Seems more bulky and less practical than this option?

[www.lynnimaging.com]

chris-mcc

hmmmm. anyone got any pics of this?

codywalker

Chicago bolts is the correct name.
They are typically aluminum and very light.

jmco

I'd use something heavy like cardstock or better on either side otherwise your first few pages are liable to be shredded when you shove the "book" back onto the shelf.

CWW

I've always heard them referred to as screwposts. You'll have better results using that term in a search engine. I've found them on Amazon and most office supply stores. They are usually sold in large bundles (100+) and come in different lengths and can be made of aluminum, plastic or steel. They have zero bulk because they are the size of the holes in the papaer. Very handy things.

theDevilsDue

Anyone have a decent online supplier (preferably for Australia).

stepnet

Screws, eh? I always thought that getting your papers to stick together "Chicago Style" involved threats of force.

Chicago screws/Chicago bolts/screw posts are often used in binding and even leatherwork. I'm making a bag and I'm actually looking for something along the lines of what CWW was talking about - a thin, narrow metal plate with holes in it to protect the paper/whatever from the screws themselves. Anyone know where I can find something like that?

redteam

Sleeve nuts? They're worth having just so I can say to my co workers "wanna check out my sleeve nuts?"

normanm4

I only heard of them referred to as Sleeve Nuts, we use them here at my work for a different application.

we get them from Spaenaur

[www.spaenaur.com]

peetah

If it's just for storage, the "brass fasteners" are a less expensive option. 100, 1/2" aluminum screw posts are gonna run you about $20 (plastic ones are around the same cost) - the brass fasteners will cost about 1/10 that cost. Just punch a normal file folder to make a some-what sturdy jacket for the pages.

If you need something sturdy, and visually appealing, the posts are great. Great for putting together a nice photo album that can grow slightly as you add pages.

Even better if it's just for archiving (assuming you don't want to just scan stuff) is pocket style file folders.

mcnee

@CWW: Most hardware stores carry different lengths/thicknesses of flat aluminum stock. It would work well because it is lightweight and easy to cut/drill.

theDevilsDue

it's a common bolt everywhere (i'm NL), branded (quality)fotoalbums in the photoshops use this technique also, my father (photo-shop-keeper) used to have them in stock, but i also remembered getting this arron for him at the common harwareshop in town (very small town), so i guess you can buy them everywhere.

blutec

Uh, not to be too Type A about it, but isn't this better filed under "Office Supply Fetish"?

Lula Mae Broadway

i actually just bought a bunch of these to make DIY dresser drawer pulls (w/ epoxy and whatever item to use as the actual pull -- i'm using legos...need somewhere to store clothes in the nursery for our upcoming twins... :) ) got 'em at the local home depot, but any hardware store should carry them.

you could also toss a washer on there if you're worried the outer pages could tear a bigger hole to allow the bolt head to pass through (thus losing pages).

gover57

I work for a carpenter, and he calls these "Chicago Screws" as well, though technically they are a type of bolt. I'm willing to bet the different names are regional....
These look neat and pretty, but could get expensive if you need a bunch of them. I use these [www.staples.com] , which come in a variety of sizes, both in terms of how far apart your pages' holes are punched as well as how thick the stack of paper can get (you can adjust to any thickness up to a certain point). Whatever size you use, these are much cheaper than Chicago Screws. I use ones that fit into the top and bottom holes of a (US) standard 8-1/2" x 11" 3-hole-punched page, along the 11"/vertical left side. I've also used the shorter ones along the top edge of a stack, similar to how doctors' offices fasten patients' charts into a folder. They are pretty economical and durable.

KMT

Art supply stores sometimes sell Chicago Screws/Bolts. They're used in binding/bookmaking. Another idea is to use large-sized loose leaf rings. Or try big binder clips.

cheesebubble

Some more pictures of the Chicago screws here: [blog.seven29.com]

As for pricing, the post says that they run 15 to 19 cents each. Which means 45 to 57 cents per binding. If you bind 100 documents, then that'd be $45 to $57. If you bind 1,000 documents, then it'll cost you $450 to $570! Craziness!

But their elegance and style is worth the price. Especially if you're like me, and you only need 6. And when I'm done with the packet, I can re-use them.

pham

Back when I was a skate rat we used to use these fasteners (made of steel) to attach the trucks and wheels onto the deck of our skateboards. Only, we called them sex bolts, - because there are, um, male and female parts.

marlond