cowboy hat scrollsaw style. Maple

[preprius]

I was inspired to make this project by seeing a cowboy hat made by a lathe. 

This is a wearable cowboy hat.

I thought that this was a bit of a challenge so I expected some re-dos. I did have some oopses but was able to recover from them.

Since I have done bowls before, I thought just maybe I could do it.  A hat's crown is the same basic shape. 

Just add a thin top, and a big thin wide brim.   And "how to bend" wood. Oh crap !   I had to learn that and hope it came out okay.

I bought thin project ready stock from Cherokee woods,   1/8 " thick.

Then added 3/4" thick  10"x 24" board for bowl / crown.

This is maple wood.  So I cut a maple leaf topper using 45 deg table tilt.

I have lots of pictures during the making of this Maple Cowboy Hat.

But for now I will attach 5.

This hat conforms to my head.  I bought a drafting curve tool 30" and wrapped it around my head. Then traced it on paper and scanned into computer.  With inkscape I created a curve path and made my head shape.  With the  "linked offset" tool I made 8 lines with 1/8" offset. This is my pattern. The 3rd picture shows 2 rings cut and the pattern.  Yes I have an eggshaped head.

I have about 20 hours into the project.

Ok that was the intro.

I did have inspiration from:

OCTOOLGUY

Dave Monk

Also Ruth Niles from Niles bottle stoppers.

Youtube "wooden cowboy hats".

There is a song from Chris LeDoux named "This Cowboy Hat".  

I was so inspired by this project, I thought I could change the words to the song.     If you are interest in a personal message of new words to the song. I can provide that.

The last pic shows a quick small prototype / test, I did before I started this project.  Small test used 1/4" baltic birch plywood.

 

Me.

Mark Eason

 

 

[Dak0ta52]

Very neat project, Mark. I was expecting to see a picture of you wearing it. Wonder if that would be considered a "Hard Hat?"

[preprius]

Well I did order hard maple?

 

[daveww1]

terrific job

[MTCowpoke22]

That's amazing. Well done!

 

[Dave Monk]

You sure made a conversation piece. Nice job for sure.

[Denny Knappen]

That is amazing.  I made bowls before, but never thought of inverting to make a hat.

[spirithorse]

Fantastic vison and well executed!
My hat is off to you for such an amazing project!
God Bless! Spirithorse

[preprius]

So now you saw the good side.  Here is my ooops.

 

When drilling I had drill bit bend or drift.  In 3/4" maple at 9 degrees. My hat crown thickness is only 0.125" so not much room to sand down to blend it in.  

Also there is a wood dark grain that kind looks like stitching.  It just happened to be where my drill holes are.   

There is wood filler that is staimable and was recommended by Dave Monk. But Timbermate is on back order. So for this hat I decided to leave it as is. 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by preprius

[preprius]

Ok, by a request from dakota52 here is a selfie. 

I don't like selfies.  I was going to wait until I grow my mustache but oh well.

Also here is a short video that rotates the hat top bottom and around. 

 

 

[Fish]

Great job.