Installing a Plastic Snap Using a Hand Press

Written By: Brittany McCrigler

Comments: 5

Installing a Plastic Snap Using a Hand Press

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

10 minutes

Introduction

Oh snap! The snap on your jacket just blew out. Fortunately, replacing it is easy. You’ll need the help of a hand press and a new snap. The hand press should be mounted firmly to a sturdy workbench—otherwise, it might slip and damage your project (or worse yet, injure you). Before you get started, make sure you check the fabric to determine whether or not it’s been damaged to the point where it cannot support a new snap. If the fabric has been damaged, you’ll need to sew a reinforcing patch onto the fabric before replacing the snap.

For replacement parts or further assistance, contact Patagonia Customer Service.

Tools

Parts

Plastic Snap

Step 1

Get a new cap.
Get a new stud.

Step 2

Measure the diameter of the cap and socket to make sure they are the correct size.
There are two common sizes of snap, as pictured here. Be sure that you have the correct one.

Step 3

Insert the cap, rounded side down, into the cap fitting for the hand press. The shaft of the cap should face out.
The cap fitting is marked orange.

Step 4

Insert the stud into the stud fitting for the hand press. The widest part of the stud should be facing out. When seated correctly, the stud should snap into place and sit in the fitting without being held.
The stud fitting is marked green.

Step 5

Insert the cap fitting onto the fitting base of the hand press.
The cap fitting is marked orange.

Step 6

Insert the stud fitting into the upper fitting holder of the hand press.
The stud fitting is marked green.
Insert the fitting as far as it will go, so that the only visible part is the wider encasement portion of the fitting.
Tighten the screw on the side of the upper fitting holder to secure the stud fitting. Tighten the screw about a 1/4 turn past finger-tight.

Step 7

Slowly pull the handle on the hand press to test the range of the fittings.
The fittings should just touch when the handle is pulled to its maximum.
If there is a gap in the fittings, adjust the height of the fitting base on the hand press by turning it until the fittings touch.

Step 8

Mark the fabric where you will be inserting the snap.
Align the fabric in the hand press so that the mark rests directly above the shaft of the cap.
If the fabric is not laying flat, have a friend pull the fabric taut to help keep it flat as you insert the snap.
The cap is on the bottom of the press. Be sure that you place your fabric face down, so that the cap is on the correct side.

Step 9

With the fabric aligned, pull the handle of the hand press down in one continuous motion.
Setting a plastic snap requires little force. You will need to pull hard enough to get the press to its maximum range, but not beyond that.

Step 10

Release the handle of the hand press, and remove the fabric.
Inspect both sides of your snap to make sure that it is laying flat and tight up against the fabric. When you inspect the stud side you should see that the nose of the cap has been pressed into a ring; this is what holds the snap parts together.
If the snap is not set all the way, reinsert it into the hand press, aligning it as it was before, and repeat step 9 of this guide.

Step 11

Get a new cap.
Get a new socket.
You will want the color to match on your components—we are using different colors to illustrate that this is a different component than before. If the snap you are replacing has colors on the front and back that differ from each other, then try to match those colors.

Step 12

Insert the cap, rounded side down, into the cap fitting for the hand press. The shaft of the cap should face out.
The cap fitting is marked orange.

Step 13

Insert the socket into the socket fitting for the hand press. The widest part of the socket should be facing towards the fitting. When seated correctly, the socket should snap into place and sit in the fitting without being held.
The socket fitting is marked purple.

Step 14

Insert the cap fitting onto the fitting base of the hand press.
The cap fitting is marked orange.

Step 15

Insert the socket fitting into the upper fitting holder on the hand press.
The socket fitting is marked purple.
Insert the fitting as far as it will go, so that the only visible part is the wider encasement portion of the fitting.
Tighten the screw on the side of the upper fitting holder to secure the socket fitting. Tighten the screw about a 1/4 turn past finger-tight.

Step 16

Slowly pull the handle on the hand press to test the range of the fittings.
The fittings should just touch when the handle is pulled to its maximum.
If there is a gap in the fittings, adjust the height of the fitting base on the hand press by turning it until the fittings touch.

Step 17

Mark the fabric where you will be inserting the snap.
Align the fabric in the hand press so that the mark rests directly above the shaft of the cap.
If the fabric is not laying flat, have a friend pull the fabric taut to help keep it flat as you insert the snap.

Step 18

With the fabric aligned, pull the handle of the hand press down in one continuous motion.
Setting a plastic snap requires little force. You will need to pull hard enough to get the press to its maximum range, but not beyond that.

Step 19

Release the handle of the hand press, and remove the fabric.
Inspect both sides of your snap to make sure that it is laying flat and tight up against the fabric. When you inspect the socket side you should see that the nose of the cap has been pressed into a ring; this is what holds the snap parts together.
If the snap is not set all the way, reinsert the snap into the hand press, aligning it as it was before, and repeat step 18 of this guide.

Conclusion

Admire your handiwork!

Author

Brittany McCrigler

Member since: 05/03/12

88291 Reputation

5 comments

This is not a very helpful post as there are no sources for the tools needed and Patagonia support had no idea what I was talking about. They may not even have the replacement snap. Any further information would be gratefully appreciated.

Lorenzo Savona -

Patagonia sent me some snaps to replace one that popped off a jacket. I do not have access to a hand press. any workarounds or suggestions would be helpful.

Matthew Steliga - 15/11/19

Agree with the previous comments. A workaround for those without the exact sockets and the hand press would be appreciated…

Melissa Bryant - 05/11/20

Joann’s and Michaels sell hand held snap tools and replacement snaps. Any snap can be used for a replacement snap, doesn’t have to be Patagonia specific, hope this helps!

rblgrlmle - 25/01/21

Sort of misleading fix. You can get the replacement snaps from Patagonia and the hand press from Amazon but where do you get those very specific upper and lower sockets for the hand press that are shown? They certainly do not come with the hand press….

Craig Dodson -