The Sewing Place
Tools of the Trade => The Haberdashery => Topic started by: Ploshkin on September 16, 2018, 18:18:49 PM
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I've finally faced snaps again.
I bought the Prym Vario Plus assortment kit after a recommendation on here. It can be got for under £30. The pliers come with 3 different types of snaps and eyelets plus the different tools to fit into the pliers. It took me a while to realise that the appropriate bits were next to each lot of snaps in the box. The pictorial instruction leaflets just fried my brain but I found the Prym video on You tube - without that I wouldn't have known about the plastic tool for removing the attachments from the pliers.
Anyway, they work brilliantly and have banished my fear of snaps - I'll be snap happy from now on. The bit for making holes works really well and cuts a neat hole with a defined click. I put snaps on rubbery waterproof trousers but tried the hole tool on some bits of other fabric. It even cut a nice hole on a fleecy knit fabric.
Money well spent I would say.
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I have the Dritz pliers which are OK, although you need a good, strong grip to squeeze the snaps enough to work. The only problem I've had was self-inflicted. I used the snaps on a pair of rompers for a baby with a disability, and found that they were too strong to open and close easily. The rompers were made of soft cotton, and the plackets reinforced, but it took almost super-human strength to open the snaps so I cut them all off (no mean feat in itself) and used sew-on poppers instead. I later found out that if I'd used a size smaller snaps, they are supposed to open more easily, although I've yet to buy any and try them out to verify this. :S
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I'm also a newbie to these. They've worked fine (as long as I have the right bits in). Only problem I did have is that they only work when you don't have to cover much fabric. The last ones I did I had to clip the fabric together so they would reach where I wanted. Otherwise you have to use the round tool.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prym-troqueladora/dp/B00VI8W70O/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1539164228&sr=1-11&keywords=prym+snap+tool
First time I used them I did get nervous, you've made a HOLE, the relief is wonderful when you've done the first one and the hole has gone.
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Hi Gernella, thanks for posting this I have been thinking about these and wondering how well they would work on Lycra … did you try any lycra when you tested?
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No I've never used on Lycre, presumably you use the light weight snaps. I nearly boobed on the first jacket I added snaps to. I was that busy looking at videos on how you did it that when I came to buying the snaps I got the wrong ones, they were heavy duty ones, more suitable for bags. The fabric I had was not really suitable where there was no interfacing. I finished up having to do some restoration on the back of one snap (out of sight). The good thing was they were only on as a feature and unlikely to be used. Won't make that mistake again.
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Ok thanks, I will bear that in mind :)
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In case anyone is thinking of buying - I have just received the Vario Plus Kit from Jaycotts for £20.45 (inc postage) and it is £30.77 on Amazon - seems to be identical
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I think I got mine from Jaycotts at a good price - it's worth shopping around
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@Ploshkin I`m doing really well! Just experimenting with my new pliers and the metal pieces were such a tight fit that I have already managed to break the lever tool trying to get them out! Did you have any problems with your`s? I can`t bring myself to buy another so I am reduced to pushing the pieces out with a tiny Philips screwdriver!
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They are fairly tight @sewingj but not so much that they are difficult to remove.
I'm glad you're getting on ok with them. I find there is a definite 'clunk' when the piece has been installed properly, none have failed yet. If I haven't used it for a bit or I'm using a new type of fastening I always sacrifice one for practice so I can be sure I'm putting the right bits in the right place.
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Thanks @Ploshkin hopefully they will loosen up a bit with use. I agree that the instructions are baffling - I would have been lost without videos to refer to
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...wondering how well they would work on Lycra … did you try any lycra when you tested?
I was wondering that too. I have used KAMsnaps in the past but I'm not keen on the look of plastic snaps and I found I didn't have the grip strength to ensure a good bond every time. They were also way too strong for littlies' clothes if you used the standard size, I don't use them a lot and have moved back to old fashioned press studs or hooks & eyes without too much pain. The metal ones do look more appealing though.
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These are my new best friend. I had problems with the tool that comes with the snaps because I couldn't get enough force with my hammer, this gives a nice satisfying crunch. After putting around 35 in I've got the hang of it, although I did get cocky on my last set and used the wrong tool piece for the first back snap (squashed it) bit of a tense minute or 15 before I managed to get it out.
I did look at a lot of videos first though. On one side of the pliers the holding thingy is a bit loose and doesn't hold the tool piece so I have to make sure that bit is underneath (I think there are spares in the box).