Staples and Nails in Stainless Steel. What you need to know.
It's been a while but My Toolkit are back with another useful article. This time - Stainless Steel!
Is there any better feeling than finishing a project and being proud of what you’ve created? We don’t think there is!
But what if the beautiful piece you had worked so hard on began to stain orange from rust runs…or the structure became weak as the fasteners corroded…or a customer complained that added rust was not what the asked for?
We recently had a customer who was upholstering the interior of a canal boat and wanted to know how to keep it protected from rust. He had previously had to repair his work twice in 2 years due to corrosion. He was tired of paying out for the repairs – so he asked for our advice. What was the first thing out of our mouths? Stainless Steel, of course!
Using Stainless Steel staples, nails, brads, pins and screws is the best way to keep your work protected. These types of fasteners are made of Grade 304 Stainless Steel. The versatile properties of Grade 304 create a strong barrier between the fastener surface and any moisture it may come into contact with, meaning it won’t rust, corrode or damage the wood.
Nearly all of our most popular tools can drive Stainless Steel fasteners. You can get Stainless Steel brads to fit our 15 and 16 gauge finish nailers for when you're working on 2nd Fix applications - Try the Senco 15 Gauge FinishPro Angled Nailer for instance. We also have Stainless Steel fasteners available for some of our smaller tools like the Tacwise 140 Series Hammer Tacker.
The most common question we get asked is can whether you can drive Stainless Steel through an 18 Gauge Nailer/ 90 Series Stapler? The answer is yes! From the Tacwise 18 Gauge DGN50V Nailer to the ever-popular BeA 90 Series Stapler! We've got all of your favourites covered.
You should make sure to use Stainless Steel for projects that are going to be outside (unless how it looks isn’t an issue e.g. a temporary structure or non-cosmetic jobs); projects that are going to be in constant contact with water or condensation such as boat manufacturing ; and indoor projects in damper environments (e.g. bathrooms, kitchens and conservatories).
You should also use Stainless Steel fasteners when working with quality hard woods such as mahogany, red oak, walnut, cedar and cherry. Types of wood likes these have very high levels of tannin. The tannin isn’t harmful to the wood on its own, but it can react with fasteners with little protection on them, causing them to rust. A Stainless Steel staple or nail would be resistant to the tannin.
Did we mention that using Stainless Steel fasteners is also eco-friendly? They are 100% recyclable and are free from any toxic materials. Plus, Stainless Steel last longer than most other types of fasteners and therefore do not need to be replaced. That makes the investment wallet-friendly too! Nailed it!
Now you’re Stainless Steel savvy, take a look at our range of fasteners and the matching tools and see if you should make the switch – we think you should!
We also have a dedicated page to all things Stainless Steel if you want to learn more about how it works in the industry, its history, and even how to tell if it’s the right fastener type for you!
Meanwhile you can go shopping by using the buttons below the video. Not ready to stock up yet? Why not save this page to youre favourites. Or take look at our indepth compresensive guide to using stainless steel fasteners which, contains a quiz and where you can also download a copy to keep.
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© Warmest wishes from the team at MyToolKit
Huge range of staples available in stainless steel:
The vast array of Nails, Brads and Pins all available in Stainless: