A furniture stapler or, as they like to call it, a strobostrel is a very necessary thing. But sometimes, even when recently purchased, it starts to work incorrectly and either does not drive the staples into the tree completely, or they completely get stuck in the tool. In most cases, this is "cured" by simple tuning or is due to improper use of the tool. But there are situations when the stapler has already worked out its resource to such an extent that the parts in it simply wear out or they lead over time. How to fix the stapler so that it works again as before, and is it possible to do this in principle?
The principle of operation of the stapler
It's clear to anyone who knows mechanics how this tool works. It is clear that the bracket can only be clogged with an impact mechanism driven by a powerful steel spring. It is cocked by pressing the cocking lever. When we squeeze the palm, the spring is compressed. At some point, the lever releases the spring and it, instantly straightening, activates the percussion mechanism, which, hitting the bracket, hammers it into the desired material.
Two main varieties and their device
But forin order to start repairing the stapler or, due to malfunctions, to understand what can “break” in it or cause these problems, you should familiarize yourself with the structure of the staplers in more detail. Two types of mechanical furniture staplers are presented to your attention, which are most common. The most common is this option, in which the spring adjustment screw is located on top.
Here is another type of stapler where the spring tension screw is under the handle. This is a rarer variety.
It can be seen that the principle of operation of both mechanisms is similar, and therefore the setup and repair will be almost the same, as well as the causes of problems with the operation of the tool.
Problem of Incomplete Stapling
Such a thing is solved by simply tuning the instrument. If the stapler does not clog the staples, no repair is needed. It is enough to tighten the spring adjustment screw. The more the screw is screwed in, the more stress the spring will be under and the next descent will finish the bracket to the end.
If the problem is not in the settings and before that the stapler worked fine and suddenly stopped, most likely the problem is that one of the regular staples was jammed and stuck in the slot. Over and over again, the impact mechanism strikes it, but it is stuck firmly, thereby preventing the magazine clamping device from bringing the next bracket to the “starting” position. Hereyou need to open the store and remove the jammed bracket. The next shot will make everything fall into place.
There are staples in the store, but the stapler does not clog them
How to fix the stapler in such a situation? Most likely, in this case, you just need to lubricate the head of the clamping mechanism of the staples. You should open the store, remove the staples, drop oil on the rammer and develop it. When you are satisfied that the rammer slides perfectly in the magazine folding frame, reload the staples and test the tool.
Bent staple problem
In this case, the material is too thick for the staples you have selected. This is treated either by buying stronger branded staples made of quality metal, or by replacing longer ones with shorter ones. Staples with short legs will fit into dense material without any deformation, and they will hold almost the same as long ones, due to the hardness of the wood or other material into which they are driven.
The problem of issuing a pair of staples at once
How to repair a stapler with your own hands, if it started to issue a pair of staples at once? This problem is more serious. Due to improper use or over time, the striker of the impact mechanism may be deformed. If the metal from which the striking part of the mechanism was made was of poor quality, which applies to almost all cheap and Chinese models, its striker can either flatten out or bend slightly, as a result of which, with the next blow, it will catch not one, but immediately a pair of staples. How to fix the stapler in this case and is it possible in principle? You can correct the situationbut you have to disassemble the entire stapler. You can read about the procedure in the next section.
Problem with permanently stuck staples
This problem stems from the same area as the previous case. Although the striker of the impact mechanism goes into the slot, even if it is slightly bent, staples will constantly get stuck between it and the guide wall of the casing. At first, it will work normally every other time, and then it will be impossible for them to work at all due to the fact that over and over again, clogged staples will deform it more and more. In these cases, it can be stated that the stapler is broken, and how to fix it should be described in more detail.
First of all, you should prepare the necessary tools. What you need to completely disassemble the stapler:
- normal screwdriver;
- metal file;
- pliers;
- hammer;
- vices (mandatory).
When everything is prepared, you can start disassembling. There is nothing complicated in this and you should not be afraid that you will not be able to collect it later. Otherwise, you simply will not succeed. For repair you need:
- Open the magazine, remove the remaining staples.
- Unscrew the adjusting screw completely.
- Pull out the released spring through the hole at the top.
- Now disassemble the case. The casing parts are held with pins. On the one hand they have cast caps, on the other - locking washers. They must be pulled out so that each pin freely crawls out of its hole.
To be repairedit is enough to remove the two pins from the side of the impact mechanism.
- After the entire stapler device appears before you in all its glory. It is necessary to remove the impact mechanism and examine it.
- Regardless of whether the striker is bent, the striker is flattened, or there is a curvature in the place where it comes into contact with the rocker of the cocking lever, you will have to clamp it in a vise. In case of deformation of the drummer, it should be given its original even shape with the help of pliers. If the striker is broken, we grind the irregularities with a file.
- When the defect is fixed, proceed to assembly in reverse order.
- Don't forget to lubricate the impact mechanism with oil. It is advisable to use sewing machine oil.
It happens that on the percussion mechanism, the stop against which the spring rests can break off. In this case, only welding will help, and it’s not a fact that the tool in this case will last for a long time. As a result, the welded stop will still fall off and you will have to buy a new stapler.
When the tool is fully assembled, we check it, at the same time adjusting the spring. If everything is fine, you are great. If not, it means that something is “not bent” somewhere. We'll have to disassemble everything and check the evenness of the parts of the impact mechanism more carefully. Therefore, it is better to do everything the first time with high quality and check it ten times.
Measures to prevent breakdowns
Some craftsmen advise to loosen the furniture screw when storing the tool for a long timestapler that regulates the compression of the spring. The less the spring will be in a compressed state, the greater the possibility that it will not sag in the shortest possible time and will work out a resource several times longer than stated in the warranty card. Of course, before the next use, it will again need to be adjusted, but this is the lesser of evils. It's better to spend a few staples reconfiguring than going to the store for a new stapler.
An important factor in the prevention of "diseases" of such a tool as a stapler is its lubrication. Regardless of whether he was in constant work or in storage, it is advisable to lubricate the mechanical parts of the tool every three months, then you won’t have to puzzle every time why the stapler does not work well and how to fix the tool. What to lubricate and how:
- Unscrew the adjusting screw completely, pour some sewing machine oil into the hole, screw the screw back in place and fire a few blank shots.
- Then open the magazine where the staple blocks are inserted and pour some grease into the slot of the impact mechanism. Hold the stapler upside down and fire a few more blank shots.
- It is also advisable to lubricate the staple feed mechanism (rammer).
This simple maintenance won't take long but will prolong the life of your tool.
Conclusion
In order for the tool to work for a long time and reliably, you should use it correctly and keep it in the specifiedconditions. It is especially worth taking care that the strobe is not affected by an environment whose humidity will exceed 70%. The drier the air in the pantry with tools, the longer they will last and questions like: “how to fix a stapler” will not affect you at all.
