How To Choose the Correct Staple Leg Length

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How To Choose the Correct Staple Leg Length

Knowing what staple leg length to choose for your project is crucial in proper construction. Without correctly determining the staple legs’ correct depth, your project, whether dealing with heavy fabric or fastening two pieces of wood together, might collapse under its weight. The only way to prevent this from happening is to know how to choose the correct staple leg length to fasten your materials securely and safely.

What Is the Rule of Thumb With Staples?

When trying to fasten material together, there is a general rule to follow when it comes to staple leg length. This is the “three times” rule, and it’s as simple as taking the material that you need to fasten and multiply that depth by three. For instance, if you need to staple something that has a depth of 3mm, then you will need a staple leg length of 9mm.

What About When Dealing With Thin Materials?

While the three-times rule works in many circumstances, it may not be the best solution when dealing with overly thin materials such as cloth and fabric. For times when you need to staple the fabric to other surfaces, the generally accepted rule is to add 4mm to the thickness of the material. If your fabric is 3mm in depth, you will need a staple with a leg length of 7mm.

How About Fastening Harder Materials?

If you are dealing with the opposite extreme, such as needing to fasten pieces of wood together, then there is a general rule for that too. For these situations, you need to double the length of the staple. If the piece of wood is only 3mm, then a staple length of 6mm should do the job. Or if you have a piece that is 7mm in depth, then you’ll want a staple that is 14mm.

Word of Warning

Before you begin stapling more rigid materials together, you need to make sure that you are using the correct stapler and staple materials for the job. In these circumstances, you may need an industrial stapler and materials that are sturdier than average to ensure secure fastening.

Look Before You Staple

Always make sure you are following the proper rules when fastening materials together and check to see if you’re able to get the staple leg length that you need. If the surface you are stapling into is too shallow to allow for the proper leg length, then determine how deep you can staple without breaking through the surface.