Apr 26, 2016 What are turnbuttons and how to fit turnbutton fasteners Also known as Common Sense fasteners outside Europe, again another fastener that was first invented to hold curtains back on horse driving carriages, but once the first group of automobiles came along the turnbutton was used in open air cars to secure curtains. Turnbuttons are probably the most common fasteners used on boat canopies as they can not be opened by accident. They require force to twist the button on the stud which allows the release of the socket. The prongs on the socket come in two lengths to accommodate different thickness of material. There are many types of studs also, again to entertain the thickness of material or the material they are being fixed too. So lets look at and explain each turnbutton in more detail Turnbutton fastener eyelet and plate. These parts are fastened to the canvas and can be connected to any of the other turnbuttons shown in the picture above. 6mm Turnbutton 2 hole base.I would say this is the most common 2 hole base stud. To be honest, I get phones calls daily with people asking which to go for. What is the different between 6mm and 8mm turnbuttons?? When I explain where the 6mm and 8mm comes from it then all makes sense. 8mm Turnbutton 2 hole base So now we can see where the 6mm and 8mm relates to. If you have a thicker canvas you would use the 8mm stud. Screw in brass threaded turnbutton stud Probably the least used turnbutton of them all as the two bases above do the same job for half the price and are better secured. But if you only have room for one screw hole then this fits the bill perfectly. Turnbutton cloth to cloth When you are needing to attach two pieces of canvas together with turnbutton then this is the only way. We have designed this turnbutton tool ourselves. Perfect for doing one off jobs and also very cost effective. Very very functional and helps fit the eyelets no problem The turnbutton hole punch tool This tool will cut an oval hole and four slits for the turnbutton eyelet to be easily fitted to your canvas. Simply by striking a hammer against its end. After reading section 1 of my Turnbuttons guide you will have seen all the different fasteners and know about their different functions. Here I am going to explain how to fit the turnbutton eyelet and washer, then the turnbutton 2 prong stud and washer. Tools, required for the job. Turnbutton hole cutter, hammer and wooden base. (preferably not your dining table) So taking our turnbutton eyelet and washer first, position your canvas over the turnbutton base and mark where you want the eyelet to be fixed.Normally you would have all your bases fitted to your boat first and work from the centre of your cover out start marking the eyelet positions. Fit each eyelet fully then mark the next so you have no creases in the material. Once marked then position the tool where you require and simply strike several times with a hammer. Preferably not on your new oak table. Photo is just for illustration purposes. I went outside and used a soft wood base. Then insert the turnbutton eyelet through the holes and through the plate on the other side. Bend each prong down against the washer until it is firmly fixed You can now fit the eyelet and washer to any of the studs. Make sure you get the turnbutton the correct way around , as you can see from this picture the base can only be locked in one position. Now for the 2 prong stud. Position the stud on the canvas and hold it down firmly to make an indent on your cover. Then with a sharp knife, simply cut the two indents about 3-4mm wide. Then insert the 2 prong stud through the canvas and also through the washer on the other side. Again bend down the prongs against the washer to secure the fastener. You can now fit the eyelet and washer to the 2 prong stud and washer. All our turnbuttons can be found in our shop here
