D-3 Fabric & Button Press

D-3 Heavy Duty Fabric Cutting & Upholstery Button Press

The D-3 Fabric & Button Press is a heavy-duty hand-operated workshop press made for both fabric cutting and professional covered-button production.

More than a basic button-only press, the D-3 provides upholsterers, furniture manufacturers, headboard makers and production workshops with one press for preparing button covers and manufacturing fabric-covered upholstery buttons.

The D-3 is designed to work with compatible Super Die Sets, available in sizes 24, 30, 36 and 44.

Product Specification

• Product type: Heavy-duty fabric and button press
• Model: D-3
• Operation: Hand operated
• Applications: Fabric cutting and covered-button making
• Compatible button tooling: D-3 Super Die Sets
• Super Die sizes: 24, 30, 36 and 44
• Suitable for: Upholstery workshops, furniture manufacture, restoration and production work
• Dies, cutters and accessories: Sold separately

What Is the D-3 Fabric & Button Press Used For?

The D-3 upholstery press combines two useful workshop functions.

It can be used for:

• Cutting upholstery fabric for covered buttons
• Preparing consistent button-cover pieces
• Making fabric-covered furniture buttons
• Headboard button production
• Deep-buttoned furniture work
• Sofa and chair buttoning
• Upholstery restoration
• Bespoke furniture production
• Repeated workshop button manufacture

Rather than using completely separate systems for cutting the covering material and producing the finished button, the D-3 provides a press platform around which a professional button-making setup can be built.

Heavy Duty Upholstery Button Press

Covered buttons need controlled pressure to form the upholstery material around the shell and secure the selected button back.

A heavier-duty press is especially useful where buttons are being produced regularly or where more upholstery materials are involved.

The D-3 can help provide:

• Consistent pressing pressure
• Repeatable button formation
• Improved component alignment
• Cleaner fabric wrapping
• Faster batch production
• Reduced variation between finished buttons
• A more organised professional workshop process

D-3 Super Die Sets

For covered-button production, the D-3 is designed to work with the Super Die Set.

The D-3 Super Die Set is available in:

• Size 24
• Size 30
• Size 36
• Size 44

Always match the die size with the corresponding button shell and button back.

Using correctly matched components helps produce a consistent finished button and reduces the risk of damaged shells or poorly formed coverings.

Making Fabric-Covered Buttons with the D-3 Press

A typical covered-button setup combines several components:

D-3 Press Super Die Set Aluminium Button Shell Upholstery Fabric Compatible Button Back

The exact back used depends on how the finished button will be attached to the furniture.

Prepare the Covering Material

Cut the upholstery fabric accurately before forming the button.

A suitable Fabric Cutter can be used to produce consistent circular pieces for button production.

Accurate cutting helps provide enough material to wrap around the shell without leaving excessive bulk inside the finished button.

Position the Button Components

Place the correctly cut covering material and matching button shell into the Super Die Set.

Keep the material centred before pressing.

Select the Correct Button Back

Choose a button back that suits the furniture and intended fixing method.

Options include wire, prong, hook and tape backs.

Press the Covered Button

Operate the D-3 press to bring the die components together and form the finished upholstery button.

Check each completed button for:

• Even fabric coverage
• Correctly retained edges
• Secure button back
• Consistent shape
• Correct alignment
• Undamaged covering material

Fabric Cutting with the D-3 Press

The D-3 can also be used as part of the preparation process for cutting button-cover material.

Consistently sized covering pieces help improve the finished appearance of a batch of upholstery buttons.

Status Fabrics' Fabric Cutter is suitable for use with fabric presses and is available in sizes 24, 28, 30, 36 and 44.

Using a cutter rather than manually trimming every button cover helps:

• Improve consistency
• Speed up repeated production
• Reduce variation in fabric size
• Reduce unnecessary fabric waste
• Create cleaner button assembly

Using a Teflon Cutting Block

A Teflon Cutting Block provides a suitable surface for fabric-cutting tools.

The cutting block helps protect the cutting edge and provides a sacrificial surface beneath the material.

This is particularly useful where cutters are being used regularly in a professional upholstery workshop.

Keeping cutting tools sharp helps produce cleaner fabric edges and more consistent button covers.

D-3 Press for Leather and Heavy Upholstery Materials

Leather, vinyl and heavyweight fabrics create more bulk around an upholstery button than lighter conventional fabrics.

The D-3's heavier-duty format makes it particularly relevant to workshops handling a wide range of materials.

For heavier covering material, use suitable cutting and button-making tooling made for that material.

The Leather Cutter provides an option for cutting heavier button-cover material.

Material suitability will depend on:

• Thickness
• Flexibility
• Backing
• Button size
• Selected die
• Button shell
• Back type

Always produce a test button before starting a large batch.

D-3 Press for Headboard Button Production

Upholstered headboards often require a number of identical covered buttons.

The D-3 is suitable for producing buttons for:

• Diamond-buttoned headboards
• Square button patterns
• Upholstered bedheads
• Bed panels
• Decorative headboard designs
• Feature wall panels

Using the same cutter, shell, die and preparation method throughout the project helps maintain a consistent appearance across every button.

D-3 Press for Deep-Buttoned Furniture

Deep-buttoned upholstery relies heavily on consistent button size and shape.

The D-3 can be used to prepare covered buttons for:

• Sofa backs
• Armchairs
• Chesterfield-style furniture
• Footstools
• Ottomans
• Headboards
• Upholstered panels
• Bespoke furniture

Once manufactured, the button can be installed using the fixing system appropriate to the furniture construction.

Choosing the Correct Button Back

Different button backs provide different fixing methods.

Wire Backs

Button Wire Backs provide a metal loop for attaching upholstery twine.

They are well suited to traditional and deep-buttoned upholstery where the button is pulled through the furniture.

Prong Backs

Button Prong Backs incorporate long prongs that pass through suitable upholstery layers and are retained from the reverse.

Hook Backs

Hook Backs produce covered buttons designed to hook onto a prepared twine loop.

Tape Backs

Tape Backs accept long and short tapes for through-buttoning applications including caravan cushions and bedding.

The fixing method should always be selected according to the furniture construction.

Use with Aluminium Button Shells

Covered upholstery buttons are produced using compatible Aluminium Button Shells.

The shell forms the visible face of the button while the chosen back provides the fixing method.

Status Fabrics' aluminium shell range includes sizes 24, 30, 36 and 44, corresponding with the available D-3 Super Die sizes.

This makes it straightforward to build a correctly matched button-production system.

D-3 Press or D-1 Button Press?

The D-1 Button Press provides a simpler solution where the main requirement is covered-button production.

The D-3 is the heavier-duty option and also provides the ability to incorporate cutting into the workshop process.

Choose the D-3 where:

• A heavier-duty press is preferred
• Regular button production is required
• Fabric cutting is part of the workflow
• D-3 Super Die Sets will be used
• A more workshop setup is required

Choose the D-1 where a simpler button-making press better suits the workload.

D-3 Press or Osborne Fabric & Button Press?

The Osborne Fabric & Button Press provides another professional option for button-cover production.

The Osborne machine uses its own compatible Osborne die and cutter sets, while the D-3 is designed around Status Fabrics' D-3 Super Die system.

The choice should therefore be based on the tooling system already used within the workshop as well as production requirements.

Professional Button Press for Upholstery Workshops

The D-3 is particularly suited to:

• Professional upholsterers
• Furniture manufacturers
• Headboard manufacturers
• Furniture restoration workshops
• Contract furniture manufacturers
• Bespoke furniture makers
• Soft furnishing businesses
• Upholstery production departments

Its combination of cutting and button-making capability makes it useful where covered buttons form a regular part of workshop production.

Build a Complete D-3 Buttoning Setup

Pair the D-3 with the correct Super Die Set for covered-button production.

For cutting standard upholstery material, use a suitable Fabric Cutter.

For heavier covering materials, see the Leather Cutter.

Use a Teflon Cutting Block to provide a suitable cutting surface and help protect cutting edges.

Browse Button Parts for aluminium shells, wire backs, prong backs, hook backs, tape backs and washers.

Browse Buttoning Tools for the wider range of presses, dies, cutters and upholstery buttoning equipment.

For help choosing the correct press, Super Die Set, cutter or button components, contact us.

Heavy-duty D-3 fabric and upholstery button press for professional covered-button production and fabric cutting in upholstery workshops.

• Heavy-duty hand-operated workshop press
• Suitable for fabric cutting and covered-button making
• made for use with compatible D-3 Super Die Sets
• Super Dies available in sizes 24, 30, 36 and 44
• Suitable for furniture, headboard and deep-buttoning production
• Useful for standard upholstery fabric, leather and heavier materials when paired with the appropriate tooling
• Use it for professional upholsterers, furniture manufacturers and production workshops
• Dies, cutters and accessories sold separately

For covered-button making, use a matching Super Die Set for the D-3 Press.

For cutting upholstery fabric, pair with a suitable Fabric Cutter. For heavier materials, see the Leather Cutter.

A Teflon Cutting Block provides a suitable cutting surface and helps protect cutting edges.