¶ Introduction
Open Works as some upholstery tools for basic tasks.
¶ Shop Access
A membership or day pass is required to access the Textiles shop.
The Shop Safety Class Sewing 1 Shop Safety is required before using the iron.
¶ Machines Available
- staple gun and staples
- tacks and tack hammers
- staple and tack removers
¶ Material Considerations
¶ Acceptable Materials:
¶ Use with Caution and Proper Technique:
¶ Forbidden Materials:
Anything that will gum up the tools.
¶ Machine Reservations
These tools do not need to be reserved.
¶ Safety and Setup
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
• Sturdy, close-toed shoes must be worn at all times.
• Long hair, jewelry, and loose clothing must be tied back.
• Safety glasses are strongly recommended.
For more information on shop safety visit "Safety" on the Textiles main page.
¶ Step-by-Step Guides
¶ Using the Staple Gun
Staplers are often used in upholstery to secure fabrics to wooden furniture frames.
- Release the safety on the staple gun. The saftey is typically a wire loop that holds the handle close to the body of the stapler.
- Holding the material in place against the frame with one hand, press the nose of the stapler where you want the staple to go.
- Sqeeze the handle to fire the staple.
¶ Loading staples into the staple gun
The stapler has a slide out shield/tray that lets you put load staples into the stapler.
- Squeeze the tabs together and slide out the shield.
- Lay staples into the tray so that the sharp legs point up/out of the notch at the end.
- Slide the shield closed.
¶ Tacks and Tack Hammers
Tacks are pretty easy to damage with hammers.
- Use the tack tool to hold the tacks while they're being hammered in place.