Pull a staple without breaking question

[baileyuph]

I am into a project now with wood so hard, it is tough to pull a staple without breaking.
The wood is strong as a rock, but to remove the staples without breaking them is the question?

This possible?

Doyle

[MinUph]

We run into this all the time. I think it is cheap staples. Sometimes it is the wood but more than that it is the staples used. When I run into this I can drive my staples in and they will come out fine. Only thing to really do is drive them down with a hammer.

[baileyuph]

I don't remember tacks (spitting tacks) being problematic?  Maybe we bent a few.

The hammer is the best way to go, I wondered about running a metal file across the broken ones.  Darn things will tear your hands up, something has to be done.

Here comes the hammer!

Doyle

[MinUph]

Id say buy American but I don't think we make staples any more :( I agree tacks never gave us the problems we have with cut up hands. I get stabbed, scratched, poked, daily with staples.

[gene]

The thin wire staples that are copper colored in a hard wood frame are the worst. They break and then I can't even pull the stubs out.

I pry up the staple and they break. I lift the fabric over the two stubs. Then I tap the studs down with a hammer. This is very difficult on areas of the frame where you can't get the hammer in it.

I mentioned a few years ago I had two wing back chairs with quilted fabric on them. It took me just over 3 hours each to get the old fabric off. I couldn't see the staples to begin with because of the quilted fabric. And then trying to lift the fabric off the staple studs was close to impossible. Using my pneumatic chisel did nothing.

Maybe someone will post a winning way of doing this that we are all missing.  ;D

gene

[baileyuph]

Can't win-
soft wood:  staples easy to remove but frames weak

hard wood:  staples near impossible to completely remove, frames solid as a rock.

This particular frame was interesting from another aspect.  It was made by Spring Steel but with zig-zag springs.  Not their famous spring system.  The zig zags after 15 years are also solid.

I kknow what you mean about the hazards of the job, I woke up with some swelling in  hands and fingers from all the cuts and pokes.

I am going to briefly go over the remaining staple fragments with a course metal file and then hammer down what is possible.

Glad every job isn't like this,

Doyle

[west coast]

I think its a combination of things. The staples are crap not near what they used to be but also the darn things are way to long. Everytime I have to repair or reupholster a piece from Norwalk especially Norwalk the blinking staples are 5/8 the long when 3/8 the would have been just fine. Staple puller and hammer is all that you can do and watch out out for the meat hook because you will always miss hammering down one and it will get you and quite often the colour white will be the fabric colour.

[baileyuph]

Points made are right on target:
Staple quality
Staple length

Another one is, things probably won't change because the factory doesn't normally have to "pull them".

Status of job:  Well on the way in reupholstery being very careful to protect yourself.  I am impressed with the chair quality.  It is around 15 years old but Spring Steel maintained frame quality on this one.  For anyone thinking of buying new, well it would be smart to know what you buy, this chair isn't Asian!

Doyle

[sofadoc]

Broken staples do seem to be more problematic than they were several years ago. Hard wood doesn't necessarily equate to quality wood. I blame cheap hard woods as much as I blame cheap staples.

[kodydog]

Is there a company that makes a decent staple made of good quality steel anymore? BeA was always my favorite but not so much any more. My boss uses generic staples in a plain white box. Hard or soft wood every one breaks which slows down progress when fixing mistakes. I've been told Senco still makes a decent staple.

[MinUph]

bostitch is decent they don't break.