# I love my crown stapler



## Ardilla (Jul 17, 2006)

bnatural said:


> I am in love and have a new best friend.


I think there are support groups for these kind of relationships.


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## Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary (May 22, 2007)

I just finished 20 frames in short order this evening with my new Bostich 18 ga crown stapler that arrived today from Amazon (got a good price on a factory refurb.) My first experience with assembling frames was a little over three years ago when I assembled 200 by hand in two days (I wired them all too!) So After that I borrowed a pnuematic stapler from a friend I vowed never to do frames by hand again! 

-Nathanael


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## phil c (Jan 21, 2007)

I started using an air stapler/nailer last year, I wouldnt be withiut it now! 
The one I got is a really inexpensive one. I got it for around $10 at Harbor freight. It will shoot both 1/4 crown staples and wire brads. I use the staples down thru the top bar and up thru the bottom bar, then I put a brad crosswise thru the top bar and side piece, the I can also use brads to set in the wedge. 
I think it takes less than 1/4 of the time to put together a batch of frames. I also use a frame jig I picked up from Kelly.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Ok lets revise this old thread! I have a harbor freight brad nailer but still pulling frame tops off. Started gluing them and figured I was doing it wrong because still pulling them apart. I was thinking of getting a stapler for frames and was looking for recommendations. I love the idea of a harbour freight $20.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

minz said:


> Ok lets revise this old thread! I have a harbor freight brad nailer but still pulling frame tops off. Started gluing them and figured I was doing it wrong because still pulling them apart. I was thinking of getting a stapler for frames and was looking for recommendations. I love the idea of a harbour freight $20.


What kind of glue? Titebond 2 or 3 and 1.25" staples makes them about bulletproof. How are you popping them off?


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

jwcarlson said:


> How are you popping them off?


My thoughts too.

I use Titebond 3 and 1 1/2 stables, and I never, ever, pull a top bar off. If you are pulling a lot of top bars off, it may be that your bee space is off and the bees are gluing them down more than they should.

I like the Hitachi stapler, but, it is more pricey than the Harbor Freight. (about $70.00). Never used the Harbor Fright stapler so cannot comment on it. All the staples I use come from Harbor Freight, and, I never have a problem with them and they are about half the price of Senco or DeWalt.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

I LOVE my Harbor Freight stapler. I just used 1.5" staples in it for the first time and it does not like them at all. Supposed to be able to do 1 5/8". It won't feed them. It's a different brand of staples though. Not sure what kind, but I might try to get Home Depot to take them back.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

jwcarlson said:


> I LOVE my Harbor Freight stapler. I just used 1.5" staples in it for the first time and it does not like them at all. .


I use Harbor Freight staples and I have never had a problem with them. In fairness, I have heard of people who say the Harbor Freight staples will not work well in their stapler, but, that has not been my experience.

cchoganjr


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

JW, If you love the stapler which size / brand fed so well if the 1.5” did not?
I may have bee space issues, I may also have others frames that have come in since one of the ones I popped the top bar off of had plastic foundation (and I do not do plastic foundation, all plastic or wax and wire). I use tightbond II, it has been mentioned before that I do most of my woodworking below the 50 degree minimum recommended temperature of the product.
I am torn; I like to buy tools only one time. I am 10 miles to the closest store so if it fails when I need it really pisses me off. I usually find that if I take home the HF tools and just use it hard for about 30 minutes it either fails to work out of the box or runs for 10 years. I had a spray gun that I returned 3 times before I had to go get a Jet.
You are hard pressed to get pizza for $20 they want for a tool.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

REVIEW:
OK, I went out and picked up the HF 2 in 1 nailer / stapler ($22-20% off coupon for $18.39). I picked up a box of staples ($16.99 for 1 ½” and $10 for ½”). 
First impressions was it was very light and looked more durable than I was expecting.
I liked the loading port better than my brad gun. The staples were narrower than expected. It shot the ½” without flaws for about a ½ of a strip of staples and I was impressed with the performance (low expectations). I liked how easy it was to change the staples to larger staples.
I built 100 frames (60 mediums 40 deeps one per corner of the frame) that evening. 10 at a time, using a frame jig (so not rapid firing 400 staples). I had twice where I must have ‘double tapped’ the trigger sending two into the frame (one would seat 100% one would be ¼” out) I had about 5 instances where the staple would shoot out the side of the frame following the grain. 
Conclusion: reminded me of a Polaroid camera where they would give you the camera and charge you for the film. Frame wise I would have gone with shorter staples (maybe 1 1/4) as the lower hole of the frames sometimes had a staple blocking the hole for the wire.
Performance wise-exceeded expectations for the short trial.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> I use Harbor Freight staples and I have never had a problem with them. In fairness, I have heard of people who say the Harbor Freight staples will not work well in their stapler, but, that has not been my experience.
> 
> cchoganjr


The HF stapler rocks!

Have to disagree on the staples. The Senco staples have a cement coating (Sencoat) on them that is glue. The force of pushing the staple in activates that glue. SENCO staples or forget it. Cement coated nails or staples are WAY harder to pull. Am a carpenter. Take my word for it plz.

If you doubt me, try driving some nails in part way and pulling them. Compare bright 16d double head mason nails to the 16d cement coated nails a framer would use. The bright nails practically fall out. This fact cost my boss his life. This is also why you do not use roofing nails to attach sheet rock on a ceiling. (they fall out) That's the proof. Have pulled a nail or two in my career.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

minz said:


> JW, If you love the stapler which size / brand fed so well if the 1.5” did not?


Porter Cable 1.25" were great... I am unsure of the brand of the 1.5" ones, they are from Home Depot though. They did not have Porter Cable 1.5". I was hesitant to buy them... wish I would have just used my 1.25" instead.



aunt betty said:


> If you doubt me, try driving some nails in part way and pulling them. Compare bright 16d double head mason nails to the 16d cement coated nails a framer would use. The bright nails practically fall out. This fact cost my boss his life. This is also why you do not use roofing nails to attach sheet rock on a ceiling. (they fall out) That's the proof. Have pulled a nail or two in my career.


I'm not doubting your assessment of the nails, but I have tried pulling out the Porter Cable staples and have failed miserably. I usually flex them until they break or just pound them flat into the wood.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

The only Harbor Freight staples I have ever had a problem with are their 1/2" staples. The problem was that they were a bit bowed out and would sit stuck in the feed slot high enough to make the stapler dry fire without feeding a staple. Everything else I have bought from HF - 5/8" - 1 1/2" staples I have never had any issues with. Five years in and none of the staples I used on my hives have started working their way out of boxes yet the few nails I've used have started working their way out.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

rwurster, I am wondering if that's the problem I am having with the 1.5" ones I bought. Misshaped stack or something. They don't feed until I release the spring and rerack it. Which is annoying.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

Yeah took me a minute to figure it out but when the staples wouldn't fall out of the track it got me wondering. Now I get a ripped piece of stock and push down on one side of the stack of staples and that usually fixes the problem


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## DirtyLittleSecret (Sep 10, 2014)

Since my Mann Lake order of 800 frames came in yesterday (sounds like fun doesnt it), I figured I'd go pick up a Harbor Freight stapler to make it more enjoyable. Wrong move. After just 20 staples it jammed 4 times and then double fed. Changed brands of staples. Same. Evidently got a bad one. 
Went to HD and picked up the Ridgid and in ~50 staples not a hiccup! That, and it'll go with all my other Ridgid equipment.
I dont want to commit a fashion faus pax in the shop!


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

DirtyLittleSecret:
Did you get the stapler or the nail/stapler combo? I have heard that the combo one is not nearly so good as the standalone stapler. How long are the staples? Mine won't feed these 1.5" staples I have, which is disappointing. But 1.25" ones it feeds all day. 

Regarding 800 frames, I actually enjoy frame assembly. With a jig it is pretty mindless and I just chug them out. I can finish 10 frames glued and stapled in less than 7 minutes with my jig. Makes quick work of them. I cannot imagine nailing together frames. If anyone does, I have a whole bunch of frame nails that I'll ship to you (at your expense). I will never use them.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

I have a Harbor Freight nail/stapler combo and have never had any problems with it in over 5 years.I used Senco staples till the lumberyard changed over to Grip Right and had no problems with them.I use a lot of 1 1/2" staples and no problems with them either.


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## DirtyLittleSecret (Sep 10, 2014)

JWCarlson-
Nope. Went with the dedicated crown stapler as I saw several people had commented negatively on the combo model. Went with 1.25" and 1.0" which seems will cover all my needs for now. Just did 100 frames without a single blow out or jam = happy purchase. Yeah, a jig makes ALL the difference but combined with a stapler, my workbench is turning into a machine.




jwcarlson said:


> DirtyLittleSecret:
> Did you get the stapler or the nail/stapler combo? I have heard that the combo one is not nearly so good as the standalone stapler. How long are the staples? Mine won't feed these 1.5" staples I have, which is disappointing. But 1.25" ones it feeds all day.
> 
> Regarding 800 frames, I actually enjoy frame assembly. With a jig it is pretty mindless and I just chug them out. I can finish 10 frames glued and stapled in less than 7 minutes with my jig. Makes quick work of them. I cannot imagine nailing together frames. If anyone does, I have a whole bunch of frame nails that I'll ship to you (at your expense). I will never use them.


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