Gang,
My '66 98 convertible has on the order of 44 or so pinback buttons in the seats. During a recent (3 years or so ago) reskin, I made a bunch of buttons to help out my upholstery guy.

The seat buttons work o.k., but have never been quite right. We used #32 buttons which it turns our are far far too large diameter.I've been wondering why they've been a pain - pulling out, catching on clothes, etc.

Last week I learned that Olds in '66 (and I think 65) used #24 pinback buttons with an outer diameter of 5/8" - much smaller than what my seat has. Same size for the door panels and seats: #24. Door panels used prong-back, seats used pinback (aka threaded nail back)

Way down the rabbit hole here:
Olds pushed those pinback (aka nailback) upholstery buttons into a kind of circular washer with an outer diameter of 1 3/16". I can't for the life me figure out what those fasteners or washers are called. They're made of spring steel, circular shape with 6 or 8 cuts and a small hole in the middle that the button pin sticks into. They sort of look like a pizza with a hole in the middle for the pin, if that makes sense. Mechanically the nail's threads catch and stay in place using the force from the "fingers" of the fastener - almost like a spring steel speed nut.

Anybody know what those fasteners are called?

I'd like to remake the buttons in the right size, but also back them with the right fasteners that move with (and protect) the seat fabric, while holding the buttons flush enough to not catch clothing.

Talk about minutiae. Thanks for any upholstery button guidance you'd care to offer.
Chris

 

I've bought upholstery materials from American Trim and Upholstery Supply. They carry button components and tools, but only for #22 (9/16), not #24. As for the retainers, they aren't obvious on the website but I'd suggest giving them a call.

I assume these are the type of retainers you're looking for?

 

OK, the magic word is "spring washers"

 

Here's another source, $13 for a gross.

https://www.roncofurniture.net/produ...624b64ca&_ss=r

 

Joe,
You never fail. Many thanks.

The first picture is exactly what I’m looking for. Will call / contact them shortly.

Unless the threaded nail outer diameters are different for #22 vs. #24, I’d think the top picture fasteners will work. Gotta be worth a bet.

The later approach will work, but I wanted to avoid it since the round retainers would equalize the strain on the fabric during use and the rectangular spring washer would concentrate the load (and eventually wear out)… probably sooner. It occurred to me that if I had to go with rectangular spring clips to retain the pinback buttons, I’d want to put some thin nylon circular washer on the pin just to make the buttons sit flat and move with the seat fabric.

But, yeah, if I can get something as close to factory as #1, no reason to get exotic and aftermarket on seat buttons….

Cheers
Chris

 

Chris, just to clarify, the parts in the first photo are 1970 Olds factory items. I posted the photo for comparison. None of the sources I provided show exactly the same spring washers, but since these don't show, the aftermarket replacements should be functionally if not optically correct.

 

I’ll check your first reference, just in case they can guide me. I got to spring washers yesterday afternoon too, but am hoping to find the factory style 4 slice pizza washers.

I believe you’re right that the later style will work just fine. Only question is OD of the nail/pin and ID of the washer for the interference retention function. With luck I’ll find a set, or gross

For anyone following along, Olds used upholstery buttons in size #24 (aka 5/8’s outer diameter) in their mid 60’s 98’s for some years. The buttons in the door panels were “prong back”, held in cotter-pin style with 2 bendable prongs generally bent 180° apart from each other to be retained in the door cards. The buttons in the seats were “pin back” (aka “nail back”, aka “threaded nail back”) retained with the spring washers Joe refers to above.

Olds didn’t use “tie back” upholstery buttons in those years to my knowledge, but I note it here because they might be made to work, as I have done, but am a little unhappy with.

All of these buttons, whatever back/retention system they may have are generically known as “upholstery buttons”. They are 2 halves of metal which pressed together with a button press and size-specific die. You use a specific diameter punch to cut a bunch of round fabric or vinyl pieces. Then use those pieces on that button front. The front half is convex, you cover it with whatever fabric, vinyl or leather you want (Olds generally matched the underlying fabric/vinyl), then press it on to the back with the button press.

More about buttons than I ever wanted to know, but its nice to have the interior correct. And now back to my quest for correct buttons!
Chris