Remove staples from wood
#11
I need to repair a coffee table that was damaged. The legs were stapled on with an air gun. I want to use dowels to repair the table, but must remove the staples in order to do so. I've been able to pry the stapled pieces apart. The staples are long but spindly, so when I try to hammer the exposed staple out, the legs just bend over. I've tried trimming the staples to shorter length, hoping I could hammer the staple out enough that I could grab it from the other end and pull it out. That technique didn't work either, so I'm looking for suggestions as to how remove these staples from 3/4" thick red oak.
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#12
Cut the exposed staple (gun nail?) off and take a nail set and try driving it out the front.
Oak? May have to cut it flush and putty up the front and leave it if all else fails.
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020








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#13
While this may take a while, you could try to use a tack puller tack puller from the face to try to pull it up a little, then cut off the crown, so you will have the 2 legs separated,  then turn it over and use vise grips to pull the legs of staple through from the back end. For some reason, I find it is very hard to take an air driven fastener out opposite the direction it went in, and instead is much easier to try to make it go forward ( as if it were driven deeper )  though to do this, you would need to access both the face and the rear.
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#14
I've had reasonably good success clamping staple legs with a Vise-grip, then tapping on the Vise-grip with a hammer, next to where the staple is clamped. If you clamp near where the staple leg exits the wood (~1/8"), it's less likely to bend. It's somewhat tedious with repetitive clamping of the legs as they move through the wood, but it prevents having to dig into the wood to get a grip on the staple head.
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#15
Using any or all of the methods mentioned above, if you can get the arched (top) end of the staple above the surface only a little bit, try grabbing it with side cutters or nippers and then pull it out. Of course, don't squeeze too tight or you will cut it, but the nippers or cutters will grab securely so that it will be easier to pull.
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#16
Without seeing your legs, it's all speculation.  I assume you're talking about something like a 1/2" crown staple.  Assuming the pieces are apart and the legs of the staple are sticking out, as mentioned try driving them out enough to grab the staple crown with a pair of side cutters.  If they only bend vs. back out, try cutting them back to about 1/8" exposure and see if they'll drive back now.  If those don't work, can you use a small screwdriver and dig under the crown and pry it loose?
If everything else fails, you can try something like a screw extractor: Screw Extractor | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
core around each leg till either you cut all the way through (and eventually plug it) or enough that the leg is loose.
Good luck.
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#17
The only way they'll come out is to pull them out. Trying to drive them out is a fool's errand.

Wiggle something under the head of the staple very carefully. Pry up. Probably want to have something to pry onto besides the table leg. Best case, you pull the staple out, worst case, the staple head breaks.

Now hopefully you have enough of the staple protruding so you can grab it and keep pulling it out. I like to grab it with a pair of lineman pliers. Don't try to pull it out, grab it straight with the pliers and then rock your pliers down onto your pry board. I've also used needle nose pliers, but turned the pliers sideways and kind of rolled the wire out. Worst case, a vise grip with a slide hammer attachment will jerk it out.

Pry boards. Just some of your basic wood scrap. Need various pieces of different thicknesses. Can/will need to stack the boards in order to be able to keep prying.

Oh, and patience. You need a lot of patience too.
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#18
DieselDennis is onto it.  For a good many yeras, I utilized a pair of Vise Grips and a tapered pry bboard to pull out staples. Several years ago, I purchased an Excalibur "The Extractor L1121". It has never failed to pull out nails or staples for me. https://www.cltoolcentre.com.au/excalibu...liers.html

Sadly, this tool is not longer available. If you ever see one at an estate sale, get it it.
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#19
I’d use a fence pliers—it’s made for this type work.
Gary

Please don’t quote the trolls.
Liberty, Freedom and Individual Responsibility
Say what you'll do and do what you say.
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#20
(05-27-2022, 12:28 PM)Ray Newman Wrote: DieselDennis is onto it.  For a good many yeras, I utilized a pair of Vise Grips and a tapered pry bboard to pull out staples. Several years ago, I purchased an Excalibur "The Extractor L1121". It has never failed to pull out nails or staples for me. https://www.cltoolcentre.com.au/excalibu...liers.html

Sadly, this tool is not longer available. If you ever see one at an estate sale, get it it.

This tool works well
Crescent nail puller.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Crescent-11-.../204065906
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