Red Swingline Stapler ala Office Space

"It looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately."

" I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob."

-Peter Gibbons in Office Space

Ever since I first saw the movie Office Space, I wanted a red stapler like the one in the film, but one that is authentic.  The one Swingline currently makes looks nothing like the one in the movie.  The story goes that a red one such as this was never made by Swingline, and the one in the movie was knocked out by the prop department as a one-shot custom just for filming.  The thing was then destroyed for the final fire clean-up scene. 

Being a modeler, I figured I could make one.  So, I found what has to be the exact same model they used in the movie.  I disassembled it, and then painted the metal base and plastic top with special ABS paint that will actually stick to the plastic and metal both.  It also makes for a tough finish once dry (I've dropped mine several times over the past 4 years and have only a few minor chips).  Once paint is dry, I wet sand to get the orange peel effect out of the paint, and then apply the logo decals.  The logos are custom made, printed on an ALPS printer (one of the few printers that will print actual white) or with a new dry transfer decal system that I've been trying out.  After they dry, I clear coat everything, wet sand again, and then polish it all out by hand.

There you go.  The perfect tool for the cubicle dweller.

The stapler has been in constant use for nearly four years now, only a few dings from where I dropped it now and then.  It still works great.

Back to the Modeling page