Office Space: the Sequel

July 2, 2004 6:33 AM

Too much time looking at staple?Simon Cox is trying to figure out what the perfect angle for a staple between several sheets of paper should be. Proof that there can be beauty in every little office things.
posted by TNLNYC (14 comments total)

The Virtual Stapler has no such angle option.
posted by Stan Chin at 6:49 AM on July 2, 2004

Sure it does. Just tilt your monitor.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 7:14 AM on July 2, 2004

I'm fed up with hearing about the beauty of small things.
posted by creamed corn at 7:25 AM on July 2, 2004

The illustrations look wrong. He's got the top page (when the document is "open") oriented the wrong way in all of them. He's got the short edge going off leftward and the long edge going off topward. Grab a stapled doc and see for yourself. Or just visualize closing the docs pictured -- the edges won't line up.
posted by George_Spiggott at 7:37 AM on July 2, 2004

Ugh. I once had a dreadful job where we actually got in trouble with the micromanagingfreak boss if we stapled things at the wrong angle.
posted by JanetLand at 8:09 AM on July 2, 2004

The answer is to duplex and put three staples on the left edge of the document.
posted by shepd at 8:12 AM on July 2, 2004

It's a shame, because the graphics are actually pretty good. And what is the best angle, then? I'm guessing 67.5 degrees, but it's unclear.

I'm totally a sucker for esoterica like this. But now, I'd like to see his further research on multiple staplings, or even mixed media. I mean, this is valid data for a few sheets of 20# or 24# paper, but what about cloth or papyrus or cellophane or friggin' birch bark or human skin or pastrami?

I smell a master's thesis.
posted by chicobangs at 8:24 AM on July 2, 2004

Ugh, I hate the 3-left-staple-duplex configuration. It makes page turning a chore, and you can't take notes on the back. I'll take the classic 45 any day.
posted by bhorling at 8:29 AM on July 2, 2004

When putting a single staple at the corner, anything other than a 45 degree angle puts a strain on the join at one end of the staple or the other, causing it to start to tear more readily, if that's any help in deciding this vital issue.
posted by George_Spiggott at 9:20 AM on July 2, 2004

this is very sad
posted by bob sarabia at 10:20 AM on July 2, 2004

I'm fed up with hearing about the beauty of small things.

Well, we've got a thread a thread for freaks like you.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:52 AM on July 2, 2004

That's much better.
posted by creamed corn at 1:08 PM on July 2, 2004

I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were merry, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire.
posted by Krrrlson at 9:36 PM on July 2, 2004

Krrrlson,

That is FUNNY!
posted by wsg at 10:38 PM on July 2, 2004