Re: 49 Window sweeps/fuzzies

Posted by Fish'n Jim On 2019/12/7 10:27:30

Not to hijack the thread but;
HH raises a universal problem(pet peeve), "stapling metal" in the 21st century, not confined to Packards but required to restore most cars up to about the '60s. This was industrial practice of the day, which is passe. This just isn't done, and no one supplies these tools. I found one supplier that reported to, but list cost $2000+ and wasn't guaranteed to work, wrong size, limited in "bite", and they didn't have any in stock and had to make and required a test sample which I sent. I've searched for used, antique, etc, but these are dinosaurs and apparently went out with the meteor impact.

Anyone have any knowledge or knows someone or something; old machine makers, models. etc. please post here or on another thread. No frustrating stories please. Everyone so far, struggled and did what they had to by hand with wire or reused the originals, which is too dependent on condition. ie, what to do when half gone? Thanks.

About the closest thing is a book binding machine which uses spooled wire, but isn't really adaptable to sheet metal.
ps: I believe period were made from spool wire. Industrial staples are now made using metric(SI) specs so they're not even the same size anymore and rarely tough enough to penetrate 18 gauge. The package may say 1/2" but they're the shorter metric equivalent. I bought/have thousands of unusable "1/2" staples now and none fit the original holes. {Smallest order 1000.} I ended up using glue, then poking holes(ice pick) in the fabric side, and pushing a widened staple in, and mashing with tack hammer on a small anvil. A tedious job not appreciated, nor looked forward to by bifocalled arthritic old guy. Not pretty, not original, but worked somewhat/not consistent. Problem many more to do, need a solution! There is a hog ring staple that closely matches, but is round ended and not staple wire diam. - tough to bend.