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You are here: Home / Resources / How to Remove Staples From Wood
How to Remove Staples From Wood

How to Remove Staples From Wood

September 7, 2021 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

Staples are seen to be almost everywhere. It is given that you will find staples in reclaimed lumber, and if they are not removed, they can damage woodworking equipment. You will find many staples when you are working with furniture. Do not force them out since you can use a few remedies to remove them from wood.

When you are renovating, you will be happy. However, you may be disappointed when you find several staples. You will need time to pluck out the tiny staples on wood. There are different methods that you can use to remove staples from wood. These include the use of tools such as staple pullers, chisel and knives, pliers, cat’s paw, and screwdrivers.

Here are some of the detailed steps on how to remove staples from wood using simple methods and the right tools:

1. Using Cat’s Paw

This is one of the common ways you can use to remove staples from wood. It is possible to even find stapled-on tags when you purchase new lumber. The cat’s paw is a tool that is normally about 6 inches in length with a sharp bent end.

The sharp end has a notch, making it resemble a two-pronged fork. Tap one or both sides of the tool underneath the staple and pry it out.

2. Using Shovels

Getting rid of staples after an old carpet has been removed can be a daunting and tedious experience when you use a cat’s paw. Instead, you can choose a smart and efficient way to remove staples, and this is by the use of a shovel or a long-handled floor scraper.

You need to hold the shovel at an angle of about 45 degrees and slide it across the wood using force. The sharp edge of the tool grips the edge of the staples and pries them out.

3. Using Staple Pullers

Staple pullers are the tools that you use to remove staples, as the name implies. They are best suited for upholstery staples but you can also use them on any type of staples. Staple pullers are stubby and short tools and they have a fork at the end.

Forcefully, you need to slide the forks under the staple and rock it sideways to pull out the staple.

4. Using Hand Tools

It can be rewarding to remodel furniture if you manage to remove a multitude of staples out. Hand tools are best suited for this job. The most widely used tools are a pair of pliers followed by screwdrivers, pocket knives, and a staple puller.

5. Using Diagonal Pliers

Diagonal pliers, also known as side cutters, are a multipurpose tool used to remove single staples. It has sharp bent claws that can be driven under the staples to grip and hold. The bent end of diagonal pliers offers enough prying force required to pull out the staple.

When using the diagonal pliers, it is important to be gentle because they tend to cut the staple off and make it impossible to remove.

6. Using Standard Pliers

Standard pliers are used to pull out staples when there are enough exposed staples to get a good grip. It also has a rounded nose that offers enough prying force.

7. Using Needle-Nose Pliers

These are best suited for small and delicate staples. It has pointed tips that make sure you can grip the tiniest staples.

8. Using Knives and Screwdrivers

You can also use pocket knives to remove staples from wood. All you need to do is slip the sharp point underneath the staple and pop it out. Additionally, you can use screwdrivers in the same way. However, you need to be gentle when using a screwdriver when working on finished wood surfaces to avoid causing damage to the wood.

9. Using Chisels

Chisels are other options for removing staples from wood, especially when the staples are deeply embedded in the wood. When you use a chisel, you can carve a small depression around the staple to allow you to get a good grip on it with pliers or a tool of choice.

10. Bury the Staples

There are instances where you may be unable to get the staples with any tools mentioned in this article. The choice is to thus bury the staples. You ought to cut the head off and use a nail set to hit the legs of the staple to get it below the surface of the wood. This makes it easy to cover the holes using putty.

Final Thoughts

It is important to ensure that you understand how you can remove staples from wood because chances are, you will get staples in wood whether you are buying new wood or you are trying to remodel. With staples, you should not force them out because you can damage the surface of the wood and this can be costly since you will need to replace the wood. There are many wood staple guns used in different woods and removing it required different methods mentioned above.

This article offers simple methods and tools that you may require to remove staples from wood.  

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