How to Use a Narrow Crown Stapler and Why

Do you need a narrow crown stapler? What is a narrow crown stapler and how is it used? Are wider crown staplers available? Which Narrow Crown Stapler Should You Buy? If you have questions about these handy woodworking tools, we have the answers!

What is a narrow crown stapler and do you need it?

If you've ever assembled IKEA furniture, shelves, and other such pre-assembled furniture yourself, you've probably noticed that the shelves tend to fall apart until you put them back together. The back is thin and fastened together with small ring shank nails. Professional cabinet shops build custom high-end furniture and use this method to increase the strength of the cabinets—they just use better materials. They also don't use ring shank nails. They use a narrow crown stapler to secure the back.

Narrow crown staples are 1/4" wide staples that range in length up to 1.5". They excel at running across the grain in thin strips like a lattice without splitting the wood. Because of their shape, they provide a lot of support if you're going through a grain.

Also, narrow-crown staples work well when installing decorative siding because of their smaller heads.

Are there wider crown staplers?

Now that we have introduced narrow crown staplers, what about wider crown models? Professionals use medium-duty crown staplers to join OSB or plywood siding, floors, and roofs to houses. They are available in 7/16" or 1/2" wide and use a heavier wire gauge (16 gauge). Narrow crown staplers use smaller 18-gauge staples.

fence stapler

You can also get fence staplers that fire 3.155mm (10-1/2ga) staples or 4mm (9ga) staples. These help to secure the fence fence to the posts and are loved by ranchers around the world. If ever there was any tool that would benefit from the wireless freedom of battery power, these would fit the bill. If you can't find a battery-powered solution like a cordless fencing stapler, opt for the Stockage ST400i Fencing Stapler with Gas Cartridges.

wire stapler

Recently, the manufacturer announced a wire stapler that uses a proprietary staple to secure Romex and 12/2 wire directly to the stud. One product that comes to mind includes the DeWalt 20V Cable Stapler.

Cordless Narrow Crown Stapler

The Cordless Narrow Crown Stapler provides plenty of power for the most common stapling applications. However, they do add some weight. For example, pick up any of the Ryobi cordless nailers and staple guns and you'll immediately notice that they are much heavier than air tools.

Are Cordless Narrow Crown Staplers Powerful Enough?

The biggest issue we have with cordless narrow crown staplers is the power supply. Are these cordless narrow crown staplers powerful enough for most tasks? Bottom line: yes. When driving fasteners, I can drive 1.5 inches faster on any material except hardwoods like oak. This shouldn't be a problem as they are almost always used for plank, construction lumber, trim, paneling or molding. In oak, expect to drive staples into lengths of 1 inch or less.

Depth adjustment is very easy on all Ryobi cordless nailers. Simply turn the dial on the side to make the fastener sink deeper or rise higher.

If you're wondering how to use a narrow crown stapler, the first thing to know is that it works exactly like a hardcover stapler. To fire it, you basically line up the front end of the tool, press it against the workpiece, and pull the trigger. Unlike large staplers, which are designed to go around cables or wires without penetrating them, narrow crown staplers hold material flush.

This gives you some leeway in where you place your staples. It also speeds up the process considerably since you won't be resting your head on or over the wires. Nonetheless, let's break down the steps:

1. Remove battery or air supply and install staples

Before doing anything with the tool, such as loading pegs, you need to make sure it's disabled. For battery-operated crown staplers, this means removing the batteries. On air tools, you disconnect the air supply hose.

Next, load the staples. With most Crown staplers, this involves pressing a button to open the magazine. Normally, it slides back toward the user, and the crown staples fall parallel into the magazine from the bottom. On other models, the staples fall in through the top.

This is not the same as sliding a nail into the magazine from the end. Just make sure the tip of the staple is facing the direction you intend to fire. This may seem obvious, but if this is your first time, this can save you some headaches!

2. Secure magazines and staples

After loading, secure the magazine by sliding the spring cover back into place until the feeder button or lever locks.

3. Reconnect the battery or air hose

You are almost ready to work. Reconnect the air hose or reinsert the battery to get the tool ready. On battery-operated crown staplers, you may also need to open the tool.

4. Select shooting mode

Some crown staplers have the option of either impingement (contact drive) or sequential firing modes. Use the switch near the trigger to select it. On some outdated models, you may need to take additional steps to switch modes. For battery-operated crown staplers, you'll usually get a button to press or switch to slide.

5. Aim and fire the staple

Next, place the head where you want the staple to appear and pull the trigger. You should hear the tool activate and the staple should fire straight into the material.

6. Check fastener depth/penetration and adjust as necessary

Check your fasteners to see if you have reached the desired depth of fire. Is it flush? Is it "proud" (protruding too far from the surface)? Adjust the depth setting on cordless tools or the air pressure on air tools to help achieve desired results on tight materials.

the bottom line

The narrow crown stapler is perfect for making cabinets, credenzas, drawers, or other boxed components. If you can use ring shank staples to hold thin sheets of quality material in place, a narrow crown stapler might save you time. Anyone who needs to install a lot of siding or lattice should also check out these handy tools.