Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

[lthull3rdla]

Gentleman

I bought a kepi off this site a few weeks ago. It was hand made by the AC member I purchased it from and he did an excellent job. Its made with sumac dyed material and is already turning that nice tan shade since it is living on the dash of my truck.

It has a very thick leather visor that I am not fond of. I want to make a painted canvas ( or whatever ) visor to go on it.

do any of you have experience at this? Would you recommend I try, or, should I find a reputable 'hatter' that, for a nominal charge, will do this for me?

If I decide to do it myself, what material do I actually use. How many layers? what kind of paint and etc?

thanks in advance

Ronnie

[Marc29thGA]

Re: Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

It will be interesting to see comes up for additional information from this question. I myself am planning on undertaking a few kepis later on this winter just to experiment with. I have some extra pieces of jean and kersey and just want to look into the construction/pictures/etc and find out some more information before venturing forth.

Looking at my copy of “the Confederate Sketchbook” it describes the bill of Robert W. Royall’s Kepi to be “…layers of paper glued together (light weight cardboard)” with the top and bottom layers being painted cloth. It looks to be 4 layers of paper based on the sketch.

There are period paint recipes here on the AC forum as well as Google searches too.


Good luck!

[Hardtack Herring]

Re: Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

Would a soldier make a new visor for his Kepi if he did not like it? No he would not. He was fighting a war not participating in a fashion show.

My advice is to leave it the way it is.

I can help you with the painted cloth visor if you wish. Send me a pm and I can tell you how I make them.

[Silas]

Re: Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

Others results may vary, but this is what has worked for me.

I used a pattern from the Confederate Sketch Book. I use cardstock from six packs of beer. I cut three shapes from two six packs using the pattern. Glue the three together using old fashioned white glue. Insert the cardboard inside a section of folded newspaper and press them using a couple old, heavy books. There will be much excess glue at first, so remove that excess several times in the first few hours. Let it sit at least 24 hours. It's better if it sits for a couple days because you want the glue to be completely dry.

I've tried two sheets of cardstock, but it's too wobbly. Three sheets will stay pretty flat.

Now you need sewing holes in the brim for the canvas top/bottom plus the edge. Use a very small bit and go around the outside edge of the brim. Place them as close as you can without running them together. I do it by eye, but there's probably a 3/32" distance between the outside edge of each drilled hole. As for the inside of the brim - meaning the part which will be against your forehead - I space the holes about a 1/4 apart.

Now for the canvas. I use drill which is a type of canvas. The weave is diagonal instead of the usual up/down, right/left weave seen on true canvas. You could use canvas, but it should also be light weight. For clarity, I will use the word, canvas, for the remainder of my instructions even though I use drill. I cut two sheets of canvas just a tad larger than the size of the glued cardstock. I use a bunch of heavy duty paper clips - the ones which are black metal, not the light weight wire one - to hold the canvas to the cardstock. You want that canvas stretched tight so there are no bulges.

I sew my brims by hand as I've had better results than trying to use a machine. I use white linen thread. You don't need to double it. A single thread is fine. I start with the holes on the inner portion of the brim. Knot the thread to your first hole - it works better if you don't start at the very first hole on the right or left of the inside as this hole tends to be a little fragile. Three or four holes from the edge is just fine. Go around the entire brim with a simple weaving technique. This means go through the top of one hole, run it out the bottom, then go to the bottom of the next hole and run it to the top. Repeat until you've gone around the brim. Continue to re-adjust the clamps on the canvas as needed to keep the canvas taught. This is very important.

Once the upper and lower canvas is sewn to the cardstock, remove/cut the excess canvas from the edges.

Next, prepare the tape for the outside edge. I use more canvas, but you could purchase some tape. As I've got the canvas right there, I tend to use it for the edge. Cut a strip about a half to 3/4" wide and a few inches longer than the total length of the outside edge of the brim. Use those clamps again to hold the tape to the edge. Start the sewing from an inside hole - the second or third is fine. Go to the outside edge with the same sewing technique as before. Go completely around the outside edge and the inside then back to the second or third hole from which you started. Now go back around the inside and outside edges again.

This last step is very important. With the in/out weave, you've only secured on half of the tape to the brim. For example, when you run the needle through the top of one, out the bottom of that one, through the bottom of the next and out the top ; you've only affixed the tape on the under side of the brim. The top portion for those two holes is floppy. By reversing your sewing, you will be affixing the portions which have not been affixed. This is a pain, but it's easier the second time through than the first.

After the edge is secure, it doesn't hurt to reinforce the canvas on the inside of the brim by threading a loop in each of the holes. This is keeps the canvas - which is not taped - firm to the brim. You'll see why later.

Trim the excess tape from the brim. Use fine scissors and take your time. You've used much time getting to this stage, don't blow all your previous work by being in a hurry.

Now the easy part. Paint. I use linseed oil with some old black latex paint for color. I've owned the can of latex paint for years. I keep adding linseed oil to it so I wonder how much of the original paint is still there. I've still got the color so there must be some left. Lamp black works great, too.

The brim needs to be painted two or three times before it's adequate. Any less than that and it won't shine. You want the shine. Don't repaint until the brim has completely dried each time.

If you were sloppy and didn't stretch the canvas to the brim while hand sewing, you're going to have bluges between the cardstock and the canvas. Take your time.

To sew the brim to your hat, force a small nail into the holes on the inside of the brim.

I use black linen thread - double thick - to attach the brims to my hats. I use the same double in and out method used when sewing the tape to the brim to secure the brim to the hat.

There's much labor involved and it takes quite a while to make a solid brim, but the effort show.

Good luck. Get started now.

[jandksuttorp]

Re: Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

Hey Comrades,
I made the kepi in question, and it was made with an iron dyed leather bill. I have made painted cloth and paste board brims bound with a leather edge. But I painted the canvas with latex paint, not a period recipe.:o Mr. Hull I would be more than happy to make one for the cap if I could get my hands on some authentic painted cloth. PM me if you want.

John Suttorp

[lthull3rdla]

Re: Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

John first let me say I LOVE that kepi. It has been living on the dashboard of my truck and that sumac dyed material is starting to look really really good! I know this kepi and I are going to have lots of fun times in the future.
Its replacing a kepi that I bought ten years ago, made of the same material, that has become ( as most of my stuff has ) the property of my 17 year old son.
I really really like the painted cloth brim. I'm not saying the one that was on it is bad, in fact its great, its just not what I wanted! Ya done a GREAT job on this kepi!
Don Smith is going to put a brim on it for me so no worries friends!
Thanks

P.S. son and I are having a civil war moment.. we are watching Wicked Spring. I have on a ************ federal sack and he is wearing a louisiana style cs frock LOL

[lthull3rdla]

Re: Painted Canvas Visor for Kepi

got my kepi back from Don Smith this past week and I'm very pleased. Don did a superb job replacing the bill/visor on my cap with a painted cloth style and I love it. Thanks Don!!

Ronnie - Shreveport