MyBinding Knowledge Base
Are there any tips for binding my documents with screw posts?
If you’re looking for an easy way to bind your documents, you should consider using screw posts. These supplies (sometimes referred to as Chicago screws) are simply document fasteners made out of metal. You stick them through holes in your documents, secure them, and all of a sudden your work is bound and ready to go. Here are some tips and tricks you can use to make using screw posts as easy as possible:
- If you want to work with screw posts, you can punch holes in your document with a standard three-hole punch. These devices tend to produce 1/4” holes that are long enough for the screws. If you’re going to be processing a lot of paper on a regular basis, you might opt for a paper drill as opposed to a hole punch. These devices can punch holes in hundreds of sheets at once.
- Most screw posts are plain aluminum. However, there are posts available in other finishes such as steel, brass, black, and even gold. While these screws can look great, it’s important to realize that they’re usually just aluminum posts that have been painted and thus, might not be very durable. Steel screw posts are the strongest available if durability is important to you.
- Screw posts come in a variety of sizes ranging from 1/8” to 6”. You can also buy extensions if your documents are thicker than 6”. That makes screw posts some of the best materials for binding long documents and archival materials.
- If you need to work with non-paper materials, screw posts can definitely come in handy. These supplies are often used to bind documents with leather covers such as menus and photo albums. If you use gold or brass screws for this application, you can be sure your documents will look fantastic.
- Finally, it’s important to note that a screw’s length doesn’t include the heads on either side. For example, a 2” screw post is meant to bind a 2-inch document. Be sure to choose screw posts that are the right length so your documents will look their best.
< 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)
