[DanTwoLakes]

Just take your time and you'll do fine, Brian, whether you believe it or not.

[MARTINSR]

Thanks Dan, I am ready to rock on this bad boy. Yesterday I couldn't spell upholsterer, now I R one! Well, not quite yet but I think I can be.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Ok, I put a few staples in one of the top pads, WHOOO HOOO! I am thinking these staples are running right thru that darn thing though. I remember being told to hold it off the material a little, I should just be experimenting I guess.

What is this extra material that came with the top?

Brian

[Gringo]

First off you need to dial in your new stapler. Hold the trigger and you will see the blade that pushes in the staple protrudes past the nose of stapler. Hold down the trigger of stapler and use one of your small grinders and grind the blade of the stapler even with the nose piece and it will not cut thru the vinyl. the extra material goes around the front of the top to finish off the edge. Usually sewing around a piece of windlace cord. Can be stapled around a piece of rubber hose as in fuel line or vacuum hose.

[John long]

After you get the plunger ground smooth you regulate the staple blow by adjusting the regulator to your compressor. To much pressure and it will cut the material. Too little and it will not drive it home.

John L.

[DanTwoLakes]

Originally Posted by Gringo

the extra material goes around the front of the top to finish off the edge. Usually sewing around a piece of windlace cord. Can be stapled around a piece of rubber hose as in fuel line or vacuum hose.

While you can use windlace sponge rod to make the finished edge, the original top would have had extruded plastic header welt (also called header strip) sewn inside of the fabric. It is still available from ARO convertible tops:
CLICK HERE

If you saved the old stuff from the original top, you can have the new fabric sewn to it. I think it looks way better than anything round to finish off the top in front.

Here's what it looks like:

[timothale]

On some guns you can use shim stock, ( lots of time i use soda cans for shim stock ) and adjust your gun nose piece so as the driver wears you can remove shims and file the drive end to remove mushrooming and iregular wear. square the end. I have been using one of My upholstery guns to fasten Tar paper and Tyveck to our Duplex we are building. The granular coated Ice Shiels is very hard on staple guns. The guns are also handy in building cabinets putting on the 1/4 in backing plywood.

[MARTINSR]

Ok, let me get this straight, you grind this piece flush that is sticking out of the gun?



I would have never thought of this in a million years! How could this be "shimmed", pull it apart and I will see?

Here is the "wire" I think it's called is what I got for the front and the back. I will be looking into the stuff you are showing Dan, my top didn't have that, it had the same as the new stuff I got with the top.



So those strips of vinyl that came with the top are for if I don't want to use this pre-made stuff and I want to rap the original plastic tube like stuff, is that correct?

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by DanTwoLakes

While you can use windlace sponge rod to make the finished edge, the original top would have had extruded plastic header welt (also called header strip) sewn inside of the fabric. It is still available from ARO convertible tops:
CLICK HERE

If you saved the old stuff from the original top, you can have the new fabric sewn to it. I think it looks way better than anything round to finish off the top in front.

Here's what it looks like:

Ahhhh, yes I think I will get that stuff, easy enough, looks like it would be much easier than the "windlace sponge rod" as I believe what I have in my hand in the photo from my previous post? Just to be certain I went out and checked my old top junk and yes they used a windlace sponge rod on the header.

The "windlace sponge rod" is what I will be using at the rear bow for sure though right?

I am blown away at this "tuning" the stapler, I am so glad I didn't go crazy last night before posted about it. So tell me, my wife said "Well now it won't be good for anything else". I am seeing her point in that it won't work good on something like stapling plywood backing on as timothale mentioned. But as I told my wife if I toss that stapler in the garbage after I am done with the top I would be fine with that too. But it's uses will be limited won't it?

Dan, am I mistaken on what you called "wire" in an earlier post? You were referring to the windlace sponge rod weren't you?

Brian

[MARTINSR]

I know most everything has been answered and I am double asking but I really need a verification on the grinding down of the part on my stapler. This is so odd to me I want to be sure before I go out and do it to my new stapler.

By the way when ever in the future you describe this to anyone be sure to tell them to take the staples out before they pull the trigger to look at this........you know how I know?

Brian

[John long]

My Haubold stapler died tonight. I saw your posts Brian on the Central pneumatic stapler you bought. Is it something you would recommend? The part for mine is 65 dollars and will have to be ordered. I think it is time to move on.

John L

[John long]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I know most everything has been answered and I am double asking but I really need a verification on the grinding down of the part on my stapler. This is so odd to me I want to be sure before I go out and do it to my new stapler.

By the way when ever in the future you describe this to anyone be sure to tell them to take the staples out before they pull the trigger to look at this........you know how I know?

Brian

Hopefully you still have both eyes.

[MARTINSR]

Well John, it was $22 and it will send a staple thru the metal of my top irons.

What about my question? Do I simply grind down that part that pokes out and call it a day?

Brian

[John long]

I have never done that but it may be a good idea. I guess I will be making the same decision this afternoon when I get back from HF. You only have $22 dollars to loose if you do though.

Jonn L

[DanTwoLakes]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Ok, let me get this straight, you grind this piece flush that is sticking out of the gun?



I would have never thought of this in a million years! How could this be "shimmed", pull it apart and I will see?

Here is the "wire" I think it's called is what I got for the front and the back. I will be looking into the stuff you are showing Dan, my top didn't have that, it had the same as the new stuff I got with the top.



So those strips of vinyl that came with the top are for if I don't want to use this pre-made stuff and I want to rap the original plastic tube like stuff, is that correct?

Brian

The picture you posted is of the wire-on that covers the seam on the rear bow. That is only decorative, and has two little chrome ends to cover up the raw edges on each side. It does not go on the front header next to the windshield.

The header welt is decorative too, but it also fills any gaps between the front header of the top and the windshield frame. The extra fabric gets sewn around whatever you decide to use there. The way the plastic extrusion works is you cover the entire extrusion which is about 2" wide with the larger of the two pieces of fabric you got with the top. There should be enough fabric to leave a flap. You turn back the fabric flap to staple (or in my case it was tacked down) the plastic of the extrusion to the header, and then when the whole thing is in place, you glue the fabric flap down to cover your staples or tacks. The first two pictures are of the assembly upside down. The third picture is what it should look like after stapling and gluing. The last picture is the assembly right side up.