This new button maker setup is the shit, people. With my old one, I could only use plain lightweight paper, it took up to a minute per button, I needed to stand/sit in a very specific way to get the proper leverage, it had five parts besides the press, and too many buttons and I hurt. I also had a lot of failures--usually around 10-20%, but as much as a 50% ratio, depending on the project and my stamina.
This one has no spare parts. Everything is built into the machine. (The cutter has one optional spare part that is invaluable to me.) It's quick, it's simple, it boosts my efficiency!
I can use regular paper, origami paper, cloth, stickers (stuck to paper), cardstock, photo paper--even a matchbook cover. It really opens a whole new world. Failures are almost unheard of, and all but one or two were the result of either experimentation or user error.
I've decided I *will* be upgrading the big (2.25") press before I invest in a 1" machine. My next con table is just four months away, and since 2.25" are what sells best at cons, it will be a tremendous help to have a proper Tecre machine for it!
tl;dr version: My new 1.25" button machine is the bomb-diggity, and the folks at Button Boy Inc. are my new best friends.
Photos later of the batches I've done so far (Avengers, Frida Kahlo, cloth, banned books week, more).