Get staples inside 1/4" groove?

[omh]

Hello,

I am working on some Louis XVI chairs that have a groove that is about 1/4" wide around the seat and back pad. I have discovered that the nose of my stapler is too thick to fit inside the channel. Any suggestions - of staplers that will fit inside the channel or other approaches?

Thank you!

[gene]

I've heard folks say they filed the sides of the staple gun to make it narrower. I've never done this.

I've put staples in with my staple gun as far as they would go, and then used a screwdriver or metal chisel that fits the slot perfectly and tapped the staples all the way in with this tool and a mallet. But this has been with double welt cord.

Is this something that can be glued on with hot melt glue instead of staples?

Good luck.

gene

[Darren Henry]

Is this something that can be glued on with hot melt glue instead of staples?

Or splined in like  a window screen with a welt with the salvage removed tapped into the groove to hold the material?

[sofadoc]

I've been using the same BEA stapler for about 15 years. The very first thing I did when I got it out of the box was grind the nose down a little. Before I even plugged an air hose into it. I grew up being told by other upholsterers and supply salesmen that it was standard procedure. When you get a new stapler, you immediately grind the nose some. Kinda like breaking in a new catcher's mitt.

Mainly for occasionally hiding a staple between double welt. But also for getting into narrow wood grooves, like omh describes.

Some brands of staplers require little or no grinding, because their nose isn't that fat to begin with.

[SteveA]

I bought a tool a couple of years back from Double Rock.  The tip of the tool will set a staple that sticks up.  Works OK - maybe worth the investment.
SA

[omh]

Thank you so much, everybody! Very helpful.