The Button Blog - American Button Machines — Ask ABM

What size paper cutter do I need to make my buttons?  This is a simple, yet tricky question that every new button maker will ask.  You want to make a 2.25" button so you can get any old 2.25" paper punch from the local craft store, right?  Wrong.  Although the button may be 2.25" the graphic needs to be a little bit larger so it wraps around the front shell meaning your circle needs to actually be 2.625".  Who knew?   This means you need a paper cutter that is designed specifically for the purpose of button making.  Just getting a...

Why does my button have rust on it?  This question comes up more often as the weather begins to warm up and humidity begins to rise.  You remember you have a great stash of super cute buttons that you put away at the end of last Summer and you run to get them out of the back of the closet only to find those perfect tropical beach designs have a few unexpected polka dots.  Although it's a little too late for that group, you can absolutely prevent it from happening to the rest! Moisture, any kind of moisture, is the mortal...

What can I make with a button maker?  This is an age old question with a multitude of answers.  Maybe a better question would be what can't I make with a button maker?   The size of button maker you decide on will be the real determining factor in the true answer to this question.  The two questions go hand in hand when starting your button making adventure and to help you solve the first part of the riddle take a look at our recent article "What Size Buttons Should I Make".  Once you've settled on a size, you'll notice some sizes have more...

What size buttons should I make?   What size button is the most popular?  Whichever way you phrase it, these are the first questions you start asking yourself when you decide to make buttons and one of the most important.  Luckily, Ask ABM is here to help! One of the first factors to consider is your budget.  Equipment cost is identical among the smaller sizes but starting at 3" and larger, it changes.  There is also the consideration of materials cost.  Supplies vary in price according to size and of course larger parts are heavier and bulkier to ship so remember to...

One of the most common button making questions we are asked here at ABM is, "what size screws do I use to mount my button maker?" To mount your button maker to a board, you need 2 flat head screws 1/4-20 x 1", 2 washers 1/4" and 2 nuts 1/4-20. If you have a punch cutter you would also like to mount all you need is 2 socket head cap screws 1/4-20 x 1" (alloy steel) and 2 washers .78 x .254 x .016. Of course you can always make it super easy and order the mounted kit from ABM...