The aluminumposts look excellent in this type of application

Screw posts provide one of the easiest methodsfor binding documents, especially extremely thick ones. Sometimescalled Chicago screws or Chicago screw posts, these small documentfasteners are usually made of Aluminum. They are commonly used to bindswatch books, photo albums, wine lists, menus, engineering plans andextremely thick reports or presentations. Overall, screw post bindingis very simple. However, this article is designed to provide somesimple tips and tricks for binding documents with Chicago screw posts.Here they are... Most users who are looking to binddocuments with Chicago screws simply use a standard 3 hole punch tomake the holes for the screwposts. Although every three hole punch is alittle bit different, most will produce a 1/4" hole that is recommendedfor use with screw posts. Users who bind large numbers of documentswith screw posts might consider buying a paper drill which will be muchmore efficient than a traditional desktop 3-hole punch.MostChicago screwposts come in a plain aluminum finish.
However, it ispossible to find screw-posts in black, gold, antique brass and evensteel. Depending on the binding application that you have, one of theseother colors may be a good fit for you. However, keep in mind that theblack, gold and antique brass screws are usually just coated aluminumand the finish may not be highly durable. Steel posts are the strongestand most heavy duty binding posts but don't offer the same polishedfinish that aluminum ones offer. Chicago screws areavailable in lengths as short as 1/8" and as long six inches.Additionally, extensions can be added to make the posts even longer andcapable of binding thicker documents. In theory, it is possible to binddocuments as thick as 8-10 inches with Chicago screwposts. No othersystem on the market is capable of binding documents greater than 3inches. For huge documents, reports and archived documents, screwpostsare the best option.Screw posts are often used to bindmaterials other than traditional paper. One popular use for screwpostbinding is for leather covered menus where the screw posts hold thepages into a wrapped foil stamped leather menu cover.
The aluminumposts look excellent in this type of application and are easy to openand close when changes are required. Chicago screws are also used inbinding other leather goods.It is important to rememberthat the size listed for the different screw posts is the length of thebinding post without the head on either side. This means that a 1/2"screw post is designed to Nylon patch screw bind a 1/2" document. If you choose too smalla post the pages will not fit. If you choose too large a post the pageswill be loose and the bind will be sloppy.These are a few simple tips for binding documents with screw posts.This unique binding style is simple to use and does not require aspecial binding machine beyond the 3-hole punch that you already have.Try it out for yourself and see how simple binding with screwposts canbe.