shank for glass buttons: metal, glass or plastic?

[seachange]

Hi,

Have a request to supply glass buttons to a gift gallery.

Could you please help me to choose the best shanks? There are metal, plastic, even glass shanks available.

Also, i use E6000 successfully for all my jewellery. Large pendants with a small bail are the only ones that I clamp for 24 hours. All other pieces dry naturally, or close to the heater in the winter months.

For rings, bracelets and pendants I roughen the back of the glass and the metal surface of the findings.

However, I am not sure the E6000 will be the best for the button shanks, since buttons get twisted and pulled a lot away from the shank when opening and closing a garment.

I am thinking to use either the Devcon plastic/steel or the JB Weld steel. Both are 24 hours, 2 component epoxies.

Any experience in the making of buttons that you care to share, I'd love your input.

These will be a small part of my delivery to the gallery, mostly it will be good quality jewellery. I am a bit scared (more than a bit, to be truthful) about the durability issues with the gluing for the buttons, and the quality of the shanks. If they fall apart, it is no good for my long term relationship with this new customer.

Perhaps I should bite the bullet and drill the holes, but hoping this won't be necessary.

Many thanks for your advice, seachange

[lbailey]

First of all, I've only made 3 buttons so not a lot of experience here......

My sister asked for matching glass buttons for a gift she was knitting for my wife. I found the shanks on Etsy, lots of choices, size, material used, style, quality. I made three 5/8" cabs, cleaned up the edges, and glued them to the button shanks. Used E6000 after roughing up both surfaces. Let dry for 24 hrs.

Turned out Ok, they were both happy and no button failure yet. However, the buttons are heavier than standard buttons and need to be sewn tight to the fabric or they droop....especially true on knitted items. But I made 3 buttons as ordered...

[Valerie Adams]

I've made some small circle buttons out of dichro and drilled holes prior to firing, so they're not sharp enough to saw thread. Wouldn't want to do them in any kind of quantity, though!

[JestersBaubles]

I bought metal button backs from Fire Mountain Gems. I've only made a few buttons, though, but if that's what you need, they are quick & easy.

Dana W.

[Lynn Perry]

Ed Hoy sells glass button shanks which you can attach with Devcon Two Ton epoxy. You might want to use the five-minute formula which has a shorter working time but also sets more quickly and dries clear. I just made about 100 buttons for a friend to use as the flower centers for her fabric flowers.

http://shop.edhoy.com/default.aspx?page ... ode=484501

Good luck with whatever you decide to use.

[linn keller]

I just noticed that judith@vitrum studios, in her notice of a sale at the studio, lists glass button backs as something she sells. Maybe give her a call, ask about them, order a few? Vitrum is a board sponsor, so you can use the link in sponsors to get the website.
Linn

[seachange]

Vow, I just arrived back home and found all your posts, many thanks!

From your replies most shanks seem to work, I think I'll be ordering some metal ones, and some clear ones in case I try transparent buttons, and testing the glues with a few good pulls.

lbailey, thanks for mentioning about the weight, something I had not thought about at all. Did you make them with 2 layers of thin glass, or thicker glass, or more layers?

I mostly use 3 layers of thin for large pendants, so they have a bit of body, but thinking that 2 layers would be enough for the buttons.

Valerie, just in case customer wants also some with drilled holes (I am secretly hoping he won't ), what size of hole did you make so that it doesn't close during the firing? Where they one or 2 layers of glass? Or did you have to put something in the hole to keep it open?

I think I'll only be offering "feature buttons", you know, the larger, special, expensivish ones, hopefully this way I'll get some return for my work

Many thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it.

Best regards, seachange

[JestersBaubles]

I would drill the holes after firing (just like pendants).

Dana W.

[Valerie Adams]

Mine were just a single layer and I drilled before firepolishing so the holes wouldn't have rough edges that could file away on the thread. I'm not sure what size the bit is; but the holes after the polish are about 1mm. And no, I didn't put anything in them to keep them open. For the trouble of drilling two tiny holes, so close together, I'd go with shanks. My buttons were only about 3/4" of an inch wide.

[lbailey]

Mine were 2 layer, base was thin with a std clear cap. Anything you can do to keep the weight down would be good, just not so thin to be fragile.....

[jkglassworks]

Hello,
I popped on to the site to look up buttons, as it is something I am thinking about embarking on for a local shop....
As I was reading through the replies, I had an idea...what about fusing a little "bridge" (for the thread) kept open with fiber paper on the back of the button. Of course then the front would be matte, but it might work for some.
anyways, just an idea
cheers!
joanne

[S.TImmerman]

My mother , and her dutch sisters are all world class knitters and even spin their wool. I bought tiny copper shanks and made 1/2 inch etched cabs. They could not use any of these as they were too heavy. I think you need to know what the buttons are for before making them. I ended up using 1 layer and no shank for the fine wool garments.