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How to use an eyelet press

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a lever press on the bench, or you want the sequence before you spend about £33 to £51, and the leaflet is a diagram or it is missing. Learning how to use an eyelet press means fitting the handle, matching the dies, fixing the base, cutting a clean hole, and stopping when the ring has curled. It does not mean pulling until the cloth cuts. Prices stay on the [Eyelet press comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/eyelet-press). Sheet sizes stay on the [tarpaulin eyelet press](/hub/diy-supplies/eyelet-press/sub/eyelet-press-tarpaulin) page. Review themes and public UK sources were used on 21 October 2026, not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a lever press on the bench, or you want the sequence before you spend about £33 to £51, and the leaflet is a diagram or it is missing.

Our top picks

KATSU KATSU 4-die hand press

Best overall

KATSU KATSU 4-die hand press
8.2/10about £34.98
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KATSU KATSU 3-die hand press

Best value

KATSU KATSU 3-die hand press
7.5/10about £32.99
View offer
FreeTec FreeTec 3-die hand press

Alternative

FreeTec FreeTec 3-die hand press
7.0/10about £35.95
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On this page
  1. 1.Set the press up before any cloth
  2. 2.Cut the hole, then stack the ring
  3. 3.How hard to press
  4. 4.Stop, and when a professional takes over

Set the press up before any cloth

Several kits arrive without usable instructions. LetCartMaker's handle arrives separate, and FreeTec's listing says to fasten it with a screw. Do that with the press empty. If dies or rings are missing, stop. One Keadic buyer received neither. Fit a matched pair. The bottom die, the top die and the ring must be the same size. A 10 mm ring on a 12 mm die will not curl round, and forcing it shocks the casting. BOOMSTART's listing states both 8 mm and 10 mm for the middle size, so measure the dies before you trust the title. If a die cross-threads, back it out. Then stop the base moving. FreeTec tells you to fix the press on a flat tabletop and warns that cast iron is brittle under misuse. Clamp it, or screw the foot to a board.

Cut the hole, then stack the ring

Punch or cut the hole before you set the ring. FreeTec and Keadic tell you to prepare the hole first. Reviewers still found the cutter confusing or blunt. One LetCartMaker user could not cut fabric and used scissors. One Keadic punch would not cut thin fabric. A ragged hole shows as a puckered eyelet, and a harder pull does not tidy it. Follow the diagram in your box. If it is missing, set two rings on scrap and keep the stack where the barrel curls over the washer without cutting the weave. If the first stack mushrooms or cuts the cloth, turn the washer and try once on a new scrap. Keep your hands on the handle, not between the dies.
KATSU KATSU 4-die hand press

Testsieger

KATSU KATSU 4-die hand press
8.2/10about £34.98
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How hard to press

The first pull should curl the barrel, then you look. A light curl you can finish with a second short press is safer than one slam. A LetCartMaker review says over-pressing damages the grommet. A Keadic review says the finish splits rather than curling, which can be the ring, the pressure, or both. If one ring splits, change the ring before you blame the press. Do not assume your kit has a travel stop. If the handle keeps going after the dies have met, you are loading the casting. Do not slip a pipe over the handle. If the base lifts, bolt it before you pull again. A good set is round, it does not rotate, and the cloth is not cut.

Stop, and when a professional takes over

Stop when the frame, the die or the base complains. A crack, a bend, or a die that will not seat ends the session. BOOMSTART reviews include a unit bent on first use. DASBET reviews include a casting that snapped. FreeTec reviews include a snapped base. Those are returns under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 when the goods are faulty, not frames to weld at home. Hand the job on when the eyelet is part of a trailer cover that holds a load. Stop when you set eyelets all day for pay. These kits are not production presses, and staff use brings PUWER 1998 into the decision. If the tool was the wrong class, the checks are on the eyelet press buying guide. The sequence does not change with the brand: fix it, test two rings, and stop when the metal complains.

Common questions

Which part is the cutter and which is the setting die?
The cutter makes the hole. The setting dies curl the ring. These kits often ship both, and reviews say the leaflet does not name them. BOOMSTART buyers used a video to tell them apart. If you are unsure, try each piece on scrap, not on the finished hem. A cutter that tears canvas is a reason to cut the hole another way.
Which way up is the washer?
There is no single stack for every brand in this set. Other makers' guides contradict each other, and several of these boxes have no usable leaflet. Follow your own diagram. If you have none, press two scrap rings and keep the stack where the barrel curls over the washer without cutting the weave.
Should I punch the hole with the press?
Only if the cutter in your box actually cuts your cloth. FreeTec and Keadic tell you to prepare the hole first. Reviewers report cutters that do not screw home, punches too blunt for thin fabric, and a die that would not cut at all. A clean hole from a separate punch is a better start than a ragged one you then crush.
How hard do I pull the handle?
Pull until the barrel curls, then look. A second short press can finish a light curl. One slam that splits the ring or cuts the cloth is too much, and a pipe on the handle adds leverage the casting is not shown to take. If the dies have already met, more travel loads the frame. It does not make a tighter eyelet.
What if the casting cracks?
Stop using it. A crack or a bend on first use is a faulty-goods question for the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which matches reports on DASBET, BOOMSTART and FreeTec. Do not weld a hobby casting and carry on, and do not add a pipe for one last eyelet. If the sheet holds a load, leave that repair.

Related pages

Best eyelet press

Eyelet press

Eyelet press buying guide: size, base, then reviews

Tarpaulin eyelet press: 10 mm and 12 mm sheet rings

Eyelet press vs pliers: choose lever, squeeze or hammer

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. HSE: EIS30, industrial presses (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Wonkee Donkee: replace tarpaulin eyelets (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. House of Tents: repair tent tarpaulins (retrieved 22.10.2026)