Gluing buttons back together – ever tried it?

[mack11211]

Dear Folks:

I'm sure many have had the experience of a button damaged by some means - caught in a door, badly pressed, etc. - that is broken but still retaining all its parts, hanging on by thread.

Have you ever tried gluing it back together?

I'm thinking specifically of larger buttons, the ones on a coat front or cuff, whether made of plastic, horn, MOP or other materials.

The glue would be some super-strength epoxy.

If anyone has experience, please post. Did it work? Did it last?

 

[stubloom]

The only product that will work is a superglue-type of product. Always remove the button before applying the glue. Chances are more than 50:50 that you'll get some glue on the fabric and that will be near impossible to remove (the glue bonds right into the fabric). Use the least possible amount of glue. When you compress the parts (say 2 pieces of the button that has cracked in half), some glue will ooze onto the button and then your'e left with a whitish substance on the surface of the button that'l look awful and will be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove. The best -- and easiest -- solution, of course, is to replace all buttons with a new set of like-sized buttons that will nicely fit the existing buttonholes. A new set of buttons can"transform" a garment whose buttons look "cheap" or are somewhat dated. For example, replacing cheap plastic buttons on a favorite shirt with MOP buttons. If you don't live near any excellent sources of buttons, go on-line. Many suppliers of tailoring notions have on-line stores. For starters, go to M & J Trims in New York City (http://mjtrim.com/). If you live in New York City, there must be, at least, a dozen similar stores within a 2 block radius of M & J Trims. You're sure to find a new set of buttons that fits the bill. Website: www.ravefabricare.com Daily blog: www.truequalitycleaning.com

 

[musicguy]

Originally Posted by stubloom

The only product that will work is a superglue-type of product.

Always remove the button before applying the glue. Chances are more than 50:50 that you'll get some glue on the fabric and that will be near impossible to remove (the glue bonds right into the fabric).

Use the least possible amount of glue. When you compress the parts (say 2 pieces of the button that has cracked in half), some glue will ooze onto the button and then your'e left with a whitish substance on the surface of the button that'l look awful and will be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove.

The best -- and easiest -- solution, of course, is to replace all buttons with a new set of like-sized buttons that will nicely fit the existing buttonholes. A new set of buttons can"transform" a garment whose buttons look "cheap" or are somewhat dated. For example, replacing cheap plastic buttons on a favorite shirt with MOP buttons.

If you don't live near any excellent sources of buttons, go on-line. Many suppliers of tailoring notions have on-line stores. For starters, go to M & J Trims in New York City. If you live in New York City, there must be, at least, a dozen similar stores within a 2 block radius of M & J Trims. You're sure to find a new set of buttons that fits the bill.

It's assumed that you'll take off the button in order to glue it brah.

 

[stubloom]

You'd think that it's a given, but it's not. As the owner of a high-end dry cleaner and shirt laundry, Iv'e seen hundreds of garments with a superglue-like glue on the fabric in the area under a glue-repaired button.

 

[Wideknot]

Originally Posted by stubloom

You'd think that it's a given, but it's not. As the owner of a high-end dry cleaner and shirt laundry, Iv'e seen hundreds of garments with a superglue-like glue on the fabric in the area under a glue-repaired button.

Yeah, it is amazing how un-common is common sense.