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How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

This post offers valuable professional advice for selecting the perfect construction stapler for any budget or purpose. It outlines the various types of construction staplers, their features, and their respective benefits. Additionally, readers learn how to determine their desired features, evaluate their budget constraints, and choose the right equipment for their specific job requirements. The ultimate goal is to maximize the value of the purchase while meeting the necessary performance needs for the job.

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We continue to choose professionally with you. A lot of tools have already revealed their secrets to us, but so far we have not talked about the stapler. For quite a long time, the construction stapler has become an indispensable and irreplaceable component of the master’s arsenal, regardless of the type of activity. Today we will consider the features of this tool.

Today I would like to tell you about a very simple but extremely interesting tool. He has a narrow specialization, but performs a thousand and one operations. It is durable and functional, but relatively inexpensive. By striking, he creates. So, we meet – construction stapler.

The stapler dates back to the eighteenth century. They say that for the first time the device for driving staples was used in France, of course, at the royal court. In the nineteenth century, in connection with the development of printing and book printing, the stapler received a new round of development. In 1866, a mechanism was patented for joining sheets of paper using metal staples, a year later – for thin brass sheets. However, the tacker, stapler, stapler, nailer, stapler, stapler received real recognition only recently, especially when it comes to its construction use..

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

As soon as the first staplers appeared in our country, they made a splash in the circle of domestic renovators. With this tool, literally everything that the bracket could pierce was shot, there were even attempts to fasten drywall to a wooden frame.

Once there was just an anecdotal situation. Our guys glued cork wallpaper, which did not want to join in any way, so they decided to temporarily grab them with staples until the glue seized. It was at this time that the customer (a very influential person in our country) came to the object and saw how we were using the stapler. He silently took out his cell phone and said into the receiver: “Ivan Ivanovich (an even more famous person), did these builders, whom you advised, put a cork on the glue? Yes? And they joke me with a stapler … ”. It turned out he was just joking.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

How the stapler works

The main work in the stapler is performed by an uncomplicated percussion mechanism. Mechanical and electrical tackers have a coil or flat spring spring in their design, which is cocked using a motor or muscle force (a pneumatic stapler functions a little differently, but we’ll talk about that later).

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

So, by pulling the trigger, or moving the lever to the extreme position, we release the firing pin. The latter, obeying elementary physical laws, pulls out a separate bracket from the clip and drives it into the material. The staples are loaded into the pistol magazine like a clerical stapler, they are also (using a spring pusher) fed into the outlet channel area. It is believed that, unlike the office brother, this tool simply drives the tooling into the base, but in fact there are models with a reciprocal “anvil”, due to which the legs of the bracket are bent.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

Basically, the equipped tacker replaces a hammer with nails, only one press is required to complete the task, instead of several separate hits. Note that if earlier staplers shot the material only with staples, now they can hammer in nails and even various kinds of mounting pins – pins.

Due to its unique design, the taker has become a very popular tool with many advantages:

  • nailing materials to each other does not take much physical strength;
  • in comparison with using a hammer, installation takes several times less time;
  • in most cases, only one hand is involved, with the other we can help ourselves;
  • as a rule, there is no need to press on the tool, which is very convenient when working in an unstable position, for example, on a stepladder;
  • a springy part is easily nailed;
  • you can “crawl” into the squeezed place;
  • the kinetic energy is transmitted very precisely, there is no danger of damaging the basic workpiece (eg when glazing). No vibration, chips, scratches;
  • true versatility due to the variety of consumables;
  • a small number of moving parts – reliability, durability, ease of use and maintenance;
  • consumables are not subject to corrosion;
  • high degree of safety – sharp equipment is closed inside the case, a fuse system is used for non-mechanical devices. Finger punches need not be feared.

What a stapler is capable of

The modern stapler performs two main types of tasks. The first is nailing one material to another. As a rule, the base is plastic, wood or its derivatives (chipboard, OSB, plywood), but everything that the taker can pierce is attached to it. The second task is to stitch together equivalent parts with the bend of the staple. In any case, the connection turns out to be very reliable, especially if you use tools with an asymmetric sharpening or melting coating.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

The stapler of furniture craftsmen and decorators was very fond of. This tool has found wide application in construction and production. Almost every home craftsman has a similar machine in his arsenal. Here are just some of the operations that a taker can perform:

  • fastening of various furniture upholstery and structural elements;
  • drapery;
  • fixation on the frames of canvases, posters, reproductions;
  • nailing sheet materials (fiberboard, chipboard, OSB, plywood, foil, tin) to the frames;
  • manufacturing of modules, subsystems and battens;
  • installation of roofing material and bituminous tiles;
  • installation of insulating materials, films, membranes and heaters;
  • facing surfaces with plastic and wooden clapboard, siding;
  • assembly of floors from grooved boards;
  • fixing carpets;
  • laying of power and low-current electrical cables;
  • setting a perforated corner;
  • installation of film greenhouses and hotbeds;
  • stitching of corrugated board;
  • assembly of pallets and packing frames;
  • fastening glazing beads on wooden euro windows.

Of course, not every mechanical stapler can do all the jobs listed here. But electric and pneumatic tackers are much more productive, they are capable of anything. Let’s figure out how takers differ, and what is intended for what.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

Mechanical stapler

The modern mechanical stapler is beautiful in its own way, like a medieval crossbow or AK-47. You take this graceful little thing in your hands and you understand: here it is – perfection. There is nothing superfluous in it, it is simple and infinitely reliable.

Mechanical models of staplers are distinguished by the least complex design, which does not require special skills from the user. They have almost no wear parts, in fact, these are only springs. Mechanical tackers require general purpose lubricants, just apply them from time to time. The main advantage of such devices, of course, lies in absolute autonomy, independence from electrical and air networks, they are always ready to work. Such models are the lightest and most compact, their ergonomics are positively affected by the absence of power cables, hoses and batteries..

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

Mechanical staplers are powered exclusively by muscular strength. However, it is not always a manual machine. In workshop production, stationary staplers are often used, in which (by means of a system of rods and levers) the drive is carried out by the operator’s foot. Unfortunately, it is difficult to perform large volumes of work with a mechanical staple gun, and not every material is subject to them, for each device there is an insurmountable limitation on the length of the equipment.

The main parts of the stapler are made of alloy or structural steel. The body of ultra-light hobby models can be made of shockproof ABS plastic (Rapid-R53 ERGONOMIC). In this case, it is preferable if the lever is metal, since the main force is applied to it. It is believed that the best option is when the casing is collapsible, assembled with screws, not rivets, which makes it possible to get to the “insides” and make cleaning, necessary repairs. The robust, stable housing provides the stapler with durability and high quality of operations. Light alloy cast cases have excellent strength / weight characteristics. All steel casings are protected with a special coating – powder painting or nickel / chrome plating.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

When choosing a stapler, you should pay attention to the type of percussion mechanism. A torsion (twisted) spring requires a lot of effort, and therefore the recoil from the tool is quite noticeable. Leaf springs are used in professional models. It is much easier to “cocking” and provides less recoil, but a machine with this design will cost more. In general, the problem of recoil for the stapler is very serious. To neutralize the recoil, all kinds of shock-absorbing, damping pads on the handles are used, special design solutions for the cases, when the energy is evenly distributed over the entire palm. Low recoil and low noise level directly indicate the quality and manufacturability of the tool.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

It is not clear how manufacturers do this, but in some models, the force on the operating lever must be applied unevenly. At the extreme point, when the compression work is carried out with an open hand, the lever moves relatively easily, and when we press it closer to the body, the spring “resists” much more, but the hand’s capabilities also increase. Thanks to this load distribution, you can work for a long time without fatigue. By the way, it will not be superfluous to look at the so-called “grip angle” – how far in the initial position the lever is retracted from the body (the smaller this distance, the more convenient the tool is, especially for working “on weight”).

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

The most important element of a mechanical tacker is the breakdown force adjustment mechanism. With the help of a grooved wheel (STAYER 31510) or a switch, you can adapt to the material of a certain hardness. For example, pine requires minimal force, while chipboard or plastic requires the full potential of the spring. This option allows you to drive a staple or nail exactly flush with the plane, without “undercutting” and without excessive immersion, in which the target material is torn or dents from the striker remain.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

A very useful feature is the possibility of a double blow (reusable shot), when you can make an additional impulse on an unfinished bracket. In this case, the feed mechanism for consumables is disabled..

To drive in the tooling at a given distance from the edge of the part, use all kinds of distance stops, guide elements or hooks (BOSCH HT8).

To crawl the instrument into a hard-to-reach place, the nose of the exit channel is sometimes made protruding.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

To exclude the involuntary actuation of the cocked stapler during storage and transportation, use the “shockless descent” function. In a certain position, the lever, without interacting with the spring, folds to the body and is fixed with a latch or ring (HAMMER SET8). There is no need to make a “shot in the air” or completely empty the store.

About Store. It is important that it closes securely when loaded. Loading operations are much easier to carry out if the stocks are inserted into the pistol (by analogy with a stationery), rather than being pushed through a slot. It is very convenient to be able to control the number of remaining staples in the store without disassembling it – through the viewing window. A plus is the presence of a safety system, which requires turning the gun upside down when disassembling the feed unit (Novus J-19 EADHG).

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

The most important aspect of choosing a mechanical stapler is the standard size of the standard equipment. The classic option is to equip the device with a U-shaped bracket of a certain thickness, width, with different lengths of legs. There are “cable” staplers, which have a round groove in the working part, allowing you to put the tool on a low-current cable (4–8 mm in diameter, voltage up to 50 volts) and mount it with a U-shaped bracket. By the way, in nature there are special brackets working with an insulating gasket for fastening rather large power wires (Novus J 19 OKY).

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

Universal tackers have gained great popularity, capable of simultaneously working with straight and rounded staples, as well as small nails and pins that are loaded to the right or left of the striker. One way or another, but pay attention to the maximum permissible length of the recommended consumables and the width of the rig (staples with a large plane better hold thin materials, for example, plastic wrap). Bending staples are used to staple cardboard – a stapler will be required with a counter anvil.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

A separate type of mechanical staplers are staple hammers (hammer tackers), which have a longitudinal arrangement. The work in such machines is performed under the influence of inertia – we simply hit the plane with the tool. A hammer stapler cannot provide jewelry fastening accuracy, but it is indispensable in large areas, when you need to quickly shoot any thin sheet material (for example, a strip of roofing material or a diffusion membrane). The length of the bracket for such a tool is usually limited to 10 millimeters. Here again, Novus and Stayer succeeded..

Electric stapler

Electrically powered tackers are significantly more functional and stronger than mechanical models, since the motor does all the hard work for us. Here, manufacturers can use more stubborn springs, which means they can get a greater impact force at the output, and, accordingly, complete the tool with large consumables. The electric stapler has all the useful options of a simple stapler except for portability (requires an outlet). The problem, of course, is solved by using a battery, but the question of mass and capacity arises..

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

The power of electric staplers can reach 1500 W (BLACK&DECKER KX418E), which allows you to drive the rig to a very decent depth. For example, the Rapid EN50 pistol is capable of handling 50 mm studs. On average, the “ceiling” along the length of the staple is 25 mm, while for “muscle” machines – about 10-15 mm.

To protect against electric shock, the developers used plastic covers and rubberized pads on the handle. The power cord and motor windings are double insulated. By the way, a solid length of the supply cable (5 meters or more) is considered a good form – it seriously improves the ergonomics of the product.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

The main components of the tacker, and the sole in particular, are made of metal, which affects the durability and functionality of the tool. However, the weight of the electric stapler (let’s add here the mass of the engine) often exceeds the 2 kilogram mark.

Naturally, the stapler with a motor has a number of interesting systems: smooth (Metabo Ta M 3034) or step (Sparky T 14) adjustment of the impact force, protection against accidental starting, safety locks, pulse frequency control, depth sensors, automatic reusable impact (Novus J -155 A), fastener remover, blow with two staples, pressure shot on tip (Bosch PTK 14 E).

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

Many craftsmen have complaints about the low rate of fire of electric staplers, so you should pay attention to such a characteristic of the tool as the maximum number of pulses in a certain time. For average models, this figure is in the range of 20-30 shots per minute..

In the case of rechargeable electric tackers, take a look at the capacity of the battery, the rate at which it is fully charged. It is great if there is a second power unit, or if it is interchangeable with a battery from another tool of the same manufacturer. For example, the Makita BST220RFE comes with two 14.4-volt 3 Ah power supplies that charge in just 20 minutes. And Makita BST 221 Z is sold “in its pure form” – completely without a charger and a battery, but such a device is half the price of an equipped analogue. In general, a BL1830 18-volt lithium block of the “slider” type is installed on this machine..

When it comes to the performance of battery-powered cars, it is just impressive at the moment. Staples and nails up to 30 mm in length, thousands of shots per charge, rate of fire up to 30 beats per minute (BOSCH PTK 3.6 V). And this with a stapler weight of 1.7-2.5 kg (Makita T221DW – 1.7 kg, RYOBI CNS1801M – 2 kg).

Makita T221DW Makita T221DW

Pneumatic stapler

The compressed air tacker is the most powerful tool of any stapler. Not surprisingly, they are direct cousins ​​of monsters that hammer mounting pins into concrete and steel (similar to a powder pistol) or huge nails into wood – up to the hundredth size. There is no main spring in their mechanism, and the main performer of the work is the pneumatic cylinder, to which air is supplied from a pneumatic valve controlled by a pedal (for stationary models) or a trigger (for hand tools). The design of such machines is quite simple, they are durable and easy to maintain, you only need to clean the tool occasionally. Inexpensive O-rings are considered to be wear parts of pneumatic staplers..

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

However, compressed air (compressor) is required for pneumatics, and for some industrial specimens there is also a separate power supply line. It is believed that this tool is mainly used in medium and large production. The most important characteristics of pneumatic staplers are working pressure and, to some extent, air consumption per blow. There are models that operate at a pressure of 4 bar, and there are those that require 6-8 bar. With a lack of air (flow), usually there are no problems, because this is not a spray gun. It turns out that an average mobile compressor with a 25-liter receiver, which costs about $ 200, can handle such equipment. That is why pneumatic staplers are increasingly used in small workshops and on construction sites..

What pneumatics is especially appreciated for is its rate of fire. A pistol that drives one clip per second (SENCO SFT 10) is considered the norm, which is twice as fast as any electrical counterpart.

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice

Interestingly, with an abundance of metal parts, the average pneumatic tacker weighs almost as much as its mechanical counterpart – about a kilogram. Besides, it is quite compact.

Naturally, such staplers have all the useful properties of electric staplers, as well as a set of their own features. These are blocking systems, contact and separate start (BOSCH GTK 40 Professional), shock adjustment, anti-jam mechanism, removable filter (Makita AT2550A), multiple shock …

How to choose a construction stapler: professional advice Makita AT2550A

Many pneumatic staplers easily handle long and wide staples (up to 50 mm), medium nails. They are the most productive.

We emphasize once again, no matter what type of stapler you choose – pay attention to the equipment with which it works. It is its standard size that most of all can tell about the true purpose of the instrument. Use exclusively “branded” consumables, this is the only way to count on a long service life of the taker.

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Comments: 2
  1. Ember

    I am quite unfamiliar with construction staplers and I am looking to purchase one. Can anyone provide some professional advice on how to choose the right construction stapler? What features should I consider and what are some key factors to keep in mind before making a decision? Thank you in advance for your help!

    Reply
  2. Benjamin Foster

    I’m new to construction and I’m looking to invest in a construction stapler. Can anyone provide some professional advice on what factors to consider when choosing a construction stapler? What are the key features or specifications to look for? Any specific brands or models recommended by experts in the field? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply
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