Staple size for seat cover install

sandtrack315
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sandtrack315
Edited Date/Time 4/15/2020 5:24am
I am installing a D'Cor gripper seat over the stock one on the Yamaha YZ250F. I am doing it over stock to maintain the foam, and the stock Yamaha seat needs a bit extra padding anyways.

What size staples are best? I am guessing 1/2 inch (12mm) staples would work well. I am using an electric staple gun.

Thanks!
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zippytech
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zippytech 4/13/2020 9:45am
4/13/2020 9:45am
1/4 inch stainless..

I got a new electric stapler. but I found the old manual stapler worked better. For some reason the electric when you goto staple it and you are pushing down it wanted to slip around, also on my seat pan it had a deep area that I just could not get the safety pressed so it would shoot the staple..

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smashingpumpkins167 4/13/2020 10:22am
4/13/2020 10:22am
zippytech wrote:
1/4 inch stainless.. I got a new electric stapler. but I found the old manual stapler worked better. For some reason the electric when you goto...
1/4 inch stainless..

I got a new electric stapler. but I found the old manual stapler worked better. For some reason the electric when you goto staple it and you are pushing down it wanted to slip around, also on my seat pan it had a deep area that I just could not get the safety pressed so it would shoot the staple..

I was just trying to do it with an electric stapler and it wasn't working. Time to switch to a manual
Bman_145
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Bman_145 4/13/2020 11:17am
4/13/2020 11:17am
This is what I use. The Harbor Freight ones work fine too.

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Jbulz
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Jbulz 4/13/2020 11:28am
4/13/2020 11:28am Edited Date/Time 4/13/2020 11:28am
Bman_145 wrote:
This is what I use. The Harbor Freight ones work fine too. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/13/419764/s1200_Screen_Shot_2020_04_13_at_11.16.33_AM.jpg[/img]
This is what I use. The Harbor Freight ones work fine too.

Exact same one I use and it works great. I picked mine up at Home Depot. I typically use 3/16" staples.

Before that I used a manual stapler which worked, but didn't have the long nose that the pneumatic has, so it didn't do a good job of driving the staples into tight corners. I also had a Harbor Freight electric, but it would never sink the staples.

The Shop

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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 4/13/2020 12:10pm
4/13/2020 12:10pm
Thanks! Not sure I want to buy an air compressor, so I will give it a go with the electric one first. If y'all are using 1/4, maybe I will be better off with 3/8 inch staples, as I have to get through the stock seat as well.
shmacky78
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shmacky78 4/13/2020 12:56pm
4/13/2020 12:56pm
When I used an electric, it didn’t work at all. But it was a light duty thing if I remember right. The old manual one worked somewhat. But those 1/4 staples would just bounce off the plastic most of the time. I probably wasted as many staples as I got to actually Go in. I think a pneumatic one is about the only way to go, atleast in MY experience
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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 4/13/2020 1:36pm
4/13/2020 1:36pm
shmacky78 wrote:
When I used an electric, it didn’t work at all. But it was a light duty thing if I remember right. The old manual one worked...
When I used an electric, it didn’t work at all. But it was a light duty thing if I remember right. The old manual one worked somewhat. But those 1/4 staples would just bounce off the plastic most of the time. I probably wasted as many staples as I got to actually Go in. I think a pneumatic one is about the only way to go, atleast in MY experience
Damn, might just pay an upholstery person to do it, then!

I ordered this one: https://www.amazon.com/Electric-N6033-Adjustable-Upholstery-Improvement…
zippytech
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zippytech 4/13/2020 1:40pm
4/13/2020 1:40pm
Long nose is what my electric needed to make them work, the manual I could just press much more without movement the that staples would go in.
TractionMX
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TractionMX 4/13/2020 1:45pm
4/13/2020 1:45pm
1/4" inch leg, 1/2" crown 20 gauge staples. Pneumatic staple gun around 50psi. The air staplers posted above are fine. Anything longer than 1/4' if you staple at the wrong angle will actually disintegrate the foam to little bits from gripping while riding under the seat cover, and possibly pierce the seat cover doesn't matter what brand cover you use.
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sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 4/13/2020 2:27pm
4/13/2020 2:27pm
TractionMX wrote:
1/4" inch leg, 1/2" crown 20 gauge staples. Pneumatic staple gun around 50psi. The air staplers posted above are fine. Anything longer than 1/4' if you...
1/4" inch leg, 1/2" crown 20 gauge staples. Pneumatic staple gun around 50psi. The air staplers posted above are fine. Anything longer than 1/4' if you staple at the wrong angle will actually disintegrate the foam to little bits from gripping while riding under the seat cover, and possibly pierce the seat cover doesn't matter what brand cover you use.
Well, you're a quick drive from me, so I'll probably just pay you to install it, if you guys do that.
motoGleamer
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motoGleamer 4/13/2020 2:57pm
4/13/2020 2:57pm
I just did my first seat. I used an electric stapler from Lowes (arrow cordless stapler) and T50 staples at 10mm size; from my research this seemed to be the recommended size.

I had a lot of wasted staples as other above noted due to poor staple penetration. I did find that placing the seat in the sun for an hour helped quite a bit in terms of allowing the staples to penetrate well. I had though about having an upholstery shop do mine but I think mine turned out well enough. A pneumatic stapler would likely be a much better tooln though , especially since there are small curved areas of the seat that the pointed nose of a pneumatic stapler would fit much better.

Here is my result. For anybody that has experience with this, please feel free to offer critique.




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McG194
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McG194 4/13/2020 3:05pm
4/13/2020 3:05pm
sandtrack315 wrote:
Thanks! Not sure I want to buy an air compressor, so I will give it a go with the electric one first. If y'all are using...
Thanks! Not sure I want to buy an air compressor, so I will give it a go with the electric one first. If y'all are using 1/4, maybe I will be better off with 3/8 inch staples, as I have to get through the stock seat as well.
Every man should have an air compressor. They are too cheap to not have for so many things you can do with them. I have a compressor that stays in the garage and a pancake compressor that can go with me or I actually bring it in the house when I'm doing a seat. Price is $55 and you can probably use a coupon for 20% off.


https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-compressors-tan…


That being said I would like to not have to carry a compressor inside when I do a seat. Right now I have the Arrow pneumatic as shown above but have been thinking about getting a new stapler. Has anyone used the Milwaukee M12 stapler? I have that platform and a bunch of M12 tools and am always looking for an excuse to buy more.
1
zippytech
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zippytech 4/13/2020 3:31pm
4/13/2020 3:31pm
motoGleamer wrote:
I just did my first seat. I used an electric stapler from Lowes (arrow cordless stapler) and T50 staples at 10mm size; from my research this...
I just did my first seat. I used an electric stapler from Lowes (arrow cordless stapler) and T50 staples at 10mm size; from my research this seemed to be the recommended size.

I had a lot of wasted staples as other above noted due to poor staple penetration. I did find that placing the seat in the sun for an hour helped quite a bit in terms of allowing the staples to penetrate well. I had though about having an upholstery shop do mine but I think mine turned out well enough. A pneumatic stapler would likely be a much better tooln though , especially since there are small curved areas of the seat that the pointed nose of a pneumatic stapler would fit much better.

Here is my result. For anybody that has experience with this, please feel free to offer critique.




Look good, but it looks like some of the staples could handle a little tap with a hammer.. It does look like there is none in the middle. No place to put one?

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motoGleamer
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motoGleamer 4/13/2020 6:56pm
4/13/2020 6:56pm
motoGleamer wrote:
I just did my first seat. I used an electric stapler from Lowes (arrow cordless stapler) and T50 staples at 10mm size; from my research this...
I just did my first seat. I used an electric stapler from Lowes (arrow cordless stapler) and T50 staples at 10mm size; from my research this seemed to be the recommended size.

I had a lot of wasted staples as other above noted due to poor staple penetration. I did find that placing the seat in the sun for an hour helped quite a bit in terms of allowing the staples to penetrate well. I had though about having an upholstery shop do mine but I think mine turned out well enough. A pneumatic stapler would likely be a much better tooln though , especially since there are small curved areas of the seat that the pointed nose of a pneumatic stapler would fit much better.

Here is my result. For anybody that has experience with this, please feel free to offer critique.




zippytech wrote:
Look good, but it looks like some of the staples could handle a little tap with a hammer.. It does look like there is none in...
Look good, but it looks like some of the staples could handle a little tap with a hammer.. It does look like there is none in the middle. No place to put one?

There is a deep groove next to the plastic posts so I couldnt get any staples along the edge at the mid part but I did staple the cover to the sides of the plastic posts. I'll see how it ends up holding up.

As far as the staples that weren't fully down, I ended up removing most of them and redoing them better. Some of the plastic in certain places though is just too thick or at an awkward angle/shape.
BRX-WRX
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BRX-WRX 4/13/2020 8:04pm
4/13/2020 8:04pm
1/4" and sometimes 10mm when installing cover over cover. You want the point end type staples, not the flat end type . Make sure to hold staple gun even and firm against cover pull trigger slowly helps.
sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 4/14/2020 7:32am
4/14/2020 7:32am
I think I am just going to pay someone to do it, since the tools plus cost for messing it up are much higher than just paying someone 20-30 bucks to do it.

Do you guys prefer to have an upholstery shop, or local motorcycle dealer, do it?
zippytech
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zippytech 4/14/2020 11:07am
4/14/2020 11:07am
I have only done them myself, one thing that really helps if you can find another set of hands.

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TractionMX
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TractionMX 4/14/2020 4:20pm
4/14/2020 4:20pm
Hot Tip! When I was explaining how the seat foam disintegrates from to long of a staple or improper Staple angle, Here are a few photos, foam is ruined from improper staple install angle. Alway shoot the staple toward the inside of seat, as pictured. Avoid T-50 roofing staples also they are needle sharp and worsen the situation.



5
sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 4/15/2020 5:24am
4/15/2020 5:24am
TractionMX wrote:
Hot Tip! When I was explaining how the seat foam disintegrates from to long of a staple or improper Staple angle, Here are a few photos...
Hot Tip! When I was explaining how the seat foam disintegrates from to long of a staple or improper Staple angle, Here are a few photos, foam is ruined from improper staple install angle. Alway shoot the staple toward the inside of seat, as pictured. Avoid T-50 roofing staples also they are needle sharp and worsen the situation.



Thanks! Wow, I guess water just seeps in more when the staples are too long?

What staples do you use?

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