Staples and The Story Of My Life

marty

marty

10 MW
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
3,028
Location
Buffalo, New York USA
Long long time ago. Before the internet. Before computers. I saw a guy attaching aluminum trim to the exterior of a house. People normally cover the trim with this material when doing vinyl siding. Trim coil comes in different colors and is usually bent with a portable aluminum brake. This guy was using a staple gun. I asked him about the staple gun. He explained that it was the same staple gun that carpet layers use. He had staples that were made from monel and painted white to match the aluminum trim.
[Monel = A nickel-copper alloy with high tensile strength and resistance to corrosion]

I then bought the same type of staple gun and a box of monel staples painted white. Years later the staple gun broke so I bought a new one. Many boxes of staples later the Duo-Fast company stopped making the monel staples colored white, so I bought stainless steel staples not painted. Life has been great. Use these staples to fasten aluminum trim around windows and doors. Mostly in places where the staples can be hidden. Also use these staples to fasten vinyl soffit panels to the bottom of overhangs.

Now the Duo-Fast company has stopped making these staples in stainless steel. I have been searching and searching. All I can find is galvanized steel. Think that steel is a poor choice for fastening aluminum and vinyl to wood. Steel will react with aluminum in a bad way. With vinyl siding, steel rusts and leaves brown stains dripping down.

Am I the only one on this planet who wants to buy these staples? How do people fasten carpets to wood boats and other wet places? I have talked to other contractors and they mostly are using hammer and nails for soffits and aluminum trim. There are wider crown 3/8 inch stainless upholstery staples but I want my favorite narrow crown staples so the heads are less visible.

Here are details on these staples:
5400 series is 3/16 inch crown
Gauge is 20
Second two numbers is length in 1/32s
C = Chisel Point
D = Divergent Point
M = Monel
SS = Stainless Steel

Here are part numbers on the DUO-FAST boxes I got.
3/8" No. 5412-CM
and
1/2" No. 5416-D STAINLESS

Here is a picture of my staples. Need more soon!
5412-CM_and_5416-DSS.jpg
Where to buy these?

Here is picture of a electric staple gun similar to mine. Prediction for the future - Tool makers will make cordless carpet layer staple guns.
View attachment 1

Here is picture I found on the internet. Man installing vinyl soffit panels.
soffit_installation .jpg

Finally found a staple company that will make staples special for me 5416-DSS Only problem is I have to buy a boat load! Group buy anyone? I have done stupid things before, but now it's looking like I will be going into the staple business.
 
Living in the desert, I have NEVER seen staples other than steel, not galvanized or anything. But the ocean has not gone away, I'm shocked that corrosion resistant staples are off the market now. But not suprised, since builders need only cover a one year warranty in most cases. More lowering of the quality, just as you have seen in nearly every hardware product that goes into a house or building.

You might look into other brands though. Paslode, senco, or bostich may still have stainless steel staples for thier guns? I'm not sure about duo fast, but some brands will not interchange with others. I used to see aluminum brads for my paslode trim nailers. Mabye they make an aluminum staple? If you can find the staples, a new gun will be well worth the cost.
 
Marty sounds like an opportunity! You could start with eBay, and your ad should not just sell the staples, but educate with respect to their use. Your searchable title should say something like "Fast vinyl siding installation with stainless staples..." Set up an ecommerce site, and who knows; in 3 years you could be running a staple business.
 
dogman said:
Living in the desert, I have NEVER seen staples other than steel, not galvanized or anything. But the ocean has not gone away, I'm shocked that corrosion resistant staples are off the market now. But not suprised, since builders need only cover a one year warranty in most cases. More lowering of the quality, just as you have seen in nearly every hardware product that goes into a house or building.

You might look into other brands though. Paslode, senco, or bostich may still have stainless steel staples for thier guns? I'm not sure about duo fast, but some brands will not interchange with others. I used to see aluminum brads for my paslode trim nailers. Mabye they make an aluminum staple? If you can find the staples, a new gun will be well worth the cost.
Click to expand...

I have been searching. Think I called all the companys you mentioned. PLEASE HELP ME! You all like to search for stuff on the internet. Search - 5400 series staples stainless steel SS 3/16 crown staples corrosion resistant staples. Other words?

Don't think brads will work with what I am doing. Tried 1/4 inch crown x 3/4 inch length, 18 gauge, stainless steel staples on plastic soffit panels. These staples fit in my Porter Cable pneumatic gun NS150B. Plastic cracked and smashed apart. Tried raising the depth gauge and lowering air pressure. Same problem.
 
bigmoose said:
Marty sounds like an opportunity! You could start with eBay, and your ad should not just sell the staples, but educate with respect to their use. Your searchable title should say something like "Fast vinyl siding installation with stainless staples..." Set up an ecommerce site, and who knows; in 3 years you could be running a staple business.
Click to expand...

Big Moose - You gots some sales skills! Why don't you start a staple company! You buy a boat load and sell me one box. Send me a Private Message if you are interested and I will get you started.
 
Marty, I did a search. Time for you to get a new staple gun. Move from 3/16 up to 4/16 or 1/4 inch width. Stainless staples easy to find. Around $8/1000 here is just one link: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-TRA704SST-Stainless-Staples-000-Count/dp/B000NNINBW

Perhaps they just standardized on 1/4 inch wide and dropped 3/16 wide as an orphan?

I agree going from 3/16 to 3/8 is a big jump. But 3/16 to 1/4 IMHO would be hardly noticeable.
 
Suspect something is not as stated with that Amazon add?

TRA704SST - 1/4" Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Narrow Crown Staples
3/8 inch crown, 1/4" length
http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=STAPLES&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=TRA704SST&SDesc=1%2F4%26%2334%3B+Heavy+Duty+Stainless+Steel+Narrow+Crown+Staples
 
Marty, contact your area upholsterers that do Boat cushions, etc. They have suppliers that you may find hard to search for. That's about the same size we used in our upholstery business, years ago. Said that only to reinforce that MARINE suppliers is where you will find those staples, IF they still exist. Duo-Fast is not the only manufacturer.
 
Maybe BigMoose should sell an ebook on search engine use, since the staple business seems to be mature and standardizing. :lol:

Happy January 12th

John
 
I still don't see any that will fit your gun in the above links, buy a gun that will shoot those 1/4 crown ones in the link above. The 1/4 crown will work similarly, and they are more common. But they won't be as big and ugly as a larger staple.

Once you have staples and a gun to fire em, just paint the racks of staples white, or whatever color you need to match the trim.
 
Yep, spray them with automotive rattle can wheel paint. I use duplicolor from Advance Auto, but others carry it also. Spray first with duplicolor bondable primer. Duplicolor still smells like real paint, dries like real paint (in 15 minutes) and performed like real paint on my daughters mag wheels and all my electronic's projects. The bondable primer makes it stick to aluminum and other whacky substrates. It is also in a rattle can. Stack them all side by side, then the paint will only get on the crowns, and not mess up the width of the legs.

I agree, time to get a new staple gun in 1/4 inch crown and get back on the job.
 
marty said:
Tried 1/4 inch crown x 3/4 inch length, 18 gauge, stainless steel staples on plastic soffit panels. These staples fit in my Porter Cable pneumatic gun NS150B. Plastic cracked and smashed apart. Tried raising the depth gauge and lowering air pressure. Same problem.
Click to expand...

1/4" crown staples no good with plastic soffit panels. Here are some pictures of some tests I did yesterday. Plastic is affected by temperature. Plastic cracks more when it is colder. Tests done indoors at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 3/16" crown of left. 1/4" crown on right.
View attachment 2
test02.JPG

Here is a size comparison of 3/4" x 1/4" CROWN, 18GUAGE, ITEM # GRL11 ....and.... 1/2" No. 5416-D STAINLESS
comparison.JPG
 
First lets take a few minutes to type about safety. WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES. Its real easy to shoot a staple in your eye.

I want 3/16 crown 5400 series staples! I can find nothing better for what I want to do with them. These 3/16 crown 5400 series staples are alive and well in the world of carpet layers. I must have stainless steel or monel!

Lets not give up on the search. Think carpet layers (also called rugger) Think sore knees. Think electric staple tacker. Think extension cords. Think about dreaming of a cordless carpet layer staple gun. Think that carpet instillation people need a narrow crown staple so staples are hidden down in the carpet. Think wooden boats. Think about carpet installations outside and in other wet areas. Think about Marty installing aluminum trim and vinyl soffit panels with his carpet layer staple gun. Think outside the box. Think about overuse of the word think?
 
i bet that electric stapler could be hacked and converted to run on a 48V lifepo4 pack you could carry around in a knapsack. no need to drag the extension cord, just a short cord from the pack to the stapler.

i have a hammer stapler that my dad bot maybe 60 years ago, so i never use it except when i have no other staple that i like since these are double width legs and i only have one box, half left of staples.
 
I'll keep looking for you!

This picture I find very interesting doing the forensics. Notice the vastly different entry hole in the plastic with the 1/4 inch crown staple. Notice how it punched a round hole in the plastic. Notice your 3/16 staples, almost like a knife cut. I'll bet your 3/16 staples have a nice pointed entry shape, and the 1/4 inch crown are just sheared almost flat.

Also my Senco SKS 1/4 inch staple gun is set up to over drive and counter sink the 1/4 inch crown staples about 0.032 inches deep. I didn't mention that I have used that tool and those staples to build cabinets for all our homes over the past 38 years... If you don't want it to overdrive, you have to grind down the driving hammer in the staple gun. Reducing air pressure will help, but it still will overtravel and rebound.

file.php
 
pressure reduction can help the counter sinking, except when it gets to the low point and doesn't sink it fully, but i think the curve at the elbow of the staple maybe is the reason the plastic is cracking too. the large radius on that bend allows the plastic to be put in shear and that may be what is tearing the plastic apart.
 
Boat load of 5416-DSS Staples are ordered :!:
5400 series
20 Gauge I think?
3/16 inch crown
1/2 inch legs
Divergent Point
Stainless Steel
Crowns of the staples will be painted WHITE

Marty's Staple Company needs a name.

STAINLESSSTEELSTAPLE.COM is available :!: Bought it :D

Hosting is all set up and should be up and running in a few hours or days. Free hosting over at http://webmasterwebdesign.com/ Yea I own that name too. Not doing too well with web site sales. Did trade a website for a hair cut.
 
Congrats Marty, I reckon big moose was dead right about it being a great new business opportunity. good luck man.
 
I'll bet your 3/16 staples have a nice pointed entry shape, and the 1/4 inch crown are just sheared almost flat.
Click to expand...

I once saw a professional carpenter dulling the tips of large nails for a particular job. I asked him why, and he told me the pointy tips have a tendency to split the wood, and a flat tip will cut the fibers. I know that was for wood, but...maybe an influence here?
 
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