Question about making a button on top

[cmcdanl]

I'm trying to make a button on top for my car. Just some vinyl that buttons onto the roof. But i dont know what to use for buttons. Or where to get them. I went to hobby lobby and they had some kits for snaps or whatever but it was confusing and the lady there was a B. So i dont know what to use for buttons. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[BigIrish]

As it happens, I made a snap-top for my college car (early 80's Nissan sh*tbox with roof panel cut out). I used an old Jeep top, and got the snaps from Home Depot, hardware aisle. That was some years ago, but I imagine they are still there.

Let me know, b/c I want to do the same thing for mine!!

 

[cmcdanl]

Hmm. Thanks for the info. I will go and see what Home Depot has today.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I get good heavy snaps from Tandy's leather. But I am thinking something like boat tops use where the part goes through a grommet hole and then turns, more of a posative thing.

 

[Gastrick]

Like WB3 said, I would suggest a marine supply. They usually carry that type of hardware in several styles.

 

[Hombre]

Give this page a look, I really like the "Twist Tap" type of connector. they are on that page scroll down aways. These twist tabs were used on almost all Convertable and Tonneau covers on british sports cars like MG, Austin Healy and Triumph. They also have some snap type of connectors on this page, maybe this will give you an idea or three.

RS

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/2,799.html

 

[shotupdave]

is there a westmarine near you, they should have what you are looking for

 

[cmcdanl]

i do have a west marine near me. ill go check there. thanks guys.

 

[cmcdanl]

I found some that will work. I picked them up from Home Depot. but i couldn't find the snap tool before everything closed. So i used the little tool that came with the snaps and used a c-clamp and made it work. I will post some pics when i can find my camera.

 

[cmcdanl]

I somewhat finished my vinyl top last night. Here's how i did it. I bout the snap kit from Home Depot, and it came with two little tools that i couldn't figure out what i was supposed to do with. But i eventually found out at the end lol. But anyways. I thought there was some kind of tool like a pair of plyers that crimped these things together but i couldn't find one. so i took on of the little things they gave me in the kit and tried to use a c-clamp to put it on. But i didn't think it was going to work but there happened to be a hole in the clamp that the little tool fit right into, so it actually worked. It took forever but i put in every little snap on the roof with a c-clamp. Then when i went to put the snaps on the material i realized you were supposed to use a hammer and the two tools they give you. So i did that for the material but it took me forever also cause i wanted to get the top tight so it didn't sag. So i would put a snap on, then button the top on, stretch it, mark where the snap should go, took off the top, put the snap in, then put the entire top back on, then did that over and over for every snap. It was rediculous. So anyways I eventually got them all in and put the top on. But i still need to sew around the edge to make it look nice. right now its just cut. Here are some pictures.

 

[cmcdanl]

 

[BigIrish]

Hey, looks good! I think your method of putting a snap in, stretching, another snap, etc. is the only sure way to get a nice snug top. I did it the same way years ago and it held up great. That vinyl will also stretch some once it heats up from the sun.

I plan on doing the same thing...eventually.

 

[BigIrish]

Forgot to ask - where did you pick up the vinyl?

 

[Rat_Coon]

Looks good man! I'm like how a "hard top" can look with some fabric up top. I agree that it was the best way to make a snug fit by attaching the snaps one by one to the fabric... By the time you could have made a template that was a sure fit, I'm sure you would have been half done actually doing the snaps! Post some pictures when you get it stitched up; are you doing it yourself?

One more question... can you post a pic of or give the name of the snaps you used from H.D.? I'm interested in how they went into the steel top, would love an underside pic.

 

[cmcdanl]

BigIrish - I got my vinyl from hancock fabric. It was pretty expensive. Like 18 bucks per yard. But thats cause i got the really good quality vinyl. The other stuff was about 5 or 6 bucks a yard. But it was really crappy stuff.

Rat Coon - I will get some pics of the underneath and explain it in detail. I couldn't find the right tool so i kind of make this way work. And the guy who had the car before me had already drilled holes in the roof so i just used the holes he already made. But i will take some pics and post in a few minutes.

 

[wrecker55]

You did a nice job on the top, stretching it was smart thing to do, now in the winter when it contracts it will warp you roof,lol, j/k. looks like you didn't use the screw in studs on the roof, would have been easier but then they stick down and poke your head, all in all looks good and should work and don't worry those snaps will never come loose while your driving

 

[cmcdanl]

Thanks..... Yeah i didn't use the screw in ones because the guy who owned the car before me tried to make a top and he drilled all the holes in the roof. And the snaps were all messed up so i took them out and put these new ones in the same holes. I didn't want to screw in some and then have random holes on my roof lol.

 

[cmcdanl]

Here you go Rat Coon

Ok Ratcoon here you go. I took some pictures. This is the pack they came in.

And this is what the snaps look like that went in the metal.

And these two pictures show how i got the tool that came with the pack to connect to the c-clamp

 

[cmcdanl]

And some more info

And this is how i put the snaps on the roof. the first pic is underneath. In the picture that shows the snaps, the one on the left is the one that goes underneath and through the hole in the roof. Then the one on the right goes on top of that. This peice of angle iron was just clamped underneath to hold the bottom part of the snap to the under side of the roof. then i used the clamp that had the tool in it to clamp down and squeeze the two peices together. And thats it. Now do that like 50 times haha.

 

[BigIrish]

Another way to attach the snap to the metal is to run a pop rivet through the center of the snap. Thats how I did it way back, b/c I couldn't figure out how to use the tool. It worked pretty good...as I remember anyway.