How to Remove & Replace a Snap

Snaps are found everywhere. You might most often think of them on a boat cover as the hardware pieces that fasten the cover to the boat, but snaps are used on everything from duffle bag handles, to close purses, table skirts, boat enclosures and so much more. They're even found on clothing. If you have a snap that's too easy to snap together and pull apart, you need to replace it. What's happened is the spring inside the snap has lost its stiffness and effectiveness. This can happen with snaps that are used regularly. Did you know that you can easily replace the snaps on your application? This is way more time efficient and cost effective than having to replace the entire item — especially if it's something large and expensive like a boat cover or dodger. Our short video tutorial will show you how to remove your existing, worn-out snaps and replace them with new ones.

Snap fastener sets are made up of four separate components. The eyelet and stud pieces are the male portion of the snap fastener, and the button and socket pieces are the female portion that snap onto the bottom half. If your snap is not holding its strength and needs replaced, you'll have to remove all four components and replace them with similar new ones.

The method used for removing a snap is to use a drill to drill out the rivet that's in the socket piece of the upper half of the fastener set. The drill bit needs to be bigger than the size of the rivet so you can drill off the rim of the rivet. Once that's drilled off you can remove both the socket and button. You'll also use this same technique for removing the bottom half of the fastener assembly.

Once you have both the upper and lower half of your fastener assembly removed it's time to install new components. The video shows you how this simple process is done. At Sailrite^® we carry DOT^® and Loxx^® brand snap fasteners — the best in the industry. Our fastener installation tools are also top notch and include the Pres-N-Snap Installation Tool and the Sailrite^® SnapRite^® System. To learn more about these great choices in fastener installation systems, read our blog "Comparing the Sailrite SnapRite System & Pres-N-Snap Installation Tool" (#300211XHT).