Stapling upholstery in to plastic

[SimonCh]

G'day...

I'm looking to re-upholster some of my seats this year. The upholstery is currently held in to a plastic backing with staples. I've had a crack with a hand staple gun to no avail - the staples just bend and don't penetrate. I presume a pneumatic staple gun with stainless staples is the tool for the job - does anyone have any idea what size/weight of staples etc are suitable for such a task?

cheers,

Si

[paintman]

I'm doing mine into plywood & I use an Arrow brand heavy duty electric stapler with monel staples.
Arrow T50 10mm/3/8"size staples

I've tried them with a big hand stapler but it doesn't have the power to seat to full depth & I found I was having to finish them off with a small hammer.

Monel is rustfree & better than stainless

Don't know if thinner ones would penetrate or just bend.

Don't see any reason why a pneumatic stapler wouldn't work - I've used them, but not on boats - & might be cheaper if you already have a suitable compressor

[gary222]

a pneumatic staple gun that uses 71 gauge staples is pretty common. 10 mm staples should suffice into plastic.
Martins Upholstery suppliers would stock guns and staples although expensive for just one job! and of course you need a compressor

[Orwell boy]

Originally Posted by SimonCh

G'day...

I'm looking to re-upholster some of my seats this year. The upholstery is currently held in to a plastic backing with staples. I've had a crack with a hand staple gun to no avail - the staples just bend and don't penetrate. I presume a pneumatic staple gun with stainless staples is the tool for the job - does anyone have any idea what size/weight of staples etc are suitable for such a task?

cheers,

Si

I had some great fun last winter re upholstering my boat .i had the good fortune to have a friend who,s an upholsterer who was going to do it but he was too busy so helped me by lending me a pnumatic gun and instructed me to go for 316 stainless staples ,304 are no good for salt water exposure ,
so be careful ,you need to get a gun to suit the 316 staple availiabilty ,not the cheapest but what all the pro upholsterers use (i will check size for you in shed tommorow )
Finishing the staples with a hammer is not a bad thing as you may damage the fabric with too much pressure on a pnumatic gun ,fire your staples in to hold your stretch in place which can be set for your plastic backing ,then when you are satisfied use a small hammer to home your staples permaneant ,if you need a second chance you can easily remove staples if they are not completely home
i bought a million staples i think for about £30 ,so if you dont need too many i can prob send you 6 or 8 strips ,if it will help
very enjoyable craft
yes 71 series was what i bought https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133894859092

[SimonCh]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

I had some great fun last winter re upholstering my boat .i had the good fortune to have a friend who,s an upholsterer who was going to do it but he was too busy so helped me by lending me a pnumatic gun and instructed me to go for 316 stainless staples ,304 are no good for salt water exposure ,
so be careful ,you need to get a gun to suit the 316 staple availiabilty ,not the cheapest but what all the pro upholsterers use (i will check size for you in shed tommorow )
Finishing the staples with a hammer is not a bad thing as you may damage the fabric with too much pressure on a pnumatic gun ,fire your staples in to hold your stretch in place which can be set for your plastic backing ,then when you are satisfied use a small hammer to home your staples permaneant ,if you need a second chance you can easily remove staples if they are not completely home
i bought a million staples i think for about £30 ,so if you dont need too many i can prob send you 6 or 8 strips ,if it will help
very enjoyable craft
yes 71 series was what i bought https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133894859092

Thanks for the updates everyone! exactly the info i was after. I'm fortunate enough to have a compressor so will go down the pneumatic route - still much cheaper than paying a professional.

I'll do it to my usual standards - "i'm rough, but i'm cheap".

I will take you up on the offer of the staples please, if nothing else it will prove that my setup is suitable prior to me buying a big box - will drop you a DM!

[Salty Pete]

Originally Posted by paintman

I'm doing mine into plywood & I use an Arrow brand heavy duty electric stapler with monel staples.
Arrow T50 10mm/3/8"size staples

I've tried them with a big hand stapler but it doesn't have the power to seat to full depth & I found I was having to finish them off with a small hammer.

Monel is rustfree & better than stainless

Don't know if thinner ones would penetrate or just bend.

Don't see any reason why a pneumatic stapler wouldn't work - I've used them, but not on boats - & might be cheaper if you already have a suitable compressor

Stainless is used by professionals because it looks nice.