Hat Making Tool: Rounding Jack Brim Cutter, Walnut Deluxe Model, Curly Maple, Ebony, Comp. Turquoise

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This is a set of a Hat Making Tools that I designed and built recently.

I have made several of these lately, trying to catch up on custom orders, and to make a handful of extra rounding jacks to last for awhile until I get in the notion to make some more.

As I was working on these two walnut rounding jacks, I noticed some curly maple strips that a friend of mine gave me left over from scraps he has from a custom door project.

So, I decided to dress up this last set of rounding jacks, just to make them a little different with an accent piece.

Then, I saw some scraps of Ebony I had left over after building new fingers for an old French Conformateur, so I added that stripe as well (doesn’t show up well in the photos).

Then, I saw some of the Composite Turquoise I had laying around after building a custom hunting knife for a guy. So, I added that also to one of them.

Anyway, it was really quite fun, and this gave me something new to focus on. I’m not very good at doing long runs of the same thing, as I get bored quickly with repetitive tasks, and seem to only think about what new thing I’d rather be working on at the time. I built 18 rounding jacks this Spring, and all of them have been a little different in some way, which has helped me keep my mind focused.

Items Shown:
1. Deluxe Walnut, Counter Clockwise Cutter, with Curly Maple, Ebony, and Composite Turquoise accents, Serial Number #2009-15

2. Deluxe Walnut, Clockwise Cutter, with Curly Maple, & Ebony accents, Serial Number #2009-14

Specifications:
- Walnut Wood
- Angled Blade Holder (Stanley Utility Knife Blade fits)
- Brass Adjustable Crown Shoe
- Brass Under-Plate and Hardware
- Cutting Capacity: 1.25” – 8.0”
- Abalone Shell Inlay
- Laser Engraved Ruler
- Accent stripes on blade holder

thanks for looking,
Mark DeCou
email: mark@decoustudio.com

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Project Story:

Rounding Jacks are used to cut the brim felt to size on fedora, western hats, cowboy hats, and several other styles. The brass adjustable curve on the front is placed against the crown, and then the cutter is moved in a rotation around the hat, keep the pressure against the crown. Setting the blade to the proper size is done by adjusting the cutter to the desired cut size, and then tightening the brass knurled knobs.

Display Stand: The display stand is designed to sit on the hatmaker’s work bench and hold the cutter when it is not being used. The retractable blade can remain extended this way between uses. This particular stand shown in the photos is Black Walnut. This display stand is meant to make the whole project look like a functional-art sculpture, while it serves it’s functional purpose of the Rounding Jack safely.

To make the cut. The blade guard knurled nut is loosened, the blade dropped down and the nut retightened. The slider nuts are loosened and the desired cut width is indicated by the pointer, and the slider nuts are tightened. The hat is placed on a wood crown block to give a firm resistance to the pressure being applied with the cutter, and the brim is placed between the bottom brass plate and the bottom of the cutter. Then, depending on whether the hatmaker is a Clockwise, or a Counterclockwise cutter, the Rounding Jack is slowly moved around the contour of the crown while pushing the cutter toward the center (head). Felt Hat Blanks are very expensive, so after the cutting is complete, a big sigh of relief is heard from the hatmaker.

The Adjustable Brass Crown Band on the front of the cutter is used when the brim is to be cut wider on the sides, than on the front and back. By adjusting the curve of the brass band, the cutter is pushed away farther on the wider curve of the crown sides.

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Here is a Slideshow with more of my Rounding Jacks Shown
Click the “Speaker” icon for music

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Artisan Hat Tools by Mark DeCou Studio
(Do you want to see More? Just follow these links):

NOTE:
ALL HAT MAKING ITEMS THAT I HAVE IN STOCK
ARE LISTED IN MY ETSY.COM ONLINE SHOP, click here to check inventory

Collector’s Edition Model Rounding Jacks:

1. Ebonized Walnut Clockwise with Laser Engraving
2. Walnut Counter Clockwise w/Laser Engraving
3. Walnut Uni-Directional Cutter

Deluxe Model Rounding Jacks:

1. Maple Deluxe Model, Counter Clockwise Cutter
2. Maple Deluxe Model, Clockwise Cutter
3. Walnut Deluxe, Counter Clockwise Cutter
4. Walnut Deluxe, Clockwise Cutter

Hobbyist-Hatter Model Rounding Jacks:

1. Walnut Hobbyist-Hatter Model, Counter Clockwise Cutter
2. Walnut Hobbyist-Hatter Model, Clockwise Cutter

Bench-Top Display Stands for Rounding Jacks:

1. Walnut Bench-Top Display Stand
2. Oak Bench-Top Display Stand

Customized Rounding Jacks, Personalized for Specific Hatters:

1. Spradley Hats in Apline, TX
2. Rachel Pollock of La Bricoleuse
3. Brainpan Hat Shop in Sumner, WA
4. Steve Delk's Adventurebilt Hat Co.
5. Marc Kitter's Adventurebilt Hat Co.
6. Pyrate Trading Co.
7. Hatman Jack at Wichita Hat Works
8. Inaaya Hat Co.
9. Penman Hat Co.

Formillons & Conformateurs:

1. Complete Restoration of a Maillard Conformateur and Formillon
2. New DeCou Formillion & Conformer, Prototypes #1 & 2
3. Custom Designed Conformateur Carrying & Storage Case
4. New Plot Base Board for the Maillard Allie Formillon
5. Maple Wrench for Tightening Formillon Thumbnuts

Foot Tollikers:

1. Left-Handed & Right-Handed Foot Tolliker
2. Foot Tolliker: Elk Antler & Birch Wood, on a Display Stand
3. Foot Tolliker: Walnut Wood, on a Display Stand
4. Foot Tollikers: Three in White Birch Wood
5. Foot Tollikers: Walnut Wood Set of Four
6. Foot Tollikers, Birch Wood Double Set, on Display Stand

Brim Edge Curling Tools:

1. Hinge-Shackle Curling Tool for the Homburg Hat
2. Full Circle Shackle Curling Tool
3. Half Circle Shacking Curling Tool
4. Groove Tolliker Curing Tool

Hat Block Spinners:

1. Hard Rock Maple and Walnut Ornamentally Turned Hat Block Spinners

Puller Downers:

1. Puller Downers, made in Birch & Maple

Pusher Downers:

1. Pusher Downers, made in Walnut, Hard Rock Maple, & Poplar

Stainless Steel Slip Stick:

1. “Coming Soon”, please check back.

My Website with other woodworking, including furniture, walking canes, scrimshaw artwork, custom knives, and other misc. items

Mark DeCou Studio Website

(Note:This project story, project design, and photos are protected by copyright in 2008-2009 by the Author, M.A.DeCou., all rights reserved, no use allowed without expressed written permission.)

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com