What defines a good snap?

[pewpewpew[TK]]

I hear everybody recommend Tandy, and to make sure the snaps are a 5/16" post, and marked as heavy duty, but what defines good snap quality for the purpose of armour building and trooping?<br>

I came across some that are made by a company called H.A. Kidd, and seem easy to use, assemble and seems to stay fastened in my tests. They only really come apart when pulled at the angle you'd use to purposely do so. After doing them up and taking them apart repeatedly they don't seem to show any signs of breakage. <br>

Does that seem like a good snap?<br>

Also, does the colour of any audience facing snaps matter?<br>

Thanks!

Edited June 18, 2016 by pewpewpew

[TD42115[501st]]

I have used both Tandy(Line 24 Canada) and FASNAP/DOT (Line 24 USA).

 

The Tandys are very popular and a reliable snap at a decent price, but i find that the Eyelet is not flat and makes using abs snap plates a pain.

 

The FASNAP or DOT brand is perfectly flat at the bottom of the Eyelet and works great for ABS plates but they are expensive compared to the Tandys. I have used the FASNAP or DOT in my armor and have found that pulling a strap off is quite difficult. 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I've had a few fail from different makers, I came up with this to help them hold http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28934-howto-make-snaps-hold/?hl=snaps

[pewpewpew[TK]]

I've had a few fail from different makers, I came up with this to help them hold http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28934-howto-make-snaps-hold/?hl=snaps

That's good. I guess the idea is to really look at them closely when you're done. Don't just simply follow the manufacturers procedure and hammer them together. In regards to the ones I've found, they come with a tool that flares them out in six tabs. I will be sure to squish those even further into place with a bolt like you've shown.

[pewpewpew[TK]]

I have used both Tandy(Line 24 Canada) and FASNAP/DOT (Line 24 USA).

 

The Tandys are very popular and a reliable snap at a decent price, but i find that the Eyelet is not flat and makes using abs snap plates a pain.

 

The FASNAP or DOT brand is perfectly flat at the bottom of the Eyelet and works great for ABS plates but they are expensive compared to the Tandys. I have used the FASNAP or DOT in my armor and have found that pulling a strap off is quite difficult.

 

Good points. I was going to make my snap plates with webbing so I'm content that ones I've found will sit flat. Thanks.

[russellr2d2[TK]]

I found a supply at zackwhite.com. I don't like the Tandy snaps because they are $$$ and have the Tandy name stamped all over them. The ZW ones are plane and cheap.

I have used them all over my TK armor and they are very good. The usual tool with anvil used with a hammer works well. Just watch as you tap down the part so the center shaft roles down evenly. I have messed up a few snaps hammering them down but, I have never have one fail on me.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited June 19, 2016 by russellr2d2

[pewpewpew[TK]]

I found a supply at zackwhite.com. I don't like the Tandy snaps because they are $$$ and have the Tandy name stamped all over them. The ZW ones are plane and cheap.

I have used them all over my TK armor and they are very good. The usual tool with anvil used with a hammer works well. Just watch as you tap down the part so the center shaft roles down evenly. I have messed up a few snaps hammering them down but, I have never have one fail on me.

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Now that is some sexy looking snap installation. Doubled over the webbing for extra strength and even hit the plate with the heat gun to counter sink the snap. Looks like it's actually been moulded into the plastic. I plan on using webbing for my snap plates, but that does look pretty sweet.

[pandatrooper[TK]]

As long as it's secure and the snap material is not cheap, then it should be OK.<br><br>

Specifically, check the female side with the ring and make sure the ring is strong. Cheap ones lose their "pop" after 10-15 pulls.<br><br>

I use Tandy line 24 on numerous costumes. I actually called Tandy HQ because the new ones with the Tandy logo are really hard to snap. They said to just pop it on and off a few times.<br><br>

I find if you do slow light taps with the hammer and standard setter And keep it dead straight, they set just fine. I prefer it to splay mine out but that's just personal preference. I've never had one fail.

[russellr2d2[TK]]

I also put a very thin square of plastic over the snap. When you want to unsnap them your finger gets under the plastic and the snap pops right off. I only did it in snaps I know I had to undo all the time. It saves from pulling on the elastic which pulls it away from the snap going through it.

 

 

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[TD42115[501st]]

I also put a very thin square of plastic over the snap. When you want to unsnap them your finger gets under the plastic and the snap pops right off. I only did it in snaps I know I had to undo all the time. It saves from pulling on the elastic which pulls it away from the snap going through it.

 

 

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I have also done the same in 90% of my strapping as well. 

[kman[TK]]

As long as it's secure and the snap material is not cheap, then it should be OK.<br><br>

Specifically, check the female side with the ring and make sure the ring is strong. Cheap ones lose their "pop" after 10-15 pulls.<br><br>

I use Tandy line 24 on numerous costumes. I actually called Tandy HQ because the new ones with the Tandy logo are really hard to snap. They said to just pop it on and off a few times.<br><br>

I find if you do slow light taps with the hammer and standard setter And keep it dead straight, they set just fine. I prefer it to splay mine out but that's just personal preference. I've never had one fail.

 

This is key.  Also beware of cheap metal that just doesn't last, or rusts.  There are snaps out there that LOOK magnificent, but the metal is such poor quality that a correctly assembled snap can literally fall apart unexpectedly. (I'm looking at YOU, Anovos!)

 

Tandy is recommended a lot because it's a known quantity, and has proven itself over and over again to last the test of time.  There are plenty of other manufacturers out there, however, and it's entirely possible that many of them are making snaps that are easily equal to Tandy, in terms of quality, but few others are as widely known and widely available as the Tandy are, so it's a safe recommendation.  One guy who gets lucky with a no-name vendor, good for him!  But it's chancy to recommend brands when you can't reliably know for certain that the next batch will be just a well made, and they won't have changed manufacturers/vendors, etc.  So Tandy is expensive, but it's just well-known as a safe bet.

 

Dritz has been used by many people with great success as well.  Unfortunately, it has also had a number of reports of problems and failures.  So I think there is a quality control issue there, sometimes.  They're certainly widely available (in the US), and cheaper than Tandy, but given the occasional reports of problems, I tend to recommend Tandy instead, where those sort of problems are extraordinarily rare.  I really don't want to recommend snaps to someone and find out after they bought snaps on my recommendation, they had problems after spending a week pounding the dang things together.  I feel this is highly unlikely to happen with Tandy.  I have yet to find another vendor I can make that statements about with the same level of certainty.

 

I dislike the new branding all over the Tandy snaps, but on the bright side, the new flatter base is very nice for making snap plates that are going flat against the armor.  I have a small hoard of the original snaps that I'll be using for the few externally-visible snaps, however.  (the one male snap in the ab plate, and the crotch snaps)