Mess dress shoulder board buttons

[Vegas1972]

Could someone clue me in on how the buttons on the mess dress shoulder boards are attached?  I have boards with Hap Arnold buttons that I need to change to wing and star.  I just want to have a plan before I pry them off and mess something up. 

[THRAWN]

Could someone clue me in on how the buttons on the mess dress shoulder boards are attached?  I have boards with Hap Arnold buttons that I need to change to wing and star.  I just want to have a plan before I pry them off and mess something up.

Wing and star ARE Arnold buttons. Do they screw off? Never had to change them...

[Vegas1972]

Sorry.  Should have said coat of arms buttons.  Please excuse my egregious mistake. 

[Eclipse]

39-1 just specifies "... with an Air Force button at the top."

I don't think you really need to change them.

[THRAWN]

39-1 just specifies "... with an Air Force button at the top."

I don't think you really need to change them.

Is the requirement for all of the buttons to match still a thing, or was that written out?

[Eclipse]

Still has to match. (Page 22)

[THRAWN]

Still has to match. (Page 22)

In that case, it's probably easier to switch out the buttons on the jacket instead of doing rocket surgery on the boards...

[Vegas1972]

That's why I asked....they look pretty firmly attached.  The jacket buttons may be the easier route.

[PHall]

And considering how much the boards cost, because you know you'll trash them messing with the buttons.
Changing the jacket buttons is cheaper.

[MSG Mac]

Those are old boards. You should replace them, but pragmatically anyone seeing them looks to the grade insignia, not the button.

[Vegas1972]

And considering how much the boards cost, because you know you'll trash them messing with the buttons.
Changing the jacket buttons is cheaper.

Yep.  I just saw the button kit in shopmyexchange for only 10$.   Unfortunately I can't order but hopefully the base might stock it.  I need to go up anyway to get a couple of mini medals that I can't order online either.   The medals are cheaper in clothing sales than online anyway. 

[Vegas1972]

Those are old boards. You should replace them, but pragmatically anyone seeing them looks to the grade insignia, not the button.

Boards are brand new.  Jacket buttons are the old ones. 

[Mitchell 1969]

FWIW, I replaced the old shiny "three-blades prop in a triangle" buttons in cadet Officer shoulder boards many years ago. I simply pried them off and replaced them with service cap buttons. They had screw-in posts. The sockets for the cap were for sale, so I pushed the socket up from the bottom and added the screw-back button.

(I don't know if they sell the socket and screw post  buttons anymore. But maybe an old service cap could serve as a parts source).


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[baronet68]

FWIW, I replaced the old shiny "three-blades prop in a triangle" buttons in cadet Officer shoulder boards many years ago. I simply pried them off and replaced them with service cap buttons. They had screw-in posts. The sockets for the cap were for sale, so I pushed the socket up from the bottom and added the screw-back button.

(I don't know if they sell the socket and screw post  buttons anymore. But maybe an old service cap could serve as a parts source).

I just happened across a website tonight that was talking about this very same modification made to USAF shoulder boards to address wear and tear of the original buttons:

There is a little known fact about Mess Dress shoulder boards. Many officers found the boards problematic after use over a period of time. The snaps would wear-out and open at an undesired moment such as dancing with their wives. Many officers modified their shoulder boards. They removed the snaps and replaced them with the button device off an old extra visor cap. This way the button had to be screwed into place and would never open until unscrewed. Many collectors have found these modified boards with many Mess Dress uniforms.

[Mitchell 1969]

FWIW, I replaced the old shiny "three-blades prop in a triangle" buttons in cadet Officer shoulder boards many years ago. I simply pried them off and replaced them with service cap buttons. They had screw-in posts. The sockets for the cap were for sale, so I pushed the socket up from the bottom and added the screw-back button.

(I don't know if they sell the socket and screw post  buttons anymore. But maybe an old service cap could serve as a parts source).

I just happened across a website tonight that was talking about this very same modification made to USAF shoulder boards to address wear and tear of the original buttons:

There is a little known fact about Mess Dress shoulder boards. Many officers found the boards problematic after use over a period of time. The snaps would wear-out and open at an undesired moment such as dancing with their wives. Many officers modified their shoulder boards. They removed the snaps and replaced them with the button device off an old extra visor cap. This way the button had to be screwed into place and would never open until unscrewed. Many collectors have found these modified boards with many Mess Dress uniforms.

Wow! I was ahead of my time! I was doing that back in the early 70's!


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