I had some copies of something like a design made there once and they would only print unsigned artwork. they take that shit pretty seriously I guess. but then someone else on a different day didn’t care, so it probably does depend on the person.
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The trouble with glue bindings is that they don’t lay flat until they crack.
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Well, I was happy with the job printme1 did, and it was about a third of the price, so it worked out well.
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ahhh… I didn’t think of that. that sucks.
a third of 25 bucks?
Well, Staples quoted me over $80 for the whole OT manual in black and white and a special binding. Printme1 was $30 for the same thing
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did it have a heavier gauge paper for the cover? like cardstock?
Honestly I don’t really remember at this point 
it’s possible I didn’t choose the most cost effective way of printing it
sounds like everything I’ve ever bought in my entire life. “oh i’ll get the cheap one”
one hour later:
Newest everything, does things I don’t need.
shoes still busted. hole in my armpit.
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I print out the larger manuals. I need to do this for the Rytm, Oberheim, Hapax and Virus reference manuals at Kinkos and have them bind together each manual.
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I miss kinkos. isn’t it just the fed ex store now?
Yeah fedex bought them out so now called fedex
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Success!
Equipment used (and I recommend / endorse):
- Brother HL-2370DW - but any duplexing printer will do. I’ve had good luck with the Brother HL-23xx series, they remind me of the '90s HP LaserJets & Apple LaserWriters
- Generic 20lb printer/copy paper
- MAKEASY Comb Binding Machine, but I suspect most binding machines in this price range are functionally identical.
- Crystal Clear Binding Covers
- Amazon Basics 5/8" Binding Comb (the machine came with 3/8", I wanted to be sure the OT manual would open and lie flat without opening the comb)
Process:
- Unpacked the binding machine
- Punched through the supplied cardboard six times as instructed to clean the mechanism of oil
- Adjusted the machine for US Letter paper
- Punched 6 sheets at a time
- Punched the front plastic cover with a single sheet of 20lb paper on top, no problem
- Punched the second plastic cover naked, again no problem
- Placed the comb on top of the machine, opened with the lever
- Put the back cover in first, then added sheets about 20 at a time
- Put the front cover in last
- Returned the lever to middle position, closing the comb
FWIW: I watched this youtube video on comb binding with a different, possibly nicer (more expensive) machine before buying.
Notes:
- This is all pretty generic stuff, I doubt it is necessary to buy the specific products I used. But feel free to do so if it makes you feel better.
- I bought a side-lever machine instead of a horizontal lever machine because I thought the horizontal lever would interfere with the final binding process. After using the machine once, I suspect that either style is fine.
- I had zero problems punching a single clear plastic cover sheet. I suspect that the reviewers who had trouble were trying to punch multiple sheets at a time.
- Similarly, I had no trouble punching 6 sheets of paper at once. I suspect 12 sheets would be fine.
- Slow and steady wins the race.
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This is a great post! Congrats on your success and thanks for the process hints
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The main takeaway is go slow and follow directions and you should be fine. It is also good to setup a work space with plenty of room and orient the incoming and outgoing stacks for easy motion. I would not recommend being drunk or high the first time you use the machine. 
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this is also a good tip, might bind more than your manual I’ll wager…
after having done the comb binding, do you have any opinion on whether this wire binding machine would be worth the extra $47? it’s supposedly more expensive ($150) but it has a $50 coupon, you know how these coupons are… oh I sneezed, now it’s a coupon…
luckily or unfortunately for me depending on how you look at it, there has not been much drunk or high for me in the last few years… I believe my personality is simply rotten 
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It’s probably a toss-up whether the plastic comb or wire creates a better binding. The comb teeth overlap the spine by a large margin, so it should be difficult for pages to escape. It looks to me like the wire binding may leave a gap that could provide an opportunity for escape.
Amazon returns are very easy if you’ve got lockers nearby.
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I like the idea of spiral binding but only from an asthetic standpoint. I find that spiral bound gets wonky pretty quick in sketchbooks etc. looks professional as hell though. What was the total time spent on binding the one manual? just curious.
also be interested to know your take on this post about book repair and binding… apparently using pva glue or resin, if you have a way to hold the “spine” firmly, you can brush on glue and bind manuals with a flexible glue binding without a machine.
Best Glue for Bookbinding - The Top Brands of Book Binding Glue (resin-expert.com)
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Regarding glue binding: I live in a modern high-rise apartment building that is well sealed, and temperatures are still in the upper 30sF. So I prefer to avoid anything with the potential for chemical smells. Some of the commenters upthread may have more useful opinions.
I agree that the aesthetics on wire spirals are nicer than plastic combs. There are also spiral binding machines in addition to the wire binding machines, but I suspect that threading a spiral would be a tedious process.
I didn’t watch the clock, but I suspect it took me less than 15 minutes to complete the OT binding.
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I just bound the AK manual - completed in under 8 minutes.
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I sequestered some carbon this week:
- Scarr Virus Tutorial
- Wavestate Owner’s Manual
- What’s New in Wavestate 2.0 & Voice Name List
- OPSIX Owners Manual
- Jupiter Xm Manual
- Jupiter Xm Parameter Guide
- Jupiter Xm Sound List
- Octatrack MK2 User Manual
- Analog Keys Full Reference Manual
- SL MK3 User Guide & Progamming Guide
- Lunachpad Pro Mk3 User Guide
- Sunshine Jones SE-02 User’s Guide
- GPT-4 Technical report
For comparison: - Machinedrum User’s Manual
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