Building a Better Mousetrap: The Conception & Evolution of the Sailrite® HandyPress®
“Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” This widely used metaphor is attributed to American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. It speaks to the power of innovation and the concept that if you have a better idea, you can invent the next great thing.
At Sailrite, we pride ourselves on offering our customers the products and resources they need to succeed in their sewing endeavors. We are DIYers ourselves, so we intuitively understand what our customers are looking for. When we see a need in the sewing community, we set out to fill that need and provide a solution for our customers. The Sailrite® Ultrafeed® Sewing Machine is a testament to that ideology. And we believe we’ve achieved the same with the Sailrite HandyPress.
What Is a Hand Press?
In the world of DIY and small-scale manufacturing, tools are the cornerstone of quality craftsmanship. One such essential tool is the hand press, a device used to install parts like grommets, snaps and other interlocking pieces into fabric or materials under compression. It can also cut holes and perform tasks such as covering buttons with fabric. The simplicity and effectiveness of this tool have made it a staple in many industries and hobbies. However, the world of hand presses is filled with limitations — until now.
At Sailrite, we've sold a mid-priced hand press model for years. It’s a powerful tool, capable of setting grommets, curtain rings and buttons while also cutting holes in various materials. But, as the marketplace for dies, stamps and cutters has expanded, this tool has reached the limits of its capabilities. The real issue is that many of the dies and other attachments now available simply cannot be used with this press. Users have been forced to purchase a specific press for each type of tooling. This challenge sparked an idea: What if there was one press that could handle nearly all tooling from various manufacturers? Thus, the HandyPress was born after two years of intense design and testing.
The Journey to Innovation
Many of Sailrite's product innovations come from customer feedback. The HandyPress is no different. My own experience with hand presses had been frustrating — many models lacked proper design elements, such as insufficient leverage or unstable construction, which resulted in failure of parts installation. My brother, and Sailrite Project Guy Eric, received numerous customer complaints about the inadequacies of existing presses, prompting him to request testing of several competitive models. The first test we conducted was a crude adaptation of an existing press’s shaft to see if we could increase its functionality. This experiment highlighted multiple design flaws in these tools, sparking the creative process that ultimately led to the HandyPress.
One thing became clear during our research: Most hand presses are designed with a specific user or industry in mind. Take the Craftplus® Hand Press, for example. It’s an excellent tool for leatherworkers, offering adjustable compression for various dies, but it cannot accommodate dies made for other tools. Similarly, the Stimpson® 405 Hand Press is specialized for grommet and marine snap fasteners, but its proprietary dies won’t work with any other press. While these presses are high quality, their limited scope presents a problem for anyone needing versatility.
Solving Two Key Problems
I set out to address two primary issues with hand presses: First, I wanted a press that could generate the necessary leverage to use any tooling, regardless of its size or origin. Second, I aimed to create a press compatible with the vast array of tooling available on the market, allowing users to benefit from the innovations of other manufacturers without being locked into a single system.
The development of the HandyPress began much like our work on sewing machines. I started by modifying parts on existing presses, adapting them to test the concept of universality. This process of gradual experimentation revealed a host of deficiencies in existing designs, creating a checklist of improvements. I began sketching the new concept and worked with engineers and draftsmen to bring it to life.
I must take a moment here to acknowledge the independent engineers I worked with to see this project to its fruition. Sailrite is fortunate to have a few outside engineers and draftsmen who love to design tools and see them come to market. These individuals deserve a huge thank you for their work and support.
Initially, I thought we could create a modular base with side plates that could be adjusted to accommodate different tooling sizes. However, during testing, it became clear that even with four bolts per side, the neck of the press — the connection between the base and the upper arm — was not rigid enough. This movement caused alignment issues between the vertical shaft and the lower die holder, necessitating a redesign.
Refining the Design
The solution came from heightening the overall structure of the press, which eliminated the need for adjustable settings and allowed for a more robust vertical shaft. This improved both the adjustability and the rigidity of the upper shaft, providing the necessary stability for precision work. However, the process didn’t end there. Every new sample and mold came with costs, and it wasn’t long before we had invested well over $100,000 in testing and prototyping.
Key insights from this process shaped the HandyPress into the versatile tool it is today. We discovered that the casting base had to be made from a material strong enough to withstand the immense forces generated during operation. The neck had to remain perfectly rigid, which we achieved through the use of both bolts and large pins. Finally, the alignment of the main vertical shaft had to be flawless to ensure precision when working with snap dies and other sensitive tooling.
Overcoming Challenges
One significant hurdle came late in the design process. I hadn’t initially considered the sizing of Stimpson tooling, which is some of the largest on the market. When I finally tested the HandyPress with a Stimpson die, I realized that the lower adapter hole was too small to accommodate it. This revelation led to a last-minute redesign of the base and many of the adapters, further increasing the versatility of the press — but also adding to the development cost. Though this added to development cost and delayed the product launch, it was a good change and further increased the HandyPress' versatility and usefulness for our customers.
A Future Built on Versatility
Now that the HandyPress is a reality, there is still room for growth. I envision a range of optional attachments that will make the tool even more versatile. Sailrite is also working on releasing proprietary dies to accompany the press, building out a system that will continue to evolve and expand in the years to come.
Disclaimer:
Patent pending. The HandyPress includes adapters, but dies are not included with tool purchase.