MyBinding Knowledge Base
How can I use a laminator in my home?
Laminators aren’t just for schools anymore. More and more people across the country are investing in a machine for their home. And why not? The uses are endless and it’s a great tool to entertain kids. Here are a few things you can do with a laminator besides the typical art and document preservation.
- Create your own luggage tags. How many times have you been at a baggage claim, be it at the airport or train station, and your bag looks like all the others? Instead of using the standard information tag, create a fun and colorful custom luggage tag. Besides giving you a fun project, the unique tag will allow you to locate your luggage faster so you can quickly get to your ultimate destination and not waste time searching for your suitcase.
- Make a chore chart. No kids enjoy doing chores but a chart certainly helps them get it done quicker. A chart filled with pictures and check off boxes is way more fun for a child to look at and complete than a handwritten list. And the lamination will allow you to erase the checks and reuse the chart.
- Simplify your grocery list. Having an organized grocery list makes trips to the store shorter. Type out a list of commonly purchased items and group them by section in the store, leaving a blank spot for extras. Laminate this page and you’ll have a durable, reusable grocery list.
- Make a medication schedule. Between the adults, children and pets living in your house, you may have a handful of daily, weekly, and monthly medications that need to be taken. Creating a master list of who needs what dose on what day relieves you of having to remember all the details. Simply cross it off after the medication is given and wipe clean at the end of the month. This will help you not to miss or double up on any doses.
- Post emergency contact numbers. Keeping a list of who to call in case of emergency is an important safety measure. Laminating it and posting where children can see will help to ensure it doesn’t get torn or lost.
- Post a babysitter checklist. Do you write the same things down for the babysitter every time? Type up your common instructions as well as contact information and laminate it for a faster way of communicating what they’re responsible for. Don’t forget to leave blank space for special details.
- Preserve recipe cards. Copying ingredient lists and recipe details is tedious and time consuming. Save yourself the hassle of having to recopy recipes by laminating them. The plastic coating prevents tears and allows spills to be wiped off. Plus you won’t lose any of the information to water blotches or sauce splatters.
< 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)
