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I’m needing to know the diameter of the tufting buttons for the non-CD versions of the 120 cars. As I understand it, the CDs got oval tufting buttons like my originals and the non-CDs got round tufting buttons. Either way, the oval buttons aren’t available and no one has the dies if they were available.

So, I’m going to be going with round buttons, but I’m not sure what diameter to use. I can always just go with what I think is going to look the best, but if anyone has a car with the round buttons, could you provide a measurement for me?

Here is a picture that shows the round buttons.

So no "Don's Oval Buttons, Inc." then?

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Yeah, I’m not going that route.

Are the buttons the same "modern" pressed can type where fabric is placed over the can part and wrapped around it before a second piece is pressed into the can to hold it together? If so, I could understand the lack of any kind of metal replacement but if the oval style was needed to be correct, couldn't a wooden or plastic button be carved or 3D printed then grooved and drilled so a wire loop -- maybe a small cotter pin -- for an attachment part could be inserted and secured before fabric was glued on. Done neatly and attached properly and securely I doubt the difference in manufacture would be noticed.

They are the pressed on type where the button is placed in a die that cuts the fabric, wraps it, and presses the two parts of the button together.

I have checked countless upholstery shops and they all say exactly the same thing.....If you can find the buttons, no one has the dies.

Anyway, both the round and oval buttons are "correct" for 1937 120s. The round button just won't be 100% correct for my car. I'm okay with that.

The only feasible option at this point for the oval buttons is to carefully trim off the old fabric without separating the two halves of the buttons and gluing the new fabric over the button. All of the upholstery folks I've talked to to about that have said that it might work "okay", but have no idea how long it would last. Using new round buttons will likely last forever.

So, I'm just trying to confirm the correct size of the round buttons. If anyone has them in their car, a diameter measurement would be much appreciated.

Wish I could help on the size but surely someone with a 37 will be along that can.

On the ovals, was just thinking outside the box on how an upholsterer could or would do something for the purist or museum curator who had a car that used them and would insist on everything being correct. For those guys it seems money is not that important and for someone demanding originality, the upholsterer would probably hire a woodcarver or a machinist to do one offs.

If a suitable design could be developed that an upholsterer could glue onto, I can think of a couple of ways a shape could be inexpensively 3D printed in one or even two pieces. I doubt it could be a can exactly but an oval shape with maybe a recess in the rear where a flat piece could be placed over the glued fabric edges and fitted inside the recess for extra hold like the can affairs. The flat piece could then be attached to the oval with small screws or other means to sort of mimic an original and with the recess, be flush and almost unseen on the back. The cotter pin attachment loop could even go on that flat piece or maybe a miniature screw eye could hold them together and be the attachment loop.

I'd almost bet a local hobbyist near you or maybe someone on the forum with a 3d printer could whip something up if he was given a few design guidelines and a small commission.

I'll measure a button when I get home from work.

Don,
A company named Straight Eight in Troy Mi. has an 2 piece oval button showing in their catalog.
The size is not given but it may be what you can use. A friend used them in his 37 Packard 12.
Keeping finger crossed!
John

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Yes, these were pointed out to me quite a while back. They are much larger than the originals…about a 1/2 in taller and 1/4 inch wider. They may be correct for the senior cars but not the juniors. Even if they were correct, there is still the problem that no one has the dies for them.

Anyway…just need the diameter of the round buttons. Thanks for passing along the information, though!

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Thanks, Ken!