500 staples - Big WHY?

[baileyuph]

Staple pulling is considered mundane in this world of upholstery business, yes it is just part of it.  But, while doing a upholstery job on a number of dining room chairs that were noted as "over stapled", the actual number was recorded during removal - turns out 500 were factory installed for a bottom cushion, inside and outside back.  Yes, they were actually counted and rounded to 500.

The situation was considered inordinate because in reconstruction, it only took around 150.   This analysis prompts the question - why do factories apply so many staples.  Never having factory experience and understanding maybe one or two here have - what is the reason for
way too many staples?

Anyone - an idea?

Doyle

[RiCat]

Maybe they used to build Sherman tanks

Rick

[Darren Henry]

The guy who trained me was famous for going ape with the staples if he was working in a very awkward spot of if the project was not co-operating. Then I'd have about 4 times the requisite number of staples to remove so he could re do it.

The worst I ever saw was a set of window valences  I had to recover a couple of years ago out of an RV. It was so bad that I had to take pictures to show the customer why the job was 3 times the quoted price. There were 3-4 rows of staples so close together that they had to overlap each other by half a length. Going over the old fabric would not work and I could not convince my diaper to let me build new.

[gene]

This question came up awhile ago. I think I may have been the one to ask. I do remember that SofaD had a very good answer, but I can not remember what his answer was.  :(

I think factory workers are under trained and bored and they are doing repetitive tasks with an endless supply of staples. There is no incentive to use staples sparingly and there is a big motivation to staple away.

Also, if the workers loose money if a piece of furniture does not pass inspection then that would be a motivation to staple away also.

If you had the factory worker hold the staple reams in their mouth before they can load them into the staple gun, or put a limit per item of furniture on how many staples they can use and dock their pay if they go over, then they probably would be more conscientious on how many staples they use. My guess is that having workers work fast makes more money for the company than counting staples.

I now remember: My question from awhile ago was that I noticed that upholstery done with tacks uses a lot less tacks than done with staples. Why do folks use so many staples when far less tacks work just as well. I think the consensus opinion was that it's just a lot easier to staple multiple times in the same time that it takes to spit a tack.

Gene

[sofadoc]

I do remember that SofaD had a very good answer, but I can not remember what his answer was. 

I'm sure that I had an excellent answer, but I don't remember what it was either.

I think factory workers are under trained and bored and they are doing repetitive tasks with an endless supply of staples. There is no incentive to use staples sparingly and there is a big motivation to staple away.

If I were to venture to guess what my answer was, it would probably be something along this line.

[brmax]

I have to ask what do you consider a main reason?
My thinking is many in the factory "after" a certain training cycle they may use a pressure type applied with additional trigger stapler.
With this the stapler if on a spring tether, spring is to weak. Or possibly the stapler is too heavy to lift as they are in motion around or through the general staple / fastening pattern.
A good question for the stapler manufacturing people, as they solved the to slow staple action  :)

Good morning
Floyd

[sofadoc]

My thinking is many in the factory "after" a certain training cycle they may use a pressure type applied with additional trigger stapler.

Some factories do use auto-fire staplers. But most of the over-stapling is done with normal trigger-fired staplers like we all use.

Like Gene says, they are stapling all day long on an assembly line, and they simply have nothing better to do than to rapid fire a stapler.

[Rich]

Can you cut the fabric just outside the staples and leave them there? Hopefully you're not removing each one individually though.
Rich

[MinUph]

I've said this before and will say it again knowing very well it will never happen. Upholsters should be train by spitting tacks. They would gain the knowledge of how many fasteners are really needed. You gain more than the number of staples to use but also how to upholster using the fabric to its best advantage. By stretching it properly and in the right direction you eliminate the need for more fasteners.
Also having to actually pay for the supplies might help LOL.

[kodydog]

Rapid fire guns were available in the 80's when I did factory work but of the 4 factories I worked at not one used one. So why so many staples?

An experienced upholsterer can shoot half the staples, get the job done in half the time and have it come out looking better than the guy who upholstered those dinning seats your talking about. And the experienced guy knows if the piece comes back to him for a correction it'll be much easier to fix with less staples in it.

The new guy is simply inexperienced, he is fiddling with the fabric trying to hold it in place and shooting away trying his best to make the chair look just good enough to get it past the inspector. And if the supervisor steps onto the floor stand back because the new guy just turned it up a notch.

As far as striping 500 staples, sorry guys but I'm cutting that fabric off. I'm generally one who likes to start with a nice clean frame but that's just rediculous.

[Mike]

recovering some pontoon seats  this week  I had some skims the easiest ever not a single staple left they all rusted only the devormed vinyl held itself to the seat. I have some spot on the backrests pilling and streaching I had to shoot some spots from the bottom thwere I had to shoot by feel so I went extra heavy.  but thats the only time,