi Susan, Ive used that stiff…

2017-12-22T04:46:44.754Z

Hi Susan,

Ive used that stiffener from Parkins as well - when you get it right, it works a treat - but I too have had the white marks when it hasn't gone so well, not to to mention the hard lumps as well. its an incredibly thick stiffener and it really is "less is more" with it and lots and lots of steam. The method I use - pour some into a clean jam jar, tip of brush in, then wipe any excess off so there are no drips. then dab the edge of the brush around the top of your felt about 5 times spaced out. Whats left on the brush - even though you dont see it work in well to the top of the felt and work down around where you have dabbed it. that stiffener needs working into the felt really well. Then back into the jar and work around the rest of the felt with the same process. Then its lots and lots of steam. There is a youtube video of Nicola at Parkins stiffening a hat with this if you want to have a look. I also use a felt stiffener from Millinery Supplies in Ireland - £16.00 for 500mls (no vat) but they do charge 10 euros for postage to uk, so I buy about 3 + at a time. Its much thinner than Parkins stiffener and much easier to work with, but you need a little more with that one - but its the same process, work in well and lots of steam. PVA I also buy from Baxter Alan and Hart - one part pva to 4 parts water, sometimes I do 1 part pva to 3 parts water. (again I put it into a cleaned out jam jar, pop lid on and shake to mix) I dab mine into the felt with a sponge (I just use a kitchen sponge with the scourer on the back from the cheap range), dab it into the solution, squeeze on edge to get excess off and work over the felt. I tend to do this the night before blocking as I leave it to dry and then lots of steam to activate it before blocking. Works a treat. The only downside to pva, it does leave a bit of a shine on the inside where you have used it. thats ok if you are lining your felt, but you will see it on an upturned brim. The benefit of pva - you can use this on sinamay as well if you need it abit stiffer, same split of water - but I spray the sinamay instead of dabbing, use a hairdryer to dry it out on cool and make sure you dont let it block the open weave of the sinamay - it takes ages to pop the blockages out with a needle - one by one! Hope that helps - may not be the correct method, but it works for me. Happy hatting. Regards Lorraine

Hello, I have used the PVA ba…

2017-12-18T16:08:32.660Z

Hello, I have used the PVA based stiffener from Parkin's- then threw it in the bin. it ruined the two hats I was working on at the time. You can use a 50/50 PVA/water mix if you are looking for a PVA based product, although acetone will not remove the residue from the Parkin solution. My preference is the Chemical stiffener sold here in UK 'JJ1500' sold from several suppliers including MacCulloch and Wallis. Pre-stiffening the inside of felts is great. Make sure you apply then leave to dry fully before blocking. Then when blocking- steam for a good 4 mins, stretch over your block, remove hood and steam another 4 mins and then proceed as normal. For a really solid stiffening I also like to use shellac. Again can be inside the felt or on the outside once blocked, though shellac gets firmer and firmer the longer you steam it if you have pre-stiffened.

Ultimately it is down to preference and trial and error.

Hope that helps in some way ;-)