Category Archives: Button Makers & Kids

Making buttons with the Flex1000 Hand Press

flex1000-holiday-start-up-kit_1024x1024

flex 1000

Hi Button Guy,

We purchased the Flex1000 press and finally had some time to try out making buttons.  We started with 2.25″.  The press we have is somewhat different than the one in the videos

Our best button was one that sort of went together but fell apart after 5 minutes of use.  We identified a few possible areas for error.  Maybe you can give us some pointers regarding what we are doing wrong.

1) We found the cutter made circles that are just slightly too big.  We corrected for that be doing extra careful trimming and this seemed to help.

2) There are three plastic rings in the 2.25 die whereas the 3″ die does not have any.  The booklet talks about using 1 plastic ring.  We tried with three and it didn’t work.  When we tried with one we got a button that lasted 5 minutes.  Should we be using the plastic rings?

3) Any other pointers you can give us?

4)  Is there a particular weight of paper we should use? We are kind of frustrated.

 

 

Sorry to hear you’re frustrated.

Here’s a video that shows the machine you have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUFjU1MNYiY

  1. The paper circles are supposed to be bigger than your button shell because they will wrap around the shell as the button is pressed together. You do need to be careful when cutting the paper circles and make sure the cutter doesn’t move positions on the paper. The mylar and paper circles will fit very tightly in the left die tray and there should not be much wiggle room.
  2. The 3″ die does not come with a plastic ring. It should work without the ring. It is just the 2-1/4″ die set that needs 1 ring (and you have 2 extra included in case you lose the ring).
  3. If you are still having troubles check out the videos email me pictures of the buttons you made and that will help out a lot in trying to figure out a solution.
  4. A standard, 20lb paper will be fine. The machine may have trouble with thicker paper (photograph paper), as it could have difficulty crimping around the pin-back

Also, there is always some spoilage or button mistakes when hand pressing buttons. So the FlexPress will not work perfectly every time.

 

 

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Filed under Button artwork, Button Makers & Kids, Button Making, Button Making Business, Button Making Ideas, Button Making Parts, Buying A Button Maker, custom buttons

….i’m back

Oh, I know I’ve been gone for so long.

But guess what,  I’m back and ready to answer all the questions that may be floating around in your heads!

I’ll start with an email I recently received regarding machine maintenance.

Hello,

These are pictures of my 2.25″ machine. You can see the mylar jammed in. I was looking for advice in how easy it would be to take this apart to clean and put back together. 1

You can clear rust with WD-40 but it also removes grease and all lubricants.  So once cleaned of rust, you need to thoroughly grease and lube the machine.

If the mylar does not pull out with pliers undo the screw in the upper die and take the die out. Separate the shaft to remove mylar, lube and then put back together.

 

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Filed under Button Makers & Kids, Button Making, Button Making Business, Button Making Ideas, Button Making Parts, Buying A Button Maker, custom buttons

A new button store opening in Montreal. Custom Buttons galore on Ste Catherine Est!

Great news for  all button makers and button people in Montreal.  The guys from Pinscity and Bomacaron have got together to open a button store on Ste. Catherine East in Montreal.

Nic and Joel are making custom buttons right there in the store and both are experienced button makers who can help and advise on any button making project.  Ontario has had a button store for some time, in Toronto, but this is the first button store I have heard of in Quebec. They are stocking button makers, button machines and button parts right there in downtown Montreal.

This is what the store looked like in August 2014 and this is what it still looks like on Google street view.

New Button Store opening in Montreal

New Button Store opening in Montreal

Yes I don’t see a button shop either.  But this is Google street view, it’s always out of date!

The new store is the one with the “Bieres” sign and next time I’m in Montreal I’m going to swing by and see how Joel and Nic are doing.  I will provide a new update with the current picture soon.  In the meantime lets support these guys and their brave new venture!

Macaron Machine Inc.
dba Bomacaron.com & Pinscity.com
4204 Ste-Catherine East
Montreal, Quebec
H1V 1X3

Store closed.  In the meantime get custom buttons made  1-866 996 1984

Checkout the website!     Critical Custom Buttons in Montreal

You can also buy button makers, get supplies for button machines or get buttons made.  Serving Montreal amd Quebec

 

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Buy a kid a button and he’s happy for a day. Give a Kid A Button Maker and you’ve got happiness for a lifetime!

Have you considered giving a button maker as a gift this year?  Christmas, graduation, birthday, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or whatever the occasion, a button making kit will be the gift that inspires!

Button makers are ideal gifts for kids, teens and young adults because, unlike most fads and toys, they will last for years and keep their appeal through the ages and stages of your child’s development. The button designs may change, the button machine just keeps on pressing buttons.

 Children are fascinated by the idea of designing their own buttons.  What better than a creative gift?  Their first button making experience was often at a children’s party or school event but that’s not the same as owning your own button press. Once they see their artwork transformed into a wearable pin or stickable magnet, they’re hooked and can’t get enough. Making buttons encourages young children to be creative and to hone their design and aesthetic senses.

creative gift idea christmas gift, present

Older children love the idea of being able to wear a message they have designed. It gives them a way to tell the world who they are and what they like. As teens move through the school and university system, button makers move with them. Having the ability to produce ‘campaign’ materials for a variety of projects is a bonus during those stages when being included is so important. Button makers become part of social events that encourage teamwork, creativity and collaboration.

 To top it all off, button makers are not expensive relative to their value: a good quality, solid metal machine and circle cutter costs less than $500 and comes with a starter kit with usually more than 500 buttons. After that, button parts are relatively cheap (less than 10 cents a button) and you never need to buy batteries! If given a minimum of care, the machines will last for years and produce thousands of buttons.

holiday gift idea

There are cheaper options, I have seen kits for $189 like this one on Button Giant: $189 button maker kit  This kit works well but this is a hobby kit, if you can stretch to $300 you can get a metal machine that will work in elementary school and then still keep on pressing when your kids in University. $500 gets you the full enchilada.

There are few toys that match button makers for sturdy construction, ease of use, educational and social value, and affordability. Think about getting your kids into button making this year!  A memorable Christmas gift, graduation gift, birthday present or holiday surprise. Whether for Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, a Bar or Bat
Mitzvah, Christmas or New Year,  a button maker is the perfect creative gift.

what to get my kid for christmas kwanzaa, Hanukkah, birthday present

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Filed under Button Makers & Kids