Air staple guns - when did they stop being a thing?

When I married Hubby 30+ years ago, I discovered he had a staple gun that ran off his air compressor. He'd never used it, but had bought it on sale thinking it would come in handy some day. I have small hands, which makes using our equally old hand stapler extremely difficult - I'm good for about 5 staples in a row, and that just doesn't recover a chair seat! With the air version, I was good for one whole chair seat at a time.

So, a card table chair in my son's computer area had had a ripped seat for years. I recently got a nice length of canvas and realized I could re-cover the seat and it would look much better. I would replace the yucky foam with layers of a wool material I was given, and it would be a quick task I could start and finish before the upcoming Holiday entertaining period.

I got it apart with only two tries (ratchet drives that can take a screwdriver bit are awesome in tight spaces!) I got padding and cover cut to size and organized. I sewed a matching cover for the back, but I decided I could just sew it, so no stapling needed.

So the seat was ready to go last night. I went hunting for staples and found the box for them only had 1/2" staples of the correct dimensions for the air tool (we've got a decent supply for the "I can't use it manual one" - wonder why???) I then went looking for the tool and found that in its box there is a scant number of 5/16th staples, so I went to consult with my supply officer... AKA Hubby.

They're now made of unobtanium... Tools like this have specific required dimensions, and this tool needs a 1/2" crown (width at the top of the staple). It seems these aren't a thing any more? Have we let *all* our upholstery shops die of neglect because we all just went out and bought cheap new stuff?

Most of them, yes.
Cheap choices for upholstery fabric used to be easy to find too.

Hmm.. on Amazon US I'm seeing 1/2 crown staples for pneumatic guns, get your hubby to look at it, I'll ship them to you if you find anything that works.

I have a collection of old tools that I can no longer find things for, built better and work better than what's available now. I watch yard sales for the hardware dumped out of sheds and barns, and look for the things that work with my tools.

I have a compressor and several nail and staple guns.   The problem is that for most homestead projects, it isn’t worth the time to hook them up when I can grab a hammer and a handful of nails.

Jay, it is frustrating to have a tool with no supplies, or supplies that don't fit the tool.

I have a case of staples for a pneumatic stapler that I *may no longer have*... I'd have to search for both. If I recall, our stapler had something wrong with the return spring in the magazine, the question is "do I still have it?" (waiting for repair...) or do I have the *other one* that works but that I ALSO ran out of staples for... The guns may both be lost along with my brother? I have spotty memories about them.

The STAPLES, I think are 1/4" long, and even if I DO have the gun, I've got PLENTY.

What is your gun's make and model? I'll try to find a case of staples so we can compare!

I'm going to the old house for a scavenger hunt for a different thing, now with a side quest!

5/16 crown staples are out there.  https://www.amazon.com/BOSTITCH-SL50351G-16-Inch-18-Gauge-Staples/dp/B0002AJPZY/ref=sxin_16_b2b_sx_top_picks_acb?content-id=amzn1.sym.5ecc5c7c-686e-4608-a0dc-6acf6c6c3228%3Aamzn1.sym.5ecc5c7c-686e-4608-a0dc-6acf6c6c3228&crid=1KCSDO0FEDEZ0&cv_ct_cx=5%2F16+crown+staples&keywords=5%2F16+crown+staples&pd_rd_i=B0002AJPZY&pd_rd_r=32550d86-9f80-4331-83ae-9232a266be30&pd_rd_w=PcXYq&pd_rd_wg=0gjEh&pf_rd_p=5ecc5c7c-686e-4608-a0dc-6acf6c6c3228&pf_rd_r=MH5W33R3Q14YYV1Z87NA&qid=1670014608&sprefix=5%2F16+crown+staples%2Caps%2C173&sr=1-2-ab57425f-010b-46ba-9b54-4c012bcb0387

For some of you wonderful permies who've offered to help, some of the companies who appear to still carry what we need, don't ship to Canada, or only do so for $150 premium - not worth it for a card table chair!!!

However, in case we do arrange something, the tool is a Campbell Hausfeld TL 1038
The  parameters of the staples are 1/2" Crown, 20 gauge, and specifically 1/4" or 5/16" leg length. Each staple was 0.047 inches along the length of the row of staples.
The thickness was 0.019 inches.

Great news everyone! We found the problem!

The search terms need to be for "WIDE Crown" not 1/2" crown - have they dumbed down math again???

Hubby went into his favorite independent hardware store and Arrow is making "wide crown" airpower staples that work for our stapler (we tested them) and a bunch of similar ones. Designed and assembled in USA, we were able to get a selection of leg sizes.

Of course, this was after I made Hubby staple the new cover on my chair with the old manual stapler. He was pretty amazed how easily the air stapler stapled some sample sizes into a piece of wood after he struggled with the mechanical one. However, just to show off how hard he worked, here is a before and after picture: