I saw a manual roofing stapler today in a closeout bin. Anybody used one? Looked like it would be fast but not so sure I’d trust the thin shank of the staple legs to hold as long as roofing nails. Wonder if it would work on cedar?
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Don't staple shingles with anything, is my advice.
No, those slapper staplers don't work well on cedar.
Heck If I know....
Dang. I'm always looking for a better mousetrap...one that doesn't hookup to my compressor is best.
If it were worth haviong, do you suppose it would be in the closeout bin?
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BY the same logic then, the most sold items are the best? Does this mean I should start drinking Budweiser?
Hey, go ahead and buy it if you want...
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No way, looks like a good way to smash a finger....
budweiser's a good way to smash more than a finger
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Some of my better tools have come from close out or clearence sales!
but yeah, you make a valid point
Does the Stapler go by the name of "Big Moe"?
Made by Arrow? How much $ was it? Used one about 25 years ago, havn't seen one since then.
I beleive it was an Arrow tool. The packaging and instructions were definitely dated given the fonts and illustrations, etc.
Have you seen these in use?
Seems like it might be useful in certain situations....like roofs with exposed rafter tails and roof decks at the eaves where a shorter nail is needed than in the field.
I think it was $100.
You might have problems getting staples for it. Everybody that I knew that used them stopped, because the staples would tear through the 3-tab shingles when they were exposed to high winds. I remember some building departments even outlaw them.
Best bet for the money would be a new hammer & a shaker box!
P.S. Where is the picture in your profile from?
That's Red Rock, Nevada right outside Las Vegas. That's me on my honeymoon, 11 years ago. (the wife is on the other end of the rope)
I've got 2 of 'em-
you can lay down shingles pretty quick, but I stopped using them just for the reasons others mentioned- the staples don't hold as well as nails. They also get pretty gummed up from the shingles, especially when its hot. I've disassembled them a number of times to clean them- a real time killer.
I don't know if the staples are even available anymore.
I love them for one reason only!
A number of times I came upon jobs that had all the shingles installed using them.
I did a lot of roofing early on as it was my living for 15 years.
When I had to doa rip off and came upon a job with them I could start on the rake and roll the whole roof off in one peice!!!!!
Like a rolled up carpet , the roof would fall off the other rake!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Made good dollars those days!Thanks but not on my house! They rust faster and don't hold. Save your money.
Just make sure that is where your dump body is located so you don't have to pick that ton roll off the ground in one piece.But yeah, I worked on a house a long time ago with a HO who was uasing one of them. He could not apply shingles wioth it as fast as I could hand nailing, but the day the wind was blowing, i could look out over his section of the roof and see it 'floating' and rippling. It was a very frustrating experience for him.
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I don't use 'em anymore.
They just sit out in my shed rusting away.
They'll be good conversation pieces someday.
If you're working by hand, especially on composition, why would you use anything besides a gauged shingling hatchet (besides they're hard to find)? Get your first row straight, set your gauge, and march up the roof. With one of these and a shaker, you should be able to set shingles as fast as you can move.
The use that I had in mind was a special case.... I built a shingle style cape with eposed rafter tails and rakes. Since the bottom of the sheathing is painted and exposed, I had to be careful to keep the nails from poking out the bottom. Since I unwisely sheathed the roof with 5/8" plywood instead of boards, I had the use 3/4" roofers at the rake and eave. Starting a nail that short ain't easy...my fingers are fatter than the nail!
I've seen a shingling hatchet but don't have experience with one. Do you have a link to a picture? I saw one the other day but didn't notice a gauge on it. I hear what you're saying about hand nailing, the hose and gun are a pain in the a** most of the time. Can you cut accurately with the blade that's attached to the hammer?
I own a Vaughn shingle hatchet, the blade is not for "cutting" it is foe scoreing and snaping FG shingles or riving a shake.
I am currently doing a lot of wood roofs, I stick with an old "half hatchet" for my main club. Razor sharp and wood handled.
The Shingle hatchet is saved for Comp shingles, again not so much for cutting but, for the gauge. Not having to hand nail is still optimun tho'.
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"Success, is not pleasing others, it is pleasing yourself"
ESTWING and AJC are two shingle hatcheets that have razor knife options
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Can you cut accurately with the blade that's attached to the hammer?
Years ago, I got a new Estwing shingler's hatchet. Was working by myself and hit myself in the center of the forehead ( on the upswing ) with the knife. Was talking to a competitor the next day and he looked at my head and said, "Did ya get a new hatchet?"
Since then, the first thing I do when I get a hatchet is take that knife off of it. The gauge is the holes the blade. There should be a knurled bolt thru one of them. You adjust the reveal by moving the bolt to different holes. You then hold the bolt againt the butt of the shingle you just laid, with the head pointing upwards. Slide your next shingle down and let it rest against the butt of the hammer and then nail it.
If several people are working on the same roof plane using this method, make sure the hatchets are all synchronized. A hatchet on the right that's 1/16 different from the one on the left can through the whole plane out of whack after a while.
edit: avoid any hatchet that has a sliding gauge.
I see dumb people.
Edited 4/8/2005 7:34 am ET by greencu
Dang right on the sliding gauge.
and every guy on the roof has to match gauges too or work on different sections.When i was using the knifed hatchet, every hat I had haad a littel tear in the brim on the right side and a chip out of the edge of the hard hat.I never hit myself to cut but there were a few times, I snagged the hat brim, and on the down stroke, almost pulled my head off my shoulders.Then, there was the time I somehow managed to have the blade facing down instead of the head on a vaughn type hatchet. As it went past the corner of my eye, I noticed it, and managed to swivle enought that I just nipped the skin off the end of my middle finger. Hate to think what my fingers would look like if I hadn't seen it coming
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Looks like this one with the multiple holes for the reveal is the rig I would want:
View Image
and not this one:
View Image
That black blade doesn't seem like it would be sharp enough for cutting caps from cold shingles?
Yup on all accounts. Just take that knife off. I've never been able to cut much but clothes and skin with it. Maybe it would work on felt. You still need a utility knife, anyway. Have fun.I see dumb people.
Just like with using a utility knife, there is a technique for cutting the shuingles with the hatchet knife. it actually is easier on your wrist. and can be fairly accurate
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OK, you got my attention. How do you do it?
two ways at least. The shingle needs to be firmly held, so best is to nail in place first, the cut. Start with blade at starting piint of the cut, and pull it straight towards you. hatcheet needs to be held firm, vertacle and drawn smoothly through with out hesitation. technique is one of those things hard to teach in words. can't say, hold like this, and pull like so....When precutting for a piece to butt up against the wall, i flip shingle over, so factory edge is against the wall, and almost in place, then where it seats against the previous shingle, I know where to start. I hold the shingle with one hand and opne foot while pulling the hatchet through with. the other hand.
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