Proper Large Pins

[jbz2079]

While I've often stated I wear Abena x-plus at night I have a particular fondness for wearing cloth diapers and have when the mood strikes over the years.

Recently, in fact last night we had a disaster I've owned a set of four large sized locking, as in snap top diaper pins and they have been well used, but one of them has snapped at the wound coil bit on the bottom.

I have spent a while looking around at various diaper sellers sites looking for replacements and haven't found anything that looks promising.

Has anyone any tip of pointers as to where I'd get replacements, I was thinking of trying nappy grippers but would prefer some proper pins too as like cloth diapers they are what I used first time around.

I was rather lucky last night as the broken pin end was sharp and made a rather fetching deep scratch on my left thigh, it could have been devistating if my recently new plastic pants had been damaged-lol I think I would have cried, I have loads of pants, but these are my favourite type from Adult Cloth Diaper and are because of postage to the UK getting expensive.

Any info or leads greatly recieved- John, JBZ.

[arren]

try cosy n dry they stock large diaper pins

[jbz2079]

Arren absolutely top hole my man, I clean forgot about them in my web search, I've ordered stuff from them in the past and always been pleased with what I've recieved, Thanks

[redneck diaper boy]

Try Angel Fluff Diaper Company.

http://www.angelfluff.com

I bought my last 3 inch pins there.

I wish I could find some brass or stainless steel pins because the large ones rust. I found out when I tried to sharpen them.

[diapertime42]

AdultClothDiaper.com sells regular size and large size diaper pins.

[jbz2079]

i purchsed from Cosy n dry they arrived today, thanks everyone.

[BigC300]

Baby-Pants.Com has extra large diaper pins

[Angela Bauer]

Diaper Fantasy can be a wonderful thing.

[warpiper]

How do you keep the pins sharp? I have been using a diamond sharpening stone that I had from my skating days, but I worry that I am grinding too much of them down. Is there a better way to do it?

[Angela Bauer]

My maternal grandfather James Bremer (we call him 'Grandpa') still owns one of the most sophisticated and successful tooling and die shops in California. Needless to say Grandpa knows all about grinding and honing steel. He taught my Dad (a master sausage maker) all about sharpening diaper pins.

[BigC300]

Diaper Fantasy can be a wonderful thing. Currently I am 48 years old and have been changing cloth diapers since I was almost 8 and my youngest sister was not yet toilet trained. In those days my oldest sister, our Mom, Granny and Aunt all needed cloth diapers and vinyl panties 24/7. The adults wore the same Curity 21x40" flat gauze as the rest of us, but Granny used an industrial over-lock machine to combine 2 or 3 of the Curity diapers into 40" square of 40x60" which could be folded into many layers. We all used the same infant-size diaper pins, which were kept sharp. People have given me over-sized diaper pins, but my experience is that they hold the diaper fastened no better than smaller baby diaper pins and the larger ones damage the diaper cloth, especially flannel and terry. So if big diaper pins constitute your fantasy and make you happy, use them and budget for early retirement of your cloth diapers. If you can compromise your fantasy to use smaller baby-size diaper pins, your diapers and waterproof pants will last longer. Either way, keep the points of your pins very sharp.

Thanks for the tip! I did'nt have a clue that diaper pins could be sharpened. I'm going to get what I need.

[BigC300]

My maternal grandfather James Bremer (we call him 'Grandpa') still owns one of the most sophisticated and successful tooling and die shops in California. Needless to say Grandpa knows all about grinding and honing steel. He taught my Dad (a master sausage maker) all about sharpening diaper pins. Grandpa explains that you want to avoid wasting diamond hones on soft steel that has not already been heat treated. Until steel has been heat treated and hardened it can be milled and ground with less expensive materials. Diaper pins typically use use various forms of stainless steel wire. Just remember there are hundreds of stainless steel varieties. It is not practical to draw stainless steel of the kind used in knives into wire because knife steel is too brittle. Also, diaper pins must not sell for high prices, so the stainless used in them is inexpensive. The important factor is that they not rust. The manufacturers want them to become dull, so people buy new diaper pins. So, Grandpa taught us to use machine shop grade wet-dry paper with a super fine grit. Over 400 and better 800 or 1000 if you can find that. Cut the wet-dry into strips about 1/2" or 12mm wide and the short length of the full sheet. You will only be sharpening the last 3/8" or 9mm. You also do not need to need the sharp tip round. They work well if you only grind the two outside edges and the front edge of the point. Grandpa would use flat head thumb tacks to hold a strip of wet-dry to a length of 3/4" thick lumber at least 3.5" wide for stability, but the strip of wet-dry was next to one edge of the wood. The wood was a few inches longer than the strip of wet-dry. He holds the open pin and starts on the outside front, then alternates the left and right sides with gentle strokes. With a light touch and really fine grit you will not leave burrs. It just takes some practice. I only stick my pins into a bar of soap as a last resort. Normally I store my pins closed. Close to my stash of sharp pins I keep a plastic container into which I toss any pin which resists going through a diaper cleanly and easily. When my husband Don has the time he sharpens all the pins in the 'dull container. Should Don be away, I do the sharpening. The First Years Company discontinued my favorite baby diaper pin, their cat 3200, in early 1996. I had made friends with their Southern California factor rep, who sold me a nearly full carton of those. But some of the 3200 pins I routinely use Don and his late first wife Jean purchased in 1986, when menopause caused her to wet. Nobody knows how often any of those have been sharpened. Perhaps the point is 1/16" closer to the hinge of the pin, but they are still long enough to stay closed in use. Oh, yes, after sharpening, wash the pins in warm water with a hint of dish washing detergent, then let them dry on a clean cloth diaper.

Where can you find 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper? Should I look for Industrial abrasive distributors? This is some special sandpaper Home Depot has never heard of !

[willnotwill]

I used regular baby pins (my wife typically puts two per side I tend to only use one).

[Creepymouse]

Paint Department probably C300, though I find mine at Harbor Freight.

[BabyJune]

Standard size Dritz diaper pins work fine for me and hold the diaper nice and tight to my waist. The locking caps keep them from popping open. One word of warning regarding sharpening the points: if you wear the point down too much, it will pop out of the retainer--OUCH!!! To keep pins sharp, you can store them with the points in a bar of soap. Tailors and quilters

[Angela Bauer]

Properly honing diaper pin points, as I outlined recently, does not remove much metal.

[Honu]

Wow Angela, you really picked up on some material science! As for the OP, I know you want to stay away from "nappy grippers", but I have had very good luck with Snappi size 2, also known as "Toddler". For me, it doesn't do as much damage to my cloth diapers as the Gerber diaper pins I have, but I've not been sharpening them as Angela has.

[BigC300]

Properly honing diaper pin points, as I outlined recently, does not remove much metal. Case in point: Minutes ago I measured the length of unused The First Years cat 3200 with ones I have been using for nearly 17 years. I measured 12 of each kind using precision digital calipers, accurate to 0.01mm. I averaged the measurement along the long part of the pin with the point. None of the 12 used pins are close to not holding. The shortest was 0.2mm shorter than the average of the new ones. The average used pins was 0.15mm shorter than the unused pins. To me this suggests if sharpening removes more metal than this, there is a problem with the sharpening/honing technique.

Angela, I wonder what would happen if I put some sort of abrasive wheel or polishing wheel on a Dremel moto tool and tried to sharpen the pins? Would it just grind too much metal off too quickly?

[Angela Bauer]

Angela, I wonder what would happen if I put some sort of abrasive wheel or polishing wheel on a Dremel moto tool and tried to sharpen the pins? Would it just grind too much metal off too quickly?

Big C 300,

[BigC300]

Angela, I wonder what would happen if I put some sort of abrasive wheel or polishing wheel on a Dremel moto tool and tried to sharpen the pins? Would it just grind too much metal off too quickly? Big C 300, My experience is any type of power grinding will remove far more metal than needed. Even with 600 or finer grit wet and dry the sharpening consists of a couple of light strokes on three aspects of the point. What you are trying to do is remove burrs, not completely re-form the point. How to you maintain your knives? Do you keep using them until they are so dull that the only way to save them is to re-grind? Or, do you treat them as a professional cook would do, using a steel to gently keep the edge free of nicks and burrs? Using the wet and dry it takes as long to spread out a strip and use the thumb tacks to hold it taught as it does to sharpen a dozen pins. Probably I could sharpen more in another minute, but I seldom have more than a dozen in need of attention at a time. I do not let them linger once they no longer are sharp. I like to deal with them and get them back into my diaper pin rotation. A member suggested storing diaper pins stuck into a bar of soap. That is a fine way of ensuring the purchase of more pins. Soap works, but it is better to stick the points into a soft bar of soap and then remove then so the soap dries between uses. It was also mentioned that tailors store pins in cakes of wax. Remember, the wax does not retain moisture, unlike a bar of soap. Moisture left on the points of pins and the cutting edges of knives speeds the dulling.

I found some wet/dry sandpaper today. I will cut it into strips and then tack it to a three foot piece of 2X4 lumber. Then I'm going to properly sharpen some pins on three sides. Thanks Angela

[Kari]

I've been meaning to ask about this subject and I too never considered sharpening the tips.

They could be dangerous weapons.

I've found diaper pins useful over the years for many uses including tightening up oversized diaposables.

Great if your in a hurry, and the button pops on a pair of kakkis, etc.

The question may have been answered, but I must of missed it in the thread.

I usually look on Amazon or Ebay for a reasonable deal.

Is there a "better" place to buy them from???

You cannot really find them in retail stores anymore.

Last ones I saw were at K-Mart for a small pack of 4 "Sassy" pins in boring white.

But at least one "brick & mortar" store still stocked and had them...

You'd think they be making a comeback with all the cloth baby diaper enthusiast.

[BigC300]

I've been meaning to ask about this subject and I too never considered sharpening the tips. They could be dangerous weapons. :mf_swordfight:I've found diaper pins useful over the years for many uses including tightening up oversized diaposables. Great if your in a hurry, and the button pops on a pair of kakkis, etc. The question may have been answered, but I must of missed it in the thread. I usually look on Amazon or Ebay for a reasonable deal. Is there a "better" place to buy them from??? You cannot really find them in retail stores anymore. Last ones I saw were at K-Mart for a small pack of 4 "Sassy" pins in boring white. But at least one "brick & mortar" store still stocked and had them... You'd think they be making a comeback with all the cloth baby diaper enthusiast.

A quick search on Google's Shopping page reveals: Beverly Fabrics, EBay, Harts Fabrics, Gob Stock, Baby-pants

[Bettypooh]

For sharpening round points in general- fold sandpaper in a "V" then hold the item to be sharpened at an angle as you draw the point through the bottom of the "V" a few times, rotating the piece each time to equalize the removed material It doesn't take much pressure but watch that you don't wear through the sandpaper Since you're pulling it can't stick you but it can scratch your skin deeply if it's sharp! Abrasive metal removal often leaves what is known as a 'wire edge', a tiny amount of attached metal at the point which needs to be removed. The best way to do this is raise the sharpening angle slightly more toward perpendicular and push on the last stroke with very light pressure- that breaks this edge off leaving only a point.

[BigC300]

For sharpening round points in general- fold sandpaper in a "V" then hold the item to be sharpened at an angle as you draw the point through the bottom of the "V" a few times, rotating the piece each time to equalize the removed material It doesn't take much pressure but watch that you don't wear through the sandpaper Since you're pulling it can't stick you but it can scratch your skin deeply if it's sharp! Abrasive metal removal often leaves what is known as a 'wire edge', a tiny amount of attached metal at the point which needs to be removed. The best way to do this is raise the sharpening angle slightly more toward perpendicular and push on the last stroke with very light pressure- that breaks this edge off leaving only a point. Specifically with diaper pins- plating is removed by sharpening so look for stainless pins. Even stainless will corrode and lose it's edge. Rinse your pins and wipe the point dry after use to remove uric acids I usually don't care much what kind of pin is holding my diaper up so long as it works but there are times when I want babyish or proportional-sized pins Babyish isn't so tough to find online, but for maximum proportionality I use 'horse blanket' pins which come in different lengths, usually 4-5 inches (20-250mm) The increased diameter of the wire is much more in proportion to the overall increased body size With these, you're going to find the closed top of them poking you if you bend forward just as a baby does with their diaper pins which adds to the realism The downside is that these may poke through or wear out your plastic panties if you're not careful I got mine in used condition off of Ebay but I imagine a Horse and Tack store would have them new Now if someone would just make these with a babyish head.... Bettypooh[/quote I've never heard of Horse Blanket pins by I intend to look for them now. Also, thanks for the sharpening tips Betty! I plan to become proficient at sharpening.

[BigC300]

My maternal grandfather James Bremer (we call him 'Grandpa') still owns one of the most sophisticated and successful tooling and die shops in California. Needless to say Grandpa knows all about grinding and honing steel. He taught my Dad (a master sausage maker) all about sharpening diaper pins. Grandpa explains that you want to avoid wasting diamond hones on soft steel that has not already been heat treated. Until steel has been heat treated and hardened it can be milled and ground with less expensive materials. Diaper pins typically use use various forms of stainless steel wire. Just remember there are hundreds of stainless steel varieties. It is not practical to draw stainless steel of the kind used in knives into wire because knife steel is too brittle. Also, diaper pins must not sell for high prices, so the stainless used in them is inexpensive. The important factor is that they not rust. The manufacturers want them to become dull, so people buy new diaper pins. So, Grandpa taught us to use machine shop grade wet-dry paper with a super fine grit. Over 400 and better 800 or 1000 if you can find that. Cut the wet-dry into strips about 1/2" or 12mm wide and the short length of the full sheet. You will only be sharpening the last 3/8" or 9mm. You also do not need to need the sharp tip round. They work well if you only grind the two outside edges and the front edge of the point. Grandpa would use flat head thumb tacks to hold a strip of wet-dry to a length of 3/4" thick lumber at least 3.5" wide for stability, but the strip of wet-dry was next to one edge of the wood. The wood was a few inches longer than the strip of wet-dry. He holds the open pin and starts on the outside front, then alternates the left and right sides with gentle strokes. With a light touch and really fine grit you will not leave burrs. It just takes some practice. I only stick my pins into a bar of soap as a last resort. Normally I store my pins closed. Close to my stash of sharp pins I keep a plastic container into which I toss any pin which resists going through a diaper cleanly and easily. When my husband Don has the time he sharpens all the pins in the 'dull container. Should Don be away, I do the sharpening. The First Years Company discontinued my favorite baby diaper pin, their cat 3200, in early 1996. I had made friends with their Southern California factor rep, who sold me a nearly full carton of those. But some of the 3200 pins I routinely use Don and his late first wife Jean purchased in 1986, when menopause caused her to wet. Nobody knows how often any of those have been sharpened. Perhaps the point is 1/16" closer to the hinge of the pin, but they are still long enough to stay closed in use. Oh, yes, after sharpening, wash the pins in warm water with a hint of dish washing detergent, then let them dry on a clean cloth diaper.

Angela, I assembled my homemade sharpening device, I rubbed the leading eighth inch of the tip on the 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper three strokes to four sides. Still having trouble penetrating multiple layers of fabric? Should I examine the tip with a magnifying glass for burrs?