The Button Blog - American Button Machines — Ask ABM

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...

Do I need special paper to make buttons?  This is one of the first questions most new button makers ask and the answer is quite simply no.  ABM recommends using standard 24 pound copier paper with most all of our button makers.  If you have a photo button maker, you can use photo paper up to 58 pounds.  For the best results, be sure you use a paper with a brightness level of 100.  For a super crisp, clean print you might want to try Epson Matte Presentation Paper.  It's what Team ABM uses when we make samples to share...

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...