Hat hooping suggestion

[signman]

How to hoop hats has bounced around a few times...so here's what I am doing this week-put together several helpful hints from everyone and it's working!
I'm running a 5,000 stitch design, 1 3/4 by 3 1/2" wide on Sanmar unstructured low crown hats.
Usually a pain and I send them out but too small a quantity this time.
Took the CCF frames, painted the band, teeth, hold down pieces, etc. with a plastic like 'Dip' goop made for tool handles.
Backing- 3 oz. tearaway (precut sheets, very rigid)
Speed- 1000 auto setting.
With the goop on the hoop, I found the backing stayed right where it was put, and after the first line of type sewed down, the face of the hat never moved again. The goop on the 'top' part of the hoop held it with no slipping.
Design was set up with bottom line of type first (click on 'sew from center out), then the farm animals (logo) above-most of it from the center out. Not one single area where a single line satin stitch outline was out of place...not one! Usually the hat faces would shift during sewing and outlines wouldn't line up. I'm running some of it a 10 or 12 pt stitch..not wide ones!
Hats are first run through my Hat press- 350 degrees, 24 seconds of FIRM pressure-more than used for decaling. I put the hat in place, with a paintbrush run water down the center seam, and heat it. Hat comes out with the center seam flattend AND steamed-needles and thread go through it with ease.
So thanks for all the tips and tricks everyone...we have a winner!
Other than random thread breaks...from none to 3 or 4 per hat max...they are running great.

Roland

[Aaron]

I have a comment on heat pressing the caps. If you heat press structured caps it could change the structure of the hat permanently meaning they might not ever be as structured as they originally were meant to. You might be careful doing this with structured caps.

[signman]

I've done tons of structured hats on the hat press for direct decaling (digital print or cut vinyl) and had no problem...if the hats wouldn't hold up to it, they would be useless for decaling!
On the Amaya I haven't had any problem with structured hats for sewing...I prefer them...but 98% of the customers for embroidery want unstructured low profile!
Other than a few fatheads that need the full size hat, the structured ones all end up as decal jobs...go figure.

[Juli in Kona]

If you don't have the goop yet, try a 1" piece of double stick tape in the cent of the hat hoop. It will hold the stabilizer just fine. But the goop idea is great.

Wish I had a hat press!

Juli in Kona

[Juli in Kona]

Roland, What is the max height you can do on a hat? I tell my customers 2.5" and that's it. If they want anything higher, they have to go to someone else. I have an amazing pile of ruined hats!

Juli in Kona

[HERB]

Design size is dependent upon the type of cap and the shape of the design. Not all cap makers profiles are the same.

[Aaron]

What Herb said is very true. As a general rule I make 2.25" my max height and thats what I tell all my contract customers so they aren't out there selling stuff that can't be done. There are many designs I sew at 2.5" but they are normally not very wide designs. I don't think I have sewn any taller than 2.5"

[signman]

I used to tell them 2 - 2 1/2", but then everyone had me do the design to that size...and what hats would they pick? The low profile unstructured...maximum with the CCF about 1 3/4"
if you're lucky-otherwise the design ends up on top of their head!
Now I make them pick out the hat FIRST and then tell them the size.
Had a couple times where they would pick assorted hats (we have tons of leftover blanks) and then want the same design full size on every hat...low profile
and high, structured and unstructured...so that becomes a nightmare!
Same as shirts-they order lots of shirts, and then throw in infant sizes...and expect me to either print the adult size image on a 3T, OR they can't understand why I will charge them for a NEW screen when it's the SAME logo...only 1/3 the size...can't we just print it smaller with the one screen? duh? say what?...yes, they really do ask that!