Pulling Staples - Can be time consuming

[SteveA]

The first few jobs I did stripping down the old fabric I could have used a transfusion when I was done.  I prefer the round mallet - nippers and 2-3 staple removers handy.  I probably overdue it removing staples -  but I hate hitting old staples when putting back the new fabric.  The last two jobs I stripped down - no injuries - getting better at not mauling myself -
SA

[kodydog]

I took a construction class at vo-tech a few years back. The instructor warned never put your hand closer to the staple gun than the length of the staple. I'm talking about a carpenters staple gun, and that's good advice. And every time I'm working in a tight space and pulling on a sliver of fabric while trying to shoot a staple I pray I don't hit an old staple underneath and I think of that guy and his advice.

[sofadoc]

This is how I remove most staples nowadays. EDITED WITH NEW LINK

[gene]

OK. I clicked on the link. I logged in to google drive as requested. It then said I needed permission. So I clicked the button asking for permission. Then nothing happened. When do I get permission? What do I do if permission is denied? Is there anyone out there???

gene

[SteveA]

Same here - goggle went looking for sofa doc - asked me to be patient - well at least I'm sitting -
SA

[sofadoc]

I got an email saying that people were asking for permission. So I clicked on the link they provided for giving permission. My screen went blank. Nothing happened.

I would've just linked it on Photobucket, but I'm suddenly having trouble uploading videos there too.

I think I need to use my wife's laptop at home. It has a port for SD cards. My desktop at work doesn't have an SD port, so I have to hook up my camera directly to the USB port. It loads on my computer's hard drive just fine, but won't upload from there to Photobucket. 

This was all necessary because I used my digital camera instead of my I-phone to make the video. I used the camera because I could mount it on a tripod (I don't have any friends to hold the I-phone).

Stay tuned.

[SteveA]

I tried the link on both the computer and my phone.  The phone worked - I got an email back saying doc gives you permission to view the video and it opened and played before I could say thanks. 
Doc that looks like a Bosch oscillating saw.  I have one and consider it a specialty tool for precision work.  Not to say you can't use it for the purpose of removing staples and if it's a Bosch it's hard to kill.  The tools I abuse are a saws all - 4 x24 belt sander - corded porta cable drill w/3/8th chuck and my 15 amp skill saw.  When I watched you use that tool to cut through the staples I thought to myself if it was me I'd need two of them - one for the rough work that you're doing with upholstery staple removal and one for fine work. 
It's a good idea and if it lasts a few years and not too many blade replacements you've made life easier at a modest cost -

SA 

[gene]

There was someone out there! And thanks for the video. I bought one from harbor freight. I will let you know how it works.

The only issue I see is that it will take off, undo, unstaple?, and webbing that is stapled to the wood frame in addition to the fabric. I wonder if this will be a big deal or not?

And with my Work Sharp I can keep a sharp edge on the chisel. Or maybe blunt force trauma takes out staples better than a sharp edge?

Thanks again for the video,

gene

[sofadoc]

There was someone out there! And thanks for the video. I bought one from harbor freight. I will let you know how it works.

The only issue I see is that it will take off, undo, unstaple?, and webbing that is stapled to the wood frame in addition to the fabric. I wonder if this will be a big deal or not?

And with my Work Sharp I can keep a sharp edge on the chisel. Or maybe blunt force trauma takes out staples better than a sharp edge?

I buy Dremel brand MM 485 carbide blades for staple removal. A 3 pack is $24 from Amazon(Prime). One blade will last more than a month of heavy use. They will fit on the Harbor Freight tool, or any other brand that has universal mounting (a hex bolt). Many brands have a proprietary mounting system in order to force you to buy only their blades.

I think I got my upload snafu fixed. I used my keen intelligence, my vast knowledge, and my 12 year old grandson to rectify the problem. Here's another video demo:



The metal cutting blades have a serrated edge. I can't imagine any way to sharpen them.

I really haven't had much trouble shaving off just the top fabric without also shaving the webbing too. I can completely strip the average wing chair in less than 30 minutes without ever picking up a staple lifter. The vibration is actually like a soothing massage to my arthritic hands.

The Harbor Freight oscillating tools are cheap enough to experiment with. The first one lasted me more than a year. The next two only lasted about a month. I also had a $125 Dremel that didn't last through the initial warranty period. I returned it for a refund. I'm currently using a Wen ($25 on Amazon).

But even if I was spending over $100 a month on oscillating tools and blades, it's still worth it to me because of the wear and tear it saves my hands.

[baileyuph]

Speaking of pulling staples; this week I had a tough time (actually more chairs to do) pulling staples.  These chairs have beautiful show wood and it has to be handled with care.

Dennis method of 1/2 hour sounds like the way to go if there is no wood (finished) to damage.

I would like to get a little closer to your tool, 30 minutes would almost make the job fun.

I have a hard time getting paid for a lot of staple pulling ---- you folks are the first to
understand what the consumer is willing to pay for!

Yes, pulling staples out of strong wood is a different experience!!  Especially when there are just layers after layers of materials (fabric, tacking strips which collectively add up to a lot of staples).  On just one of the chairs I stripped this week, the amount of staples
removed would almost fill a coffee cup.  The bulk adds up when the staples are the longer ones.

Doyle

[gene]

Today I took the fabric off a 2 seat cushion, love seat. 1 hour and 32 minutes.

Today I also took the fabric off a 3 seat cushion, sofa. 1 hour and 44 minutes.

I used my Harbor Freight oscillating tool only. No staple puller. No nippers. No mallet. And no sore hands when finished. My hands had a dull tingling sensation and they felt thick, but no soreness like before.

I did get stung 3 times on my arms by pieces of hot staples.

And I have a sense that there is a learning curve and I will get better at it with practice.

Thank you again Dennis. New things in the upholstery world do not come along very often.

gene

[sofadoc]

And I have a sense that there is a learning curve and I will get better at it with practice.

Yes, you will.

What blades are you using? The Harbor Freight blades work OK, but they wear out fast. The Dremel MM 485B carbide blades are my favorite. They will fit on the HF tool.

[baileyuph]

Couple of questions to gain more insight:

The speed of oscillation, can that be given?  Also, the torque of the oscillation (in essence
blade) - can that be described?  Does the torque break a lot of staples?  Is the torque strong enough that it would alter the position being worked on?  For example a dining room
chair seat or in the case of the whole frame when the upholstery covers such?

Oh!, another question about the oscillation?  What is the approximation of the oscillation
range?  Perhaps a 1/4 inch?  The vision about this is the range and torque could play out
into the damage to a frame (show wood in a concern) damage and staple removal or breakage?

I just stripped to formal occasional chairs with considerable show wood and it took considerable time and am trying to grasp the effectiveness of the technique on something like that type of item.  On a job with no show wood and a strong frame, it does remove some of the concerns stated.

What was the application that brought the tool and blade to the market?  Staple pulling?

Doyle

[sofadoc]

The oscillating tool has many different blade types for different uses. Such as cutting a hole in sheet rock to install an electrical outlet, or scraping old tile or linoleum. With a metal cutting blade, you can cut off a protruding nail, or cut through pipe.

About a year ago, I began experimenting with using it for shaving staples. Now, I use it well over 80% of the time.

True, you risk damage if you try to use it next to show wood. It can be difficult to control in delicate areas.

There are many different brands and price ranges. The RPM's range from 2000-4000. Some models have variable speed controls.

The Harbor Freight model is only $20, which makes it a good "starter" model to try out.

Be sure to wear eye protection. You will occasionally get hit by flying hot shards. And since the tool is very loud, it wouldn't hurt to wear ear protection as well.

[gene]

sOfaD: I used a Harbor Freight wood/metal blade. It's the only one they had. They were out of all the other blades. I ordered the Dremel you mentioned from Amazon. I'll use them on my next furniture.

I wore eye protection, hearing protection, and my respirator mask because it seemed to be throwing a lot of fabric/poly batting/cotton dust in the air. I may wear a long sleeve shirt in the future.

Doyle: I don't know the specs other then mine is the cheap one from Harbor Freight and it's not a variable speed. I'd think you could find specs on line for any specific tool.

On both of the two pieces of furniture I did yesterday, the front arms had 6 pleats coming down the front and stapled under the rolled arms. I put the tool under the fabric and pushed. I could feel it come to a staple, break free, come to another staple, break free etc. The entire wad of pleated fabric lifted up off the wood frame.

There may be places where I'll need to pull a cut staple out with nippers but not very many.

And by the way, this love seat and sofa were, obviously, previously re upholstered by a master upholsterer. A very accomplished upholsterer. An upholsterer who has achieved greatness in the world of furniture upholstery. No, just kidding. It was re upholsterer by me 6 years ago. The home owners do not change colors, they just like new upholstery every 6 or 7 years.

gene