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By IvanD
#10705
I am hooked to stapler. Cannot do without one :) But seriously. First I had this stapler(I paid $10 not sure whats up with prices) which didn't last at all with upholstery. It constantly jammed, had to clean out after each staple. Finally side hooks just broke off:


Now I got this one and it is monster!


However, with this one I have to "squeeze" each staple with pliers to make it flat before sewing. And then it is real PITA to pull staples after sewing. I feel like tons of time wasted on stapling and removing staples. But I have no issues sewing any kind of complexity parts.

So, I am trying (on simple parts) just to align them with my hands but for headrests or any other small parts with curves when I have scrim foam, etc I feel like I need it.

Do pro's use this method? (I found this tip in Chechaflo videos)

And if not, how do you get off it? I am perfectly fine with tape as allowance guide. I do French seams using edge of a foot. So, I'm getting faster. But this stapling just kills me.
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By Revv Up
#10706
I’m no pro but I tend to align by hand, I don’t like the thought of staples dragging across the bed of my machine. Sometimes on real tricky stuff I will staple so the sharp parts end up at the top.... and then pull them out when they get close to the needle. Maybe just a tad obsessive compulsive :astonished:
By IvanD
#10708
I do worry about it too. Especially with those HD staples. I staple on edge so I rarely touch it with machine foot. And I have tape on table and machine...
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By John Long
#10709
I would take the tape off. Your machine does not need to be protected. It is built to take ten times the punishment you are going to give it for years.

My concern is the bottom layer of material needs to slide freely so the feed dog can move it at the same speed as the top layer. If you add the friction of that tape to your work, you will need to staple it in order for it to feed evenly. :smiley: Some trimmers actually keep silicone on their machine to help the material slide.

There is no doubt the hardest thing about auto trimming is the actual sewing. When you watch somebody else do it you do not realize the skill involved. AFAIK, there is no substitute for practice. Talent is God given but skill is developed.

John

BTW, I also like my stapler and use it fairly often.
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By Adam12
#10710
"Ace Clipper" staplers and their brand of staples is what we use. Have noticed that cheap ebay staples seem to jam them up for whatever reason, so you may try a different source and get better performance. You'll get to the point where you dont need them in that fashion(sounds like you may even be there) just gotta trust your skills and take that leap of faith.
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By trimmer2
#10713
I don't consider stapling a bad habit especially if your sewing intricate pieces together (lets you know if your going to have a problem with your marks before you sew it three quarters together) I use the Arrow P-22 with 5/16" staples
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By IvanD
#10716
John Long wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 8:21 am I would take the tape off. Your machine does not need to be protected. It is built to take ten times the punishment you are going to give it for years.

My concern is the bottom layer of material needs to slide freely so the feed dog can move it at the same speed as the top layer. If you add the friction of that tape to your work, you will need to staple it in order for it to feed evenly. :smiley: Some trimmers actually keep silicone on their machine to help the material slide.

There is no doubt the hardest thing about auto trimming is the actual sewing. When you watch somebody else do it you do not realize the skill involved. AFAIK, there is no substitute for practice. Talent is God given but skill is developed.

John

BTW, I also like my stapler and use it fairly often.
John,

Maybe machine will last but I don’t want it to look like attached. My Consew looks brand new or close. No need to put scratches.

As far as friction. Masking tape probably has lower friction than painted surface. And there’s definitely no friction between masking tape and sewing foam.
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By BigRig
#10718
@IvanD, I am gathering you are not in the USA. Given your material and equipment sourcing maybe you will want to give a USA supply company an e-mail and see if they can send you supplies. You would be guaranteed equipment/supply made for the trade.
By trimmer2
#10721
I agree it adds time and if your just doing knock it out work speed is important If your working on the kind of vehicle where things must be perfect (not just good) and cost isn't an issue a little extra time doesn't matter And I consider myself a Pro
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By Coaldigger
#10722
Does anyone reduce stitch length to help with tight radius and curves? If so how tight 3mm, 4mm, ?

I know with cloth material you can but how short of a stitch would start to compromise vinyl or leather?

Might help to get away from stapler.
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By John
#10724
@trimmer2 I apologize. I did not mean to imply your were not a pro. I was just saying that I haven't seen many shops using that method. Your right about the jobs were time isn't an issue.

@Coaldigger I personally have never done that on tight corners and have never had any issues. Is set my stitch length to about 1/8 inch for all my base seams. Smaller than that I start to worry about weakening the material. On top stitches I chose whatever length looks best for the project.
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By IvanD
#10733
I am not a pro but do the same. I set machine for smaller stitches like 1/8 for everything and set for almost max for top-stitching. With those machines stitch size get's smaller with material thickness. So, I get probably 5mm top stitches
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By Coaldigger
#10741
Thank you @John and @IvanD that helps me a lot. I was trying to sew curves and everything everything around 1/4 inch. I haven’t used the stapler trick. Trying to learn the way you do on the videos. I just gotta convert everything to metric from sae because my consew stitch dial is in mm.
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By Adam12
#10746
Maybe a touch off topic, but how i typically use these type staplers is for setting/marking darts on a pattern. Pinch your patterning media so it lays the way you want, then you pop a couple staples at the bottom of the dart to hold it...now you have both hands free to mark it accurately. Dontmean to hijack, just wanted to share. I sure was impressed when i was shown, though i am sure this is nothing new to many of you here.
By IvanD
#10747
Adam12 wrote:Maybe a touch off topic, but how i typically use these type staplers is for setting/marking darts on a pattern. Pinch your patterning media so it lays the way you want, then you pop a couple staples at the bottom of the dart to hold it...now you have both hands free to mark it accurately. Dontmean to hijack, just wanted to share. I sure was impressed when i was shown, though i am sure this is nothing new to many of you here.
Hm. Not sure I understand what you mean. Can you post picture of this? What is "darts on pattern"?
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By Adam12
#10751
I'll be patterning tomorrow if the weather cooperates. I'll take several pictures and post them with detailed explanations. I can start a new topic if @John wishes.
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By John
#10762
Thanks @Adam12 It would probably be helpful to start that under a new topic but its still about staplers so your fine to post it here too. The reason I ask you guys to start a new topic when the discussion changes drasticaly is because it makes it easier to find things in the search. These conversations help more people than you we realize. Documenting our conversations on this forum will help people for years to come that are encountering the same problems we have. Thanks!

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