Screw Posts that hold together Scrap Books

[JanetRose]

I'm not loving these things! I can't unscrew some of them so I have two the same size! I can't wait until they come out with a better idea!!

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I understand your frustration.. Last time I fought with them.. I had a wrench in one hand w/ a felt cloth between the mouth of the wrench and the post... and to twist the top half I was using one of the grip things to take jar lids off.. DH laughed at me hysterically; but I won the battle!

 

[patchchild]

For my sanity, I bought a couple of the strap binding systems. Much better.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

don't buy the straps from Pioneer though, they are terrible and pull out of the covers all the time.

I started buying Creative Memories for that reason. I love the strap hinge.


HI PatchChild!!!! Long time no see!!!!

 

[patchchild]

HI PatchChild!!!! Long time no see!!!!

And hello! Funny how having a kid takes up all your time...

 

[New England Eeyore]

I hate them too, and wasn't crazy about the strap-hinge, so I found a better solution - I went to the hardware store. There are screws called binding screws (aka aluminum fasteners) that basically work the same way, but they are all one piece and much easier to use. They are the right size to fit in the holes (8/32") and they come in varying lengths - from 1/4 inch up to 2 inches. I first found them at a mom and pop hardware store. I was buying regular screws for the same purpose, the guy engaged me in conversation and asked why and recommended these instead. them!! Since then I have also found them in Lowe's/Home Depot - usually in the speciality drawers of the hardware aisle.

You can see what they look like here:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_137887-3767...&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=aluminum+screw

 

[lizavance]

They are also sold at stationary supply and are also known as Chicago screws. You can get them up to 3" and they hold up really well at the longer lengths.

 

[LindaBabe]

WHAT a WONDERFUL idea! And I'll bet they're less expensive than the ones we fight with.

 

[disney-akj]

Wow! I wish I would have known about those screws when I did my DCL album. I agree that the straps, not CM ones, but the others are not good. They lose their stickiness and pop up. Plus the straps eventually won't hold anymore (I don't know if the grooves wear out or what?). The three ring binders ideas work, but it sometimes hard when you do two page spreads (if you cut a pic in half or a title continues on to the other page) because there is a big gap between the two pages. The binders sure hold more layouts though.

 

[PinballFamily]

Thanks, OP for raising this issue right now! I hate, hate, hate the posts and have heard that screwing them together to get some nice long lengths really doesn't work.

I'm still at work on our (surprise) wedding album for our 25th anniversary which is rapidly approaching next week and recently realized I need beaucoup capacity in the new books I bought for all the layouts I'm finishing up. I just bought the Pioneer straps off of Amazon (4/3 deal) and some extra-strong glue I was going to use to insure they stayed in. (Haven't opened them yet...)

But, I'm loving this "Chicago screw" idea from NEE and lizavance! I'll head out to our local little hardware stores and see what I can find - I'd love to grab some 3" ones, but will see if I can at least find 2". They do seem to be available online (in lots of 100 and lengths up to 6"!) but I'll see if I can get smaller quantities, otherwise, I may end up being the local "go to girl" for the surplus ones.

Any other feedback from Chicago screw users?

 

[wdwmickey]

What a great idea! My DD's love the albums that have the screws, and I hate that I can't get them to stay together. I have always been a CM album girl, but, I'm excited to try the chicago screws in the girls personal albums.

 

[beaucoup]

thanks for the excellent info!

 

[katied]

I'll have to try these out. I've switched to 3-ring binder style, just to avoid the frustration of everything else.

 

[New England Eeyore]

Good to know the other name!

PBF - I've only bought as big as 2 inches locally. I know that was the biggest Lowe's had - I don't remember if the True Value store had bigger. I don't know what you're using for an album, but keep in mind that the spine of the book probably won't accommodate anything over 2 inches. You will have to take the spine piece out and leave the pages exposed - kwim? I usually try to keep my books to 1.5 inches so they're not unwieldy to pick up - anything bigger and I split it into 2 albums. I have used 2 inches, but after DH dropped one trying to take it off the shelf one-handed (that sucker is a two-hander for sure) and broke the cover I try to make them smaller.

 

[PinballFamily]

Thanks, NEE! I walked over to my little local hardware store this afternoon (just around the corner from TB's house) and asked for Chicago screws. Got met with a blank look - then the guy swiftly googled them and said "Oh, you mean sex screws! We have those...follow me." (I even had him spell it to be sure I heard correctly.) But isn't that name sort of redundant, actually...

Well, I got four 2" ones. Will give them a whirl in a couple of scrapbooks (the anniversary gift ones) and see how they work out.

 

[mecllap]

Thanks, NEE! I walked over to my little local hardware store this afternoon (just around the corner from TB's house) and asked for Chicago screws. Got met with a blank look - then the guy swiftly googled them and said "Oh, you mean sex screws! We have those...follow me." (I even had him spell it to be sure I heard correctly.) But isn't that name sort of redundant, actually...

Well, I got four 2" ones. Will give them a whirl in a couple of scrapbooks (the anniversary gift ones) and see how they work out.

Ah -- just looked at the photo and can see why they might be called that!

 

[laura&fam]

I've had problems with these too. I might try out the Chicago screws, but in the past I've just gone with one brand and that seems to help.

As soon as I get a new album I take out the screw posts and throw them away (I don't want them getting mixed up) and replace them with Pioneer brand. Not that Pioneer brand is really that great, but they have them in the LSS. Using the same brand for the extenders, screws, and posts they seem to screw in and out much easier.

 

[PinballFamily]

These Chicago/sex/binding screw things work great! Thanks, thanks, thanks! I am a convert - and they are only $1 each!

I used the 2" ones in the wedding scrapbooks I just finished. I used a lot of thick (high) Prima/handmade flowers, rhinestones, pearls, and brads on many of my pages and loved being about to extend the book's capacity so quickly/easily to hold these. I got appx. 20 sheet protectors (40 pages) to each book with the 2" screws. If I had done "regular" pages without all these embellishments, I'm sure it would have been considerably more. I filled three books and two are on the heavy-ish side, but one is very light. But, I think you're right, NEE, anything much over 2" and the books would be a bit difficult to handle.

The Pioneer straps got sent back to Amazon and I'm going to buy more of these doohickies to convert my other albums...thanks again, you guys!

 

[toverly]

Office Depot has some in their catalog also but, you probably have to order them. It's great to get rid of the 1/2 inch increments.