Let's Make Buttons
July's Saturday workshop theme was making buttons. Terry Hayes showed how you can add design by making the blank from a glued-up block of different woods. His lovely little buttons had the thread hole(s) in a stub stem, which is a practical way to hide them.
Nick Olof showed us how to make identical buttons, by first turning a long blank into a cylinder, marking equal distances along it, then turning a button-shape in the bit closest to the tailstock. We discussed the issue that buttons have to go through buttonholes, so can't be too thick, and that you really want the buttonhole slot to close up when buttoned, so the button's thread holes shouldn't be too far apart.
Alan Raxter brought along a warm plaid coat for which he had made buttons that beautifully reflected the texture and pattern of the material.
