MyBinding Knowledge Base
Can I use the Akiles Diamond 1 corner rounder as a calendar thumbcut punch?
Recently I had a customer interested in binding documents with twin loop wire and calendar hangers but he was looking for a solution that was a little bit more heavy duty than the Renz TC20 ThumbCut calendar punch. After doing some investigating I discovered that you can actually use the Akiles Diamond 1 corner rounder as a thumb cut punch. Where the TC20 can only punch 20 sheets of 20lb paper at one time, the Akiles Diamond 1 is capable of punching up to 0.4” of paper per lift (more than double the capacity). Additionally, the Diamond 1 can also be used to round the corners on your documents and ID badges.
Here is a quick overview of what you need in order to use the Akiles Diamond 1 Corner Rounding Device for this application.
- If you want to use the Akiles Diamond 1 as a thumbcut punching for calendars, you first need to purchase the Akiles Diamond 1. The Diamond 1 comes standard with a ¼” radius die for rounding corners and will come with the tools that you need to use to set it up for punching your thumbcut into your calendars.
- In order to use the Akiles Diamond 1 corner rounding device for binding calendars with twin loop wire, you are going to need to purchase the “half moon die” for the Akiles Diamond 1. The half moon die will punch a thumb cut with a diameter of 2cm (20mm) into your documents. This thumb cut is the same diameter as the thumb cut punched by the Renz TC20 and is perfect for the calendar hanger wires that we have available.
- The third component that you need in order to use your Akiles Diamond 1 corner rounder as a thumb cut punch is the depth guide for the half moon die. This depth guide will allow you to position your pages in the correct spot with your Akiles Diamond 1 to ensure that the thumb cut is located in the appropriate place. In order to use the depth guide for the half moon die along with your Akiles Diamond 1, you will need to remove the two paper guides from your Akiles Diamond 1 using the Allen key that was provided when you purchased your machine. These paper guides can easily be reinstalled when you need to use your Diamond 1 as a corner rounder again.
With all of these options, the Akiles Diamond 1 is slightly more expensive than the Renz TC20. However, the fact that the Akiles Diamond 1 is capable of punching more than twice the amount of paper than the TC20. It can also be used as a corner rounder seems to make it a logical choice for a ThumbCut punch for use along with your Twin Loop wire binding machine.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
