Looking for the perfect snap source

[TKittell[501st]]

Hey guys. A while back when I first started my build, I bought a bulk bag of heavy duty nickel plated snaps from Tandy Leather. For those of you who did the same thing, you know the "posts" are too long to use with our abs plastic tabs.

 

JoAnns carries Dritz heavy duty snaps with the shorter posts, but they're really expensive. Close to $1 a snap!

 

After helping out a fellow trooper this weekend who needed more snaps, I wanted to ask you all if you knew of a cheaper supplier with the short post snaps.

 

Can anyone help this Stormtrooper brother out? Thanks.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

dritz is my snap of choice!

 

heavy duty, but fits.

[stormtrooperguy[501st]]

I've always just used the ones from Tandy. If the post is too long I just use 2 layers of ABS. For the most part though, if you set them just right you can mash down the post pretty far. I use one of their big bench mounted press tools for setting them which makes it a lot easier. The little hammer/anvil setters are hard to control well.

[TKittell[501st]]

Dritz are too expensive. I'm looking for an online supplier with better prices.

 

Tandys are too long for attaching to elastic straps.

 

Don't give up on me guys!

Edited October 24, 2011 by TKittell

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

To paraphrase Indiana Jones: "Snaps... why did it have to be snaps?!"

 

My solution to everything is McMaster Carr. I wish I had thought about this earlier this year but they sell 1 or 10 for $5.30. Just be careful about shipping costs... they almost always use UPS overnight. Or if you live somewhere close to a major mcmaster hub you can always pick them up will call.

 

I have no idea if they're line 24 sized...but the catalog page says they're 9/16 in diameter which sounds about right.

 

McMaster also sell snap tools and other presses too. If I lived in an area with other troopers that didn't require a boat or a plane to visit... I would think about collecting money within the garrison/outpost to buy a press for the group.

 

If someone orders these let me know how they are.

 

Aloha,

 

-Eric

Edited December 4, 2020 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020

[TK-7980]

Michael's may have some that you're looking for. In the section with the industrial strength velcro.

[Locitus[Admin]]

I've used really expensive snaps on my suit. They are close to 1 USD each as well. I think I have over 100 dollars worth of snaps invested on my suit (some discarded by silly mistakes though)!

 

The upside of this is that I have _zero_ problems with my snaps.

[Tray[TK]]

I get my snaps from Rochford Supply online. I to have found that the posts are a bit long though. I have not found a short version of them like you get at Jo Anns.

[stormtrooperguy[501st]]

Dritz are too expensive. I'm looking for an online supplier with better prices.

 

Tandys are too long for attaching to elastic straps.

 

Don't give up on me guys!

 

 

I use the Tandy ones on elastic straps all the time

 

I use a piece of 1/8" ABS as a washer. It also doubles as a tab to make popping the snaps apart easier. I've never bothered to take a picture, but it goes like this:

 

Snap head.

Elastic

1/8" ABS

other half of the snap.

 

Works just fine

[bobojuice]

I've only ever used the tandy line 24 snaps. I get mine on ebay in hundred packs. I bought two hundred for less than thirty dollars last time. Solution to the long shank: HULK SMASH!

[SCTrooper[TK]]

If you have a jo-ann fabrics store in you area, get on their mailing list. They send out 50% off coupons. I just collect coupons and drop in on way home from work. It takes a while but the dritz heavy duty snaps are really good.

Edited October 25, 2011 by SCTrooper

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

I got a hold of some snaps and tooling from McMaster Carr. At 100 snap sets for $43.41 or 10 for $5.30 its not a bad deal. The stems are about the same size as the tandy. They're made from zinc plated brass. I haven't seen the tandy tools up close but the anvils for these snaps are really nicely machined. The bases for the male snap fits like a glove. It fits way better than the dritz ones into the plastic anvil. The setting tool seems nice, but again I'm used to the stubby dritz one.

 

I don't have a reason for a while to set any snaps but I'll post here about it when I do.

 

Aloha,

 

-Eric

 

 

[bobojuice]

Tandy tools are nothing like that. Those would be awesome to keep the stupid snaps from sliding around when you're banging the crap out of them. I wonder if they would fit the Tandy snaps. Do they sell the tool kits separate?

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

Tandy tools are nothing like that. Those would be awesome to keep the stupid snaps from sliding around when you're banging the crap out of them. I wonder if they would fit the Tandy snaps. Do they sell the tool kits separate?

 

Yep each anvil and the setting tool are separate items. I'll check the fit of the tandy snaps tonight and let you know.

 

Aloha,

 

-Eric

[bobojuice]

Awesome! Thanks, brother.

[TKittell[501st]]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm definitely on the Jo Ann's mailing list. I buy the duck cloth, for my TK belts I sell, in bolts. It's always fun to walk up to the cutting counter and say, "All of it" when they ask, "how much?"

 

I think Rochford was the supply source I was looking for. But I agree, Dritz at Jo Anns work great. I'll keep an eye out for sales. This quest was for a friend of mine, who came across the snaps on sale at Jo Anns in the end!

[HockeyTrooper[TK]]

I may be putting my snaps together wrong or using the wrong material to put them through, but I've been having issues with the dritz snaps. My snap plates are all good and have been attached to the armor, but my male snaps that I put on my straps didn't hold (the two pieces for the snap came apart on the strap side). I'm not sure if it is because the post is too short or maybe I am using the wrong material for my straps. The straps that are giving me trouble are my nylon webbing, the ones that I have put through elastic are fine though. Would tandy snaps be better for me to use on my nylon and are they compatible with the female dritz snaps? or does anyone have some other suggestions as to where I might be going wrong? I attached all the straps I had made to my torso last night, got excited, did a test fit...and 3 or 4 of them popped off almost immediately.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

the key to snaps is not too much tension on the strap.

also it's possible to add velcro to a point on the strap to help hold it in place.

I use rivets on velcro on my elastics.

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

Check out Jorran's thread of snap woe I too feel your dritz pain.

 

Aloha,

 

-Eric

[SCTrooper[TK]]

On 12/4/2011 at 1:12 AM, HockeyTrooper said:

I may be putting my snaps together wrong or using the wrong material to put them through, but I've been having issues with the dritz snaps. My snap plates are all good and have been attached to the armor, but my male snaps that I put on my straps didn't hold (the two pieces for the snap came apart on the strap side). I'm not sure if it is because the post is too short or maybe I am using the wrong material for my straps. The straps that are giving me trouble are my nylon webbing, the ones that I have put through elastic are fine though. Would tandy snaps be better for me to use on my nylon and are they compatible with the female dritz snaps? or does anyone have some other suggestions as to where I might be going wrong? I attached all the straps I had made to my torso last night, got excited, did a test fit...and 3 or 4 of them popped off almost immediately.

The snaps I have hold just fine. I use a snap setting tool not the plyers. To make the snap hold better on the elastic strap, I used a piece of nylon webbing like this. Also I think the female part of the snap works better on the straps. Hope this helps

[HockeyTrooper[TK]]

Nick, how do you go about making a hole in the nylon to get the neck of the snap through? I think that is part of my problem currently

[SCTrooper[TK]]

I use this tool, I am not sure what you call it. Looks kind of like an ice pick. You can also use a soldering iron, but this is easier. Push the tip of the pick thru the material then put the snap stem on the tip then push the snap stem thru the material, The pick acts as a guide.