Stapling inner fender splash shields on '58?

[fishnjim]

Thanks for the previous info on the masticated rubber sheet.   Some of these bolt on and some are stapled on.  Bolt on, no brainer, but I've not been able to locate any source for a stapler to replace these.   I guess it was a rather industrial machine and now obsolete.   Any resto info would be appreciated.   
ps:I'm getting ready to take some inner panels off to repair and would like to put the new rubber on so I don't have to take them off again.

[marty55cdv]

  Jim, I used some stainless wire "bend and stay" from Mcmaster   PN    6517K69 .  After removing the old staples I drilled out the hole with a 1/16 drill then  lined up the rubber shield and drilled thru it, formed a staple using needle nose pliers with the wire, pushed it thru and bent it over on the other side, the staples that come in the kits are very difficult to bend and not really long enough for any wiggle room.

[Steve Passmore]

I have always said I would love to see the stapler that drove those staples right through the metal on the splash shields.  It must have been a mother of a stapler and certainly not some hand operated thing that you could use at home .

[fishnjim]

I'm fairly certain it was a "wire stitcher".   It uses roll wire and forms, shoots, and curls the staple.   They are used for books, etc today.
They're still around but I don't know what one was actually used.   The staples are 1/2 x 1/2 by 16 gauge steel wire(round).   I measured .048" diam which is a bit low for 16, but they're rusty.
Concensus so far is to hand bend, but I'm not giving up just yet...   I don't think you can get the correct staples if they were formed from wire, so down that road is a non-starter.   At least in this day and age.

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

Staples are available from R S&S in PA.  Part #1999.  The legs are a little long and need to be cut shorter.  As stated above the holes should be drilled out to 1/16".  This is strictly by hand.  Practice a couple first before starting on the ones that show.  As Steve said every time I do this I think I would sure like to see the machine that did this at the factory.

[Tom Boehm]

Hello Brad, Restoration Specialties and Supply webpage did not give staple dimensions. Are they the same width as the ones on fenders? In other words, will they fit in the original holes after the holes are enlarged to 1/16"?

[76eldo]

They also stapled the leather sections that go on the side pieces on the 59 and 60 Parade Boots and I'm sure other years too.

The staples are completely hidden by the fabric but I have wondered how the machine that stapled through the thin fiberglass did not just break sections of the fiberglass right off.
The staple holes are less than a half inch from the edge of the fiberglass!

Love to see a video of that.

Brian

[59-in-pieces]

Jim,
What I do Is clamp the splash aprons - rubber - on to the sheet metal where they go using the spring loaded hand clamps shown below - different sizes for reaching near and far.
That allows me to go back through the holes in the sheet metal which has likely been made smaller by paint or powder coating to open back up the holes and perfectly place holes in the rubber when using a drill bit.

I place the SS staple (shown below) in the holes which then comes through the rubber or metal as originally mounted.  Flip over the piece with the clamps still in place and put a steel dolly on the flat part of the staple, and with a nail set (the point has a small depression to help center the end of the staple, and lightly tap each leg over with a tack hammer.  This allows the staples to be tightened right down. 

This method - though tedious - also works on the bulb type strip seals that run along the sheet metal to the underside of the fenders.  Tedious yes - 9 bulbs and splash guards to do them all, PER SIDE on a 59.

The final result beats screws or rivets - which I have seen some guys use.  Just saying.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

Tom,

The staples from RS&S do fit the original staple holes.

[59-in-pieces]

Jim,
I can't speak to a 58, but they may be the same staple with the same leg distance between.
Brad has the source - that's good.
Here is what I did to confirm that the SS ones I bought were going to work.
I measured the leg distance and then confirmed with the vendor that they would work - not just work - but were exact.
The SS staples are tough as nails, as you might suspect, so they must go straight through the holes.
Otherwise, you'll be fighting spreading or sqeezing the legs - shabby looking.
The attached picture shows the holes and made it easy to measure after removing the old splash guard.
Good luck.
Have fun,
Steve B.