Okay, I literally get tons of emails and phone calls about the Badge-a-Minit Presses and Assembly Rings.
Customers argue with me that they just don’t work. I even have irate teachers yell at me. This post has been really helpful to readers and in need of even more information. I am going to find or make a video for these assembly rings. I know some of you are stressed and completely irritated that you can’t get it to work.
Here is a great post on another blog that shows the 1-1/4″ Badge-a-Minit step-by-step instructions. So I am not lying when I say that it does work.
6 Comments
January 15, 2009 at 12:52 pm
It does work, it just takes a little practice and finesse. I’ve made over 1,000 buttons over the last year or so I must be doing something right.
January 15, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Sorry for double commenting, but we have a video tutorial as well.
January 31, 2009 at 5:10 am
Hello.
Love the blog. It’s nice to see someone who loves buttons as much as I do promoting the hobby/business of buttons.
BAM makers do work. That’s how I started out. It just a little practice to use them correctly, especially the hand presses (which is what most people have I think). The secret is having even pressure when your pushing down in the first step. If you don’t get that right, the mylar can slip on you and you get a bad button.
Of course nothing beats a professional button press, but if your looking to start out, BAM is a good, inexpensive way to go.
Keep up the good work Erica! Looking forward to seeing more of your posts.
Best wishes,
Robbie
February 25, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Hi – I found your blog searching for help with my BAM 1 1/4″ hand press. I am among the people who are experiencing lots of frustration. I try to follow the directions. I stand up during step four. I peek inside to see that the paper and mylar are sticking out properly all around before inserting the pin back. And yet. My problem is less often that the mylar tears or slips, than that the pin back is not even fully inserted into the front. I have made about 80 pins, and about half of the first 20 worked, but now every single one is messed up. I think I just need to keep practicing, tweaking the process a little, and develop an intuition about how to do it right. But I’m at my wits end. I am a bright person, a good follower of directions. I even showed a friend how to make them this weekend, and every one of hers was perfect! Do you think I just need to keep practicing? I just watched the video tutorial, which is really helpful, but I swear I’m doing everything right.
February 26, 2009 at 4:52 pm
If the mylar is tearing then you are using too much pressure during the last step when you have it in the press.
As I squeeze my hand press, I watch the red ring sink down. Once you can’t see the red ring move any more, stop pressing.
And make sure you are applying even pressure too. I look to the side of the rings to make sure it is even.
If one side is lower than the other, the mylar is not going to get crimped or it’s going to pull to one side.
August 18, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I never used a BAM ring press myself. I bought the pro model which uses a die instead of rings. it does have a little learning curve too. I bought a lot of extra parts to practise with. took about 20 trys to get a good button. now I have less then a 1% fail rate making them. and it’s mostly because of not cutting the designs round.