A few tips for the novice?

[DDandJ]

Hello everyone,
I've read through several pages of the posts on here and Wow! Lots of good information.

Does anyone have tips for protecting the decorative, exposed wood when pulling out staples?  I am working on a small, french provencial accent chair and I seem to be putting dents in the wood with my staple puller.  I use a Berry's staple puller, by the way.  I placed fabric and then a small piece of scrap foam under my staple puller and it seems to help a little.  Any pearls of wisdom?

Also, any tips for avoiding pull marks in the fabric when stapling and getting a smooth, taut finish?  I know to start in the center and work my way outwards and I know to staple behind where I'm pulling but I still seem to get a few pull marks.  Any advice is greatly appreicated!

[byhammerandhand]

Everyone seems to have their favorite staple puller.  And some seem to work better than others for certain types of staples or densities of wood.    I need to develop the perfect stapler and retire on the royalties.

Most of the staple pulling I do, I have to just open up a panel for repair and either replace or reset it.   So I need to be careful not to snag fabric (or wood).

For a long time, my go-to staple puller was an Osborne 121
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furniturerestorationtoolsandsupplies/4404195145/


A couple of years ago, I got a Bostich office staple remover and drilled out the rivet, leaving only the arm and pry tip.   It works really well when the staples are not too tough to pull.   It usually pops them all out  without having to twist and turn anything.
http://toolmonger.com/2010/02/03/heavy-duty-staple-remover/

Both have relatively rounded points and don't gouge or tear.

[gene]

Never pry on the wood or into other people's business.

I find that on some applications my ice pick will work well. It's easy to get under the staple and lift it up just enough that I can then pull out the staples with pliers. Sometimes needle nose pliers are best.

I've talked about these types of chairs before on here. Taking all the staples out can be a real time killer. I always want to make sure I cover myself for the extra amount of time this takes. I really don't like it when I find that it is hard wood and those wire staples were used, or, when the piece has been reupholstered 2 or 3 times and none of the old staples have been removed.

Pull marks:
I'm working on a very unique barrel back chair and the pull marks are killing me. The main culprit is the fabric in this case. The only thing I know how to do is smooth the fabric over to the edge, hold it with the side of my hand, and staple. When there is a pull mark, I pull out that staple and try again. If it's really, really bad due to the fabric, you can cover it with muslin first, getting the muslin smooth, then applying the face fabric. I should have taken my own advise on this chair I am finally getting finished.

good luck,

gene

[kodydog]

I used the berry for several years then one day a friend showed me this staple puller,
http://www.csosborne.com/no120.5.htm   and I never looked back.

When using the finished wood for the fulcrum I put a double layer of 1/2" cardboard strip (tack strip) under the staple puller. If your real careful you can point the puller the other way and use the fabric as the fulcrum but one slip will put a big gouge in the finished wood. Like Gene said pry it out just enough to grab it with the pliers. It does take more time and you should charge more for pieces with finished wood.

With pull marks I find instead of adding more staples, remove the staple or two that is causing the mark then go back and lightly pull the fabric and replace the staple. Some fabrics can be a real PITA. Sometimes you just want to tell the customer, I can't work with that fabric. But that would cut out about half of your work.

With those tricky fabrics you have to slow down a little. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to get it right.

I always tend to pull the fabric to tight. Often I have to go back and loosen it a little to get it to look right. Pull it tight but leave it loose.

[gene]

Kodydog,

One day I opened up the back of a club chair and that very same Osborne staple puller fell out. And I have been using it as my main staple puller ever since.

I have had to sharpen the tips a few times.

gene

[kodydog]

I've found the best way to sharpen the Osborne puller is with a Dremel tool using the cutoff wheel,
http://www.bettymills.com/shop/product/view/Dremel/DRM114-688-01.html?source=froogle2&utm_source=froogle2&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=parts&utm_keyword=DRM114-688-01&utm_content=Facility&gclid=CJC3jobs9q4CFcKe7Qod2ULfzA
Clamp it in a vise and use both hands on the rotary tool.

Ten years ago I found a pair of Wiss shears in a sofa. The best pair I've ever owned. I still use them.

The one tool I can't seem to keep a hold of is my curved needle I use to sew decks down. I loose about one a year. Probably get swept up with the trash.

[fingers]

The best thing I have found as a buffer for finished wood is a piece of Pirelli webbing. New or used. In certain cases an ice pick/regulator works when the other standbys won't fit.
Bern

[DDandJ]

Thanks everyone for the replies!  I think I'm gonna love this forum.

I will definitely nab the Osborne staple puller.  I've seen them in my local supplier's catalog.

I'm using an upholstery weight linen on this chair and I don't think it will show pull marks too bad.  We'll see as the project continues.

This little french provencial chair poses a new challenge for me.  The inside back is button tufted using prong buttons.  I've never button tufted before and certainly never used prong buttons.  I gave the button tufting a test run on a scrap piece of foam and it turned out pretty well.  Am I correct in assuming that this type of button tufting was a cost and/or time saver for the manufactuer?  It's a nice little chair and I would date it back to the 80's, however, I wouldn't say that it was a high quality piece. 

[kodydog]

I find I have less control with the prong buttons. If, when your through with the tufting job and one button looks like it could use just a smidgen more tug, can't do it with prongs. I do believe it is a time saving, manufacturing thing.

[sofadoc]

Tufting with prong buttons can be a real pain when you're going through thick cotton. Osborne makes a tool for that. It's a hollow sleeve with a point on one end. You insert the prong button into the hollow sleeve, poke the pointed end through the inside back (just like you would with a tufting needle) and pull the sleeve off the other side.

I've started using this tool more and more on delicate wood:

It's pretty good for attacking the staple from the opposite side of the wood.

But if you ask me what my FAVORITE staple removing tool is, I'll tell you that I don't have one.
I like the Berry's. I like the Osborne 120.5. And I like that office looking gadget in the above video.
Different situations call for different tools.

[DDandJ]

Sofadoc:  Where did you get that priceless little tool???  It looks as handy as a shirt pocket.

I purchased the prong tufting tool you talked about.  I saw it in the catalog and knew not to try prong tufting without it.  Pretty handy gadget.

Kodydog:  I see what you mean about less control with the prong buttons.  I agree it was probably a timesaver.  Since this is my first button tufting job I didn't want to deviate from the way the chair was originally done.  With a little more experience under my belt I'll move to real button tufting with wire eye molds.

I have to say that button tufting has always scared me.  After fooling with this chair I see that it is not nearly as intimidating as I once thought.  Look out, I may button tuft anything that stands still :)

[sofadoc]

Sofadoc:  Where did you get that priceless little tool?

That tool pops up on E-bay every now and then. I think I paid around $20 for it.
It may look like a cheap office staple remover, but it's actually quite sturdy.
Here's one like it on Amazon (currently out of stock):
http://www.amazon.com/Pittsburgh-Heavy-Professional-Staple-Remover/dp/B006ZBAD32/ref=sr_1_7?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1332385368&sr=1-7

Here's another one that comes in handy in certain situations (such as staples in a groove):
http://www.amazon.com/DoubleRock-SRS-001-Staple-Remover/dp/B000A40M4A

These tools have their moments, but none of them is the "Be all, end all".

[fingers]

Tufting, just jump in and learn as you go. I like to run a vertical chalk line down the center of the wrong side of the fabric as a guide. I also like to use my finger as a starter button of sorts, gets the fabric situated in the depression, lets me see if the weave is behaving before I commit to stabbing a hole through the fabric.
My preference is to start with the center button on the top row, work my way to the ends  and down. No set rule, whatever is most comfortable to the individual. Good luck DD&J