Uphostery stapler

[Mac McQuinn]

Wife is recovering a set of card table chairs and running into issues getting staples into the 3/16" pressboard forms. Standard Craftsman HD stapler won't make it through. Picked up a electric model, same story. I'm shooting T50 staples. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Mac

[Bill White]

What point is on the staples?

[Mike Henderson]

I have a Porter Cable upholstery staple that runs on compressed air. Never had any penetration problems with it.

Mike

[Mac McQuinn]

Chisel point Bill,

Mac



What point is on the staples?

[Tony Rodoracio]

You probably need a pneumatic stapler. I have a Grex and it has handled any upholstery fabric and substrate.

[Duane Meadows]

Probably get flamed for suggesting this but...

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-gauge-wide-crown-stapler-68029.html

For a one time job should be fine. I have had good luck with HF air tools, myself.

Oh, and buy a box of staples to fit the stapler.. there are quite inexpensive!

[Mac McQuinn]

Mike,
You remember the model # by chance?
Thanks, Mac


I have a Porter Cable upholstery staple that runs on compressed air. Never had any penetration problems with it.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

Mike,
You remember the model # by chance?
Thanks, Mac


Here's a couple of pixs, one with the model number.

Mike

269003269002

[Mac McQuinn]

Mike,
Thanks for taking the time for pics, looks like what i need.
Mac

[Rich Enders]

Mac,

The RIDGID R150FSA narrow crown is good for upholstery work as well. It has a swivel pneumatic connector which makes it a bit easier to get the stapler into position. $100 at Home Depot, and a lifetime warranty.

[Phil Rose]

No flames here. I ordered a Grex from Amazon, but it didn't arrive in time for my project and I quickly acquired the Harbor Freight tool you mention, and about 10 boxes of staples.

After reading a few online stories I made sure to lubricate the nose and air line before starting, and then of course on a normal schedule for the air line. Made it through all 10 boxes and the project with no jams ... Grex is still in the box, although I am sure it is a great tool.


Probably get flamed for suggesting this but...

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-gauge-wide-crown-stapler-68029.html

For a one time job should be fine. I have had good luck with HF air tools, myself.

Oh, and buy a box of staples to fit the stapler.. there are quite inexpensive!

[HANK METZ]

Probably get flamed for suggesting this but...

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-gauge-wide-crown-stapler-68029.html

For a one time job should be fine. I have had good luck with HF air tools, myself.

Oh, and buy a box of staples to fit the stapler.. there are quite inexpensive!

Can't bash a suggestion that works, I have one and will never let it go.

[Justin Coon]

My wife has a side business re-upholstering furniture and she also uses that HF air stapler. They're so cheap she just replaces them when it eventually wears out. She used her first one for about 3 years and I know she never worried about oiling it or any other kind of maintenance on it. During that time she probably re-did about 300 chairs along with 30 headboards and a bunch of other projects. With a little care and less use yours should last much longer.

[Ryan Baker]

Air staplers are the only ones that have ever worked well for me. A wide crown air stapler is definitely a requirement for upolstery work. The HF units do work pretty well for something that won't get a lot of use. Just be aware that some of them don't have safetys on the trigger. This is a good application for an oilless unit. You don't want to risk getting oil on the upolstery ... especially with oiled nosepieces. Oiless units may not last as long, but they will last a pretty long time -- certainly enough to get your moneys worth out of them.

[Jason Roehl]

I re-upholstered a sofa(bed) once. For that project, I bought a Bostitch pneumatic stapler. That sofa will never be recovered by me. Why? Because the Bostitch was a narrow-crown stapler. The sofa was originally produced using wide-crown staples, which weren't terribly difficult to remove. I put in a few errant staples, and those were a PAIN to remove.

[Mac McQuinn]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.
Mac

[Joe Kieve]

I needed an upholstery stapler for a small job I'm working on at church right now. After seeing this thread and reading reviews, I went to HF and bought one. Went online and got a 25% off coupon and got for $18 and change. Regular price is $22.99. Used it last evening to shoot maybe a hundred staples. Nary a misfire...so far, so good.

Thanks for the tip Duane.

[Duane Meadows]

I needed an upholstery stapler for a small job I'm working on at church right now. After seeing this thread and reading reviews, I went to HF and bought one. Went online and got a 25% off coupon and got for $18 and change. Regular price is $22.99. Used it last evening to shoot maybe a hundred staples. Nary a misfire...so far, so good.

Thanks for the tip Duane.
Your welcome, Joe. I've had the older version for a couple of years now. Still working fine!

[Dan Rude]

If you want to shoot the T50's a http://www.sears.com/surebonder-pneumatic-narrow-crown-t50-stapler/p-00936536000P . can be had for about $23. People who do a lot of it get the PC though. Dan

[Gus Dundon]

You try checking bostitch or surebonder. Their pneumatic staple guns have good reviews.

[Rich Enders]

Noted the comments about a wide crown stapler being better for upholstery work. This may be true for removal of errant or previously applied staples, but the wide crown staplers offered in this thread only shoot relatively short (5/32 inch to 5/8 inch) staples. A narrow crown like the Rigid and others shoots short or long (3/8 inch to 1 1/2 inch) staples making them suitable for light duty (upholstery) as well structural projects such as assembling cabinets. Furthermore for re-upholstery you can cut the old fabric off and not have to remove the old staples. Typically you can do the same with errant staples since you are stapling in a waste area of the fabric.

Personally having one device that can serve multiple uses is very appealing.

[Rich Engelhardt]

No flames here. I ordered a Grex from Amazon, but it didn't arrive in time for my project and I quickly acquired the Harbor Freight tool you mention, and about 10 boxes of staples.

After reading a few online stories I made sure to lubricate the nose and air line before starting, and then of course on a normal schedule for the air line. Made it through all 10 boxes and the project with no jams ... Grex is still in the box, although I am sure it is a great tool.

From what I've read, you probably fared better with the HF gun than the Grex.
Grex guns (other than the 23 ga) are pretty much garbage.