I need to staple or nail some 1/8" hardboard to the back of a bedroom mirror frame to help hold the mirror in place. The staple thus needs to go through the hardboard and into the old wood (probably maple?). Since it's time I own a staple gun, I was thinking of getting this one for the job:
Stanley TR250 SharpShooter Plus Heavy Duty Staple/Brad Nail Gun
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(unless someone recommends another one to me).
Is this sort of staple gun up to this kind of job (with what size staples)? My intuition tells me to try 5/16" staples, but I would be happy to listen to the voice of experience.
My intuition also tells me that hammering on a frame holding a mirror is a task that that should make my caution flag go up. Actually, would be more afraid of the prospect of trying to replace a uniquely-shaped mirror than I would cleaning up the broken glass! I hate to think about the idea of using duct tape for this repair because then I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror... : )
I have 3-4 stapleguns in my arsenal, and I can't see ANY of them being up to your task... with the possible exception of a hammer-tacker style for applying roof felt. I even have one of those electric fired staplers, and it is more wimpy than the style with the backward handle (do a Google Image search on an "EasyShot staplegun" to see what I mean)
an eighth inch of hardboard is pretty hard to get through.
I would duct tape it in place temporarily, then drill some tiny pilot holes, then maybe a small countersink treatment, and then a handful of piano hinge screws to finish the job. Sure it will take a while, but it will also last a while.
I had not thought about the difficulty of penetrating the hardboard. I was more concerned about the likelihood of splitting of the old wood from driving in a fastener. I would consider drilling and screwing for that reason rather than an impact fastener of any type.
Considering the amount of force necessary to penetrate the hardboard AND the maple, I'd be concerned about the mirror. Small screws with pilot holes seems the way to go IMHO.
IMHO no staple gun is worth a hoot unless it is air powered. If you have a compressor you can probably get an air powered one at Harbor Freight for about the same price.
Many of the knock-down types of furniture come with a hardboard backing, such as garage cabinets, book cases and even some office-type of furniture. The typical installation uses hammer-driven tacks to penetrate the hardboard and hold in the particle board sides or shelves. I don't know of a squeeze-type stapler that would do this; the materials are too hard and your mirror frame would be even harder, I suspect.
When I've assembled garage cabinets, for instance, I've short circuited the hammer/tack routine by using my small pneumatic stapler with 5/16" staples. My suggestion would be to invest in such a stapler from Harbor Freight, if you have or have access to an air compressor. The very sharp stroke of the pneumatic stapler, coupled with being sure the frame was firmly supported where the staple was to be driven should protect the mirror.
Thank you, and Bob La Londe, Vic Baron, Leon and Nonny, for replying to my post!
I see that you are correct--a screwdriver makes alot more sense than a hammer (or a staple gun)!
I supposed I was led astray by the fact that the previous repairer used staples (and probably a staplegun powered by a compressor...). Unfortunately, he or she forgot to put in "backing board" (to borrow from picture-frame terminology), or it has slipped out of place under the hardboard cover.
So, after I fit a 1/8" backing board and cover, the mirror will quit shaking when we walk into the room. Of course, in the meantime I shoved some folded up paper in the groove next to the mirror which stopped the shaking, but the next step is to fit everything properly!
Thank you all again for your valuable help, and happy new year! Bill
Went to Lowes, my favorite BORG, to pick up the hardboard. Gosh, a 4' by 8' sheet is bigger in person (how am I going to get that in the car?), then I noticed a short line of people in front of a person running a saw and he was only too happy to cut my sheet into two pieces. Lowes earns a point there, but loses one for not having any wood screws shorter than 1/2". 1/2" will do.
Used my $19.99 HF reciprocating saw to trim off approximately what I needed. Using an exact-o blade, like you would to cut drywall, sort of worked but ended up tearing the hardboard on the other side when I folded and separated the pieces. Hacksaw wasn't effective for the separation.
Fortunately my bureau mirror had a 1/2" rabbet for a "backing board" for the mirror. I had my wife hold the hardboard up to the mirror frame and I drew the outline. I added
3/8" all around to fit into the 1/2" rabbet. Then I started burning time trying to cut it out...
The scroll saw I inherited from my dad was quite ineffective on the hardboard--much too slow, even after I installed a new blade (this was the first time I Ever turned the saw on). Tried a coping saw--gosh, that was my "tool of choice" back when I was
10 to 13 years old, and my cuts with it haven't improved after 30-some years passing, but I understand why now. I recalled that my last trip to an auction resulted in a $12 box of miscellaneous tools including an old 18" cross-cut saw. Ah, that saw worked pretty well. Working on top of my sawhorses, I even gave myself the additional benefit of using an extra 2 by 4 for a fence. My cutting looked much better than that I did with the coping saw. So well, that I linearized the curves I had to cut, and was finished cutting in a matter of minutes. My new "backing board" fit perfectly. The previous owner of the bureau somehow lost their backing board???
I predrilled holes and screwed the cover over the backing board (and mirror). For reasons that may be obvious to you the top of the wood screws didn't "seat" flush with the surface. If I find some screws I like better maybe I'll replace them someday (the ends of the 3-piece mirror tilts toward the person looking in the mirror, so looks count a bit). If I can color them brown, I think I'll be able to put them totally out of my mind..
4 1/2 hours from the time I left for the store until the time everything was put away and cleaned up. You may assume it was a really long way to Lowes. : ) I'm sure I could have found a "quicker fix", but I would not have been as interesting/educational. I will appreciate my bandsaw (and table saw) all the more when I get it! I expect a bandsaw would have done a nice job on the hardboard in short order! :)
But then, I am still puzzled as to why the scroll saw didn't cut it?? My dad used to cut a lot of 1/4" plastics (pseudo "stained glass")...maybe the blades were too fine?
Congrats on doing a DIY job and doing it well. IMHO, a scroll saw has very limited use in a shop. The seem to work best when the material is held firmly to the table, since the stroke and teeth are so short that virtually any vibration almost eliminates cutting.
Speaking from my own, personal, experience, is your blade on the right way, with the teeth pointed downward? If not, you fall in to probably the same group as the rest of us, who've made similar mistakes.
I'd keep an eye out for pan head screws, rather than what sounds like wood screws that you chose. If the screws are intended to be countersunk, that's about impossible in hardboard unless you bore a countersink. They're cheap at HD or Lowe's and you can do it one screw at a time to prevent anything from shifting. Otherwise, go with pan head and some brown paint.
Thank you for your reply. It occurred to me that what you described could have been happening. It was just hard for me to accept that since I expected this would be an ideal task for the scroll saw...I was wrong about that.
I was very careful to get that part right! I just went and checked--yep, I was careful.
I thought about that. Seems like practically anything I could do to 1/8" hardboard would weaken it too much (correct me if I'm wrong).
The repair works. One no longer gets "bad vibrations" everytime they walk into the bedroom.
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