Information
As you all know I just love sewing my own bags! Lately I’ve become very adventurous and tackling some more advanced sewing projects that include installing hardware like snaps and rivets. I really think that these little touches make your work look more professional as well as adding function. A win win really! So I thought I’d put together a small tutorial to show you how I install snaps using a DK93 hand press machine.
The first thing you need to do is purchase your snaps and hardware. There are many different options available from suppliers on the internet. Since I sew a lot of bags and thought I’d get good use out of it I made the decision to invest in a DK93 Press Machine. You can purchase these online from Kam Snaps or eBay. It’s a bit expensive but I absolutely love mine.
It’s a multi use machine that can install a range of different hardware – snaps, rivets and eyelets. It uses a system of seperate dies for each type and size of hardware you want to install. You’ll need to purchase these dies which is another expense but once you’ve got the particular die you won’t need to purchase it again. I’ve been able to source all my dies from eBay but you might be able to find them on Amazon as well. I use my DK93 for installing all my rivets, snaps and eyelets and it’s just so easy and reliable.
There are cheaper alternatives on the market like the Snapsetter Tool. I did use this for a while but I found that some of my snaps didn’t alway stay attached. You also have to purchase your snaps from Snap Source to use with their Snapsetter Tool. So there were a few reasons I decided to upgraded to the Kam DK93. If you don’t think you’ll use snaps a lot it might be a better option for you. The Snapsetter Tool is easy to use and they do supply instructions on how to use it. If you need me to put a seperate tutorial up for the Snapsetter Tool let me know and I’ll put one together.
Depending on whether you are using a custom snap setter or not will depend on what options you have for sourcing your hardware. Since I use the DK93 I’m able to source my snaps from eBay for a good price. There are different types of snaps that you can buy and a range of different sizes. I’ll cover a few of the ones I’ve come across and used.
‘S’ Spring Snap
This is the snap I use the most in my sewing and craft projects. It’s called ‘S’ Spring because the ‘female’ socket incorporates a parallel spring mechanism which engages the stud (male part). It has a snap cap which can be plain or decorative and can be purchased in a range of colours. It has 4 parts to it which include the cap, socket, stud and post.
Ring Spring Snap
I’ve got a die for this type of snap but don’t use them very often. (I have to admit I accidentally purchased the die so I just purchased some snaps to use with it). It’s called the Ring Spring Snap because the socket (female part) incorporates a single spring in the shape of a split ring. This fits around in inside diameter of the socket to engage the stud (male part). It also comes with 4 parts that include the cap, socket, stud and post.
Prong Type Snap
These snaps aren’t as heavy duty as the cap type snaps mentioned above but are really nice on purses and clothing. The construction uses a five pronged ring which attaches to the socket (female part) and stud (male part). It’s has four parts which includes two open prong rings, a socket and a stud. The open prong rings come in a range of finishes and colours and can look quite nice contrasting against your fabric.
Snap Tutorial
Materials
First you need to collect all your supplies. The ones that I use when installing snaps are:
- Kam DK93 handpress machine
- Snap Dies – different sizes and types depending on the snap
- Leather hole punch
- Pen
- Snaps
- Fabric/leather
- Ruler
For this tutorial I’ll be installing ‘S’ spring type snaps. These types of snaps have four parts to them: a cap, socket, stud and post. You might hear the socket referred to as the ‘female’ part and the stud referred to as the ‘male’ part. You will need the corresponding dies for this type of snap and size. I’m using a 15mm sized snap.
Take the fabric or leather that you want to install your snap in and make a mark where you want the snap to go. Use this as a guide when using your leather hole punch to make the hole for the cap. It will depend on what you are making but if you can, install the cap and socket first. This will be on the side that people can see so it’s good to get it as accurate as possible.
I can’t remember exactly where I purchased my leather hole punch because I’ve had it for so long. It has definitely been extremely useful over the years. It’s also worth mentioning that the DK93 handpress has hole punch dies available as well.
Each die will fit one of the four snap parts. It’s like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. They will only fit their corresponding snap part. Take your cap and socket. Slip the cap into the bottom and screw the socket die into the top.
At this point I like to slip the cap stem through my fabric/leather and then place the cap back in the die. Make sure your hand press machine is on a sturdy table and then push down really hard on the handle. The fabric/leather will now be sandwiched in between the socket and cap. I find that it sticks to the top of the machine on release and you just need to give it a tug to disengage the socket from the die.
You’ve now installed the first half of your snap!
It’s now time to install the other half. Take your stud, post and corresponding dies and assemble.
The post die will slip into the bottom of the handpress machine and the stud die will screw into the top.
Once again I have inserted the post into the hole in the leather and then placed it back onto the die.
Push down hard on the hand press handle to secure the stud and post to the fabric/leather. It may stick to the top of the stud die – just give it a little tug to release.
You’ve now installed the second half of your snap!
And you’re all done! Time to start attaching snaps to absolutely everything!
