The Model 225 Button Machine
The Model 225 is a manually operated 2-1/4" button machine. Made of solid-steel, it can produce up to 5 professional-quality buttons in a single minute.
Operating the Model 225
Making buttons with the Model 225 is easy enough that most eight year old's can safely operate it (with supervision).
Following are the steps you take to make buttons with the Model 225:
Place a shell (the front part of the button), your button design, and the plastic covering into one side of the machine, and a pinned button back into the other.
Rotate the die assembly (the lower part of the machine) so the artwork is under the upper die and push down on the handle. Pull up on the handle, rotate the die assembly again, and push down on the handle to complete your button.
That's all there is to it!
The Model 225 has a short handle that makes it easy to operate the machine by standing over it and utilizing your upper body weight to push down the handle and press the button together.
Longer handled machines, such as the Badge-A-Matic 1, require you to stand in front of the machine and keep your arm raised nearly chest high. Doing so you must use more upper body strength to press the button parts together.
Because of this, women and children will find the Model 225 much easier to operate.
What actually takes place when making a button
Consider for a moment what actually takes place when you are making a button.
Quite simply, you are transferring mechanical energy from your arm (or the button machine's motor, in the case of an electric machine) into the dies / assembly rings. The button design and plastic covering are pulled taut over the face of the button and the excess is tucked up underneath the button, in much the same way that making a bed tucks the excess portion of the sheets and blankets up under the mattress.
The button back is also pressed into the front and the edge of the button is crimped to hold the button together.
Due to their mass, steel dies (like those used on the Model 225) facilitate this transfer of mechanical energy far better than plastic or aluminum dies / assembly rings can. Quite simply, this is why carpenters use hammers made of steel, not plastic or aluminum!
Buttons made with the Model 225 don't suffer the poor quality issues that are so common with buttons made by the inexpensive Badge A Minit machines. They will have smooth, tightly crimped edges and they won't have paper or plastic sticking out the sides. Therefore buttons with by the Model 225 are well particularly well suited for resale.
Comparing the Model 225's speed to that of the BAM machines
Of the five button machines compared, the Model 225 is the fastest!
It can reach speeds nearly 5 times as fast as a BAM hand press or BAM bench press system.
It's also faster than the Badge-A-Matic 1 and the Badge-A-Matic II (BAM's electric machine), which are both considerably more expensive than the Model 225.
One feature that comes standard with the Model 225 that is lacking on all the manually operated Badge-A-Minit machines is an easy way to secure the button machine to a work surface. The Model 225's baseplate has pre-drilled, countersunk holes that allow you to easily secure it to a work bench or mounting board.
A button machine that is mounted to a work surface will provide better leverage and can reach higher output speeds, since it won't rock or tip during button production.
Making photo buttons with the Model 225
If making photo buttons is of interest, you should know that one of the biggest differences between the Model 225 and ANY of the Badge-A-Minit button machines is that the Model 225 can make professional-quality photo buttons, using photographic prints, such as those you get from a photo lab.
Since Badge-A-Minit machines don't work well with thicker paper or photographic prints, to even be able to use them you must cut the image to the face of the button, which then leaves the silver side of the button showing. And if your photo isn't "trapped" in the middle, your image will sit off-center on the face of the button.
To make photo buttons with the Model 225, you simply cut your photograph, just as you would any other type of button artwork, insert it into machine along with the button parts, push down on the handle just a bit harder than you normally do, and the result will be a perfectly formed photo button, that has smooth, tightly crimped edges.
The AC-1 circle cutter
Since cutting the artwork for your buttons is an integral part of button-making, a discussion of the circle cutter that is included is important for a better understanding the entire button-making process.
The AC-1 circle cutter that is included with all of the Model 225 button-making kits is also made of steel. It does the cutting by means of a circular cutting blade that is safely housed inside the cutter. Its blade sits at the end of a movable arm that makes the AC-1 fully adjustable. This feature allows the AC-1 to make the cuts for any size button from a one-inch button, all the way up to buttons measuring 3-1/2" in diameter.
To adjust the AC-1, simply loosen the thumbscrew, move the cutting arm in or out as necessary, and then re-tighten the thumbscrew.
The AC-1's cutting blade will stay sharp far longer than BAM cutting blades, because the AC-1 has a rotary cutting blade that offers more cutting surface than the straight-edged blades used in the Badge-A-Minit cutters.
The AC-1's blade can also be re-sharpened. To re-sharpen it, simply remove it from the cutting arm and run the edge over a whet stone as if you were sharpening a knife.
For customers who prefer not to resharpen their blades, replacements are available for $5.99 each.
Return policy
The Model 225 comes with a 30-DAY, NO-RISK MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE, so if for any reason you aren't completely satisfied, you are free to return it for a full and immediate refund.
