# Stapling Particle Board?



## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

I have to put together 14 pieces of cheap particle board furniture. There is a piece of cardboard that gets nailed on the back with a bazillion little nails. I'm contemplating just stapling the backs on with my Arrow T50 staple gun. But the staples are a lot thinner than nails and I don't know how they will hold in the edge of the particle board. Maybe add little glue as well? I don't want the backs popping off all 14 of these things and having them fall over. Has anybody had success (or failure) with this?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

As long as the staples penetrate the PB they should hold as well as any other fastener.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Glue for sure. clean the inside soon after, for glue mess.Make sure the box is square before yo put a few nails in the back to hold it square. It will not take long to see if the staple will hold it tight while the glue dries. If not, you have the nails. Air drivin staple gun is the right tool and those staple are not that much thicker and about the same length.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Yes the T50 staples will hold.

Get the frame perfect square before stapling, and make sure that you staple dead center of the PB, or it will chip off and be unfit for use.


ED


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

mathmonger said:


> I have to put together 14 pieces of cheap particle board furniture. There is a piece of cardboard that gets nailed on the back with a bazillion little nails. I'm contemplating just stapling the backs on with my Arrow T50 staple gun. But the staples are a lot thinner than nails and I don't know how they will hold in the edge of the particle board. Maybe add little glue as well? I don't want the backs popping off all 14 of these things and having them fall over. Has anybody had success (or failure) with this?


 Carpet installers staple carpet to particle board stair treads all the time.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

BIG Johnson said:


> Carpet installers staple carpet to particle board stair treads all the time.


I never saw a carpet installer use a T50...



de-nagorg said:


> Yes the T50 staples will hold.
> 
> Get the frame perfect square before stapling, and make sure that you staple dead center of the PB, or it will chip off and be unfit for use.
> 
> ...


That is one of the reasons I thought the T50 might be better than the air gun. The air gun will definitely blow a hole out the back. Been there. Done that. If you miss with the T50, it might be salvageable.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

mathmonger said:


> I never saw a carpet installer use a T50...
> 
> 
> 
> .




I don’t know what’s in their electric staplers the carpet, but they do for the padding. They use a hammer tacker on steps (PB) and subfloors (OSB).


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