MyBinding Knowledge Base
What should I know about rotary trimmers?
One of the most helpful types of cutting tools is the rotary trimmer. These devices make it quick and easy to trim documents for either personal or professional use. If you don’t have one, you should consider getting one to make preparing your materials much easier. That said, here are some questions you should ask yourself when choosing your rotary trimmer.
- How much do you want to cut at once? A trimmer’s cutting capacity is a very important factor in selecting such a device. You should choose a cutter that will be able to handle as many sheets as possible so you can process your materials quickly. You’ll find trimmers that can only handle a few sheets at a time while there are others than can deal as many as 30 sheets. If you need to work with larger quantities of paper, you should consider getting a guillotine cutter instead.
- How large is your paper? Rotary trimmers are available in a lot of different sizes. When choosing yours, you’ll want to check out the device’s cutting length because this will indicate what size(s) of paper you can trim with it. The majority of these devices will be able to handle letter-sized paper but not all of them can handle larger lengths such as 12”, 14”, and 17”. Be sure to measure your materials beforehand so you can choose a device that’s the right size for your needs.
- Do you want to score or perforate? In recent years, there have been products arrive on the market that can do wavy cuts as well as score and perforate your materials. These trimmers can be really helpful if you’re creating greeting cards, decorations, scrapbook materials, and so on. They’re great for crafters and creative professionals. However, their cutting capacities can be on the low side, so that may be a problem if you want to work with large amounts of paper.
- Do you want a well-constructed device? You can get a rotary trimmer for not a lot of money, however, the cheaper devices will become unusable after a while, especially if they’re used on a frequent basis. You’ll then need to replace the item. However, if you spend a bit more from the get-go, you’re much more likely to get a well-constructed trimmer that can withstand more use. Also, a trimmer that’s well-made will give you a better cut so your documents will look professional.
- Are you prepared to spend money on wearable parts? If you use your cutter on a regular basis, you’re probably going to have to replace the blades and/or other parts. However, if you purchased a cheaper cutter, you may find that it’s more cost-effective to replace the entire unit rather than just buying a replacement blade.
< 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)
