3 ring binder

[jbird]

So got a question about a binder how do cover one with leather what is the method how do you go about it, got any pics of the different steps lay it on thanks gang

Josh

[pete]

it's easier to make your own binder than to re-cover one. What exactly do you want to know?

[Tkleather1]

the only way that I have covered one was measure your binder and all the hinge points and make the cover roughly the same size but a little bigger. and then stitch pockets that the binder itself can slip into.

But my personal favorite way to do it is cut the binder portion (ring part) out of the book and then build a new cover out of leather and line it with light chap leather. then use either decorative chicago screws or nice conchos to attatch the binder.

[jbird]

Ok so what ever the way is you all do it I just need to now what that way is I mean what part of the binder do use just the middle part and cut the rest off but then how do you cover the middle part.

Josh

[Tkleather1]

Ok so what ever the way is you all do it I just need to now what that way is I mean what part of the binder do use just the middle part and cut the rest off but then how do you cover the middle part.

Josh

I take the metal part only out of the binder (be careful when pulling the rivets they use) if you damage the holes or bend the binder it wont open and close properly. then when you make the new binder and line it with w/ something you can measure and line up where you need to punch your holes and I either use decorative chicago screws or nice conchos to attatch the binder. this is a Horrible Lining job but it is my own and still functional. Normally I would line the entire thing with no space in the center but I ran out of chap leather. So sorry the overall project looks like crap but I have done many others CORRECT ane they turned out real nice.

Edited March 14, 2009 by Tkleather1

[hidepounder]

Josh,

Here's how I make a notebook or binder. It's made out of three pieces. The front cover, the back cover and the binder. This is constructed completely of new leather. The front and back are 7/8 oz and the binder is 4/5 oz tooling leather. The lining is 2/3 oz. I have not seen a binder which was purchased and then covered with leather. I think that would be an impractical approach (if I interpreted your question correctly). Tool the front, back and binder, sew them together, line them and then install the three ring binder with chicago screws and/or conchos. Obviously, any combination of pockets, etc., can be added to the interior. Hope this answers your question.

Bob

[jbird]

Thanks all that clears it up for sure and the only question I have is were do I get the metal binder part thanks.

Josh

PS Bob amazing stuff thanks for posting

Edited March 15, 2009 by jbird

[wildrose]

Well, you can either buy a cheap-o binder from somewhere like Target or Walmart, or what I do is buy the kits from Tandy. Of course their leather usually isn't superior quality, but it has everything in one box. I think they call it a "memory writer" or "memory binder" kit.

[bruce johnson]

Josh,

I buy a good quality binder from the office supply stores and then drill out the rivets that hold the binder clip inplace. Use a small bit that will drill out the rivet and not eat the binder clip. I prefer the cobalt bits for this.

I cut the plastic off and save the stiffeners and sandwich them between the cover and liner to stiffen them. I normally use 7/8 for the cover. I line with 2/3 or 3/4 commercial oak from Siegels. It oils up to a nice color. I use an acrylic finish (Leathersheen) and have no bleeding problems with the oil and no waterspotting.

[Tkleather1]

Wow look at hide pounders and not mine. I should scrap mine and try again that thing is beautiful. But it sounds like we have all come to the same way of doing things. I obviously still need to work on it but I do it the same way now in my revamped version again this one is the first one and very experimental.

[rickybobby]

Josh,

I restored a binder for a customer that was made by someone else. It was run over by a car and someone else tried to put a zipper in and did not do it right. The 3 ring part was bent (was not a good one).

I replaced the gussett and zipper, the zipper is a nylon #10 double pull.

I replaced the stiffener with plexiglass from Home Depot

Restored the finish by cleaning, conditioning, antiqueing and sealed

The insides are a great design,(2or 2 1/2 oz) I will do something like them when I make one. The outside is 10 / 12 oz tooling leather.

Here are some pictures to give some ideas hope they help.

I also bought a couple different binders (there is a difference) the "heavy duty" ones are the best. I bought mine at Office Depot.

I used a carbide cutter to remove the back of the rivet on the 3 ring so it would not scratch the piece I needed .

Edited March 15, 2009 by rickybobby

[Russ]

Bob;

Do you put stiffeners in your binders, or is the combination 9 - 11 oz leather enough for the binder to hold its shape?

Thanks,

Russ

Josh,

Here's how I make a notebook or binder. It's made out of three pieces. The front cover, the back cover and the binder. This is constructed completely of new leather. The front and back are 7/8 oz and the binder is 4/5 oz tooling leather. The lining is 2/3 oz. I have not seen a binder which was purchased and then covered with leather. I think that would be an impractical approach (if I interpreted your question correctly). Tool the front, back and binder, sew them together, line them and then install the three ring binder with chicago screws and/or conchos. Obviously, any combination of pockets, etc., can be added to the interior. Hope this answers your question.

Bob

[hidepounder]

Bob;

Do you put stiffeners in your binders, or is the combination 9 - 11 oz leather enough for the binder to hold its shape?

Thanks,

Russ

Russ, I do but stiffeners in both leaves and in the binder as well. I have been buying sheets of white plastic...I think it's polyethyline (sp). It come in different mil thicknesses...I buy 4 mil and 6 mil in 4'x8' sheets. I use this material for stiffeners and for patterns. I think I get a better project by using a little lighter leather, a stiffener and a liner. I cut the stiffeners undersize so that they don't show along the finished edge. I would rather not have a really heavy leaf...it just seems clunky to me. In addition, my tooling patterns keep getting smaller and smaller which dictates using lighter leather. On the binding, I usually add a piece of the 6 mil poly and then glue a piece of 7/8 oz or 9/10 oz over it before I put the lining in. I like the feel of the binding being really stiff. Additionally, a stiff binding helps keep the leaves square when closed. I can't stand when you close a custom organizer or photo album and the leaves flop together uneven. After I glue the 7/8 oz over the stiffener, I take a French edger and skive the edges at approx 45 degress to soften the edge as the lining goes in. I also skive the leaves where they are overlapped by the binding...again to soften the edge for when the lining goes in. I glue everything in with Barge or Masters...the stiffeners, the lining, everything! It won't come apart!

Hope this helps,

Bob

[jbird]

Wow I must have missed this stuff I thought this post had died thanks a lot.

Josh

Josh,

I restored a binder for a customer that was made by someone else. It was run over by a car and someone else tried to put a zipper in and did not do it right. The 3 ring part was bent (was not a good one).

I replaced the gussett and zipper, the zipper is a nylon #10 double pull.

I replaced the stiffener with plexiglass from Home Depot

Restored the finish by cleaning, conditioning, antiqueing and sealed

The insides are a great design,(2or 2 1/2 oz) I will do something like them when I make one. The outside is 10 / 12 oz tooling leather.

Here are some pictures to give some ideas hope they help.

I also bought a couple different binders (there is a difference) the "heavy duty" ones are the best. I bought mine at Office Depot.

I used a carbide cutter to remove the back of the rivet on the 3 ring so it would not scratch the piece I needed .

[Russ]

Bob;

THANKS for the info.

So, if I've got it right on the binding, you use 4/5oz for the outside (tooled), then glue a 6 mil stiffener in, then a 7/8oz over it, then line it with 2/3oz, and then install the hardware? Where do you get the poly, hardware store?

I really appreciate all the hints.

Russ

Russ, I do but stiffeners in both leaves and in the binder as well. I have been buying sheets of white plastic...I think it's polyethyline (sp). It come in different mil thicknesses...I buy 4 mil and 6 mil in 4'x8' sheets. I use this material for stiffeners and for patterns. I think I get a better project by using a little lighter leather, a stiffener and a liner. I cut the stiffeners undersize so that they don't show along the finished edge. I would rather not have a really heavy leaf...it just seems clunky to me. In addition, my tooling patterns keep getting smaller and smaller which dictates using lighter leather. On the binding, I usually add a piece of the 6 mil poly and then glue a piece of 7/8 oz or 9/10 oz over it before I put the lining in. I like the feel of the binding being really stiff. Additionally, a stiff binding helps keep the leaves square when closed. I can't stand when you close a custom organizer or photo album and the leaves flop together uneven. After I glue the 7/8 oz over the stiffener, I take a French edger and skive the edges at approx 45 degress to soften the edge as the lining goes in. I also skive the leaves where they are overlapped by the binding...again to soften the edge for when the lining goes in. I glue everything in with Barge or Masters...the stiffeners, the lining, everything! It won't come apart!

Hope this helps,

Bob

[hidepounder]

Bob;

THANKS for the info.

So, if I've got it right on the binding, you use 4/5oz for the outside (tooled), then glue a 6 mil stiffener in, then a 7/8oz over it, then line it with 2/3oz, and then install the hardware? Where do you get the poly, hardware store?

I really appreciate all the hints.

Russ

Russ...yes, that's how I do it. I often use 6/7 oz for the leaves also. Anyway, those weights aren't rules, use whatever makes sense to you to accomplish what you want. The process is probably more important than the materials, if you know what I mean. I think it's easier to use a piece of 4/5 oz for the binding, than to take a piece of 7/8 oz and do all the skiving and grooving to achieve the same thing...but that's certainly an acceptable alternative. I had to go look up exactly what that plastic is called. It's "High Impact Styrene" and you will have to go to a Plastics Supplier to find it. I think I paid a little over $20 for a sheet of 4'x8', 4 mil.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[Russ]

Thanks for everything, Bob.

Russ...yes, that's how I do it. I often use 6/7 oz for the leaves also. Anyway, those weights aren't rules, use whatever makes sense to you to accomplish what you want. The process is probably more important than the materials, if you know what I mean. I think it's easier to use a piece of 4/5 oz for the binding, than to take a piece of 7/8 oz and do all the skiving and grooving to achieve the same thing...but that's certainly an acceptable alternative. I had to go look up exactly what that plastic is called. It's "High Impact Styrene" and you will have to go to a Plastics Supplier to find it. I think I paid a little over $20 for a sheet of 4'x8', 4 mil.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[funnygirl62221]

Hi all,

I am still a bit confused about the pieces of the album. It looks like on the outside of it there are 3 separate pieces? A front, back and a piece along the spine? And they are sewn together. Then the stiffiner is glued to the other side and lining is put on top of that. Is the lining all in one piece? I am more of a visual learner so I'm having a bit of trouble wading through all the descriptions.

Thanks for all the info. though it is a huge help

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Buy a binder? Just look around, as they are being thrown away all the time.

I have picked them up from 1"-3" thick, and a lot of the time they are new ones. Look for businesses that hand them out for their product literature. I have some big ones that came from a beauty supply company. Look for businesses that are closing up, as most of the time the binders that they used are tossed in the dumpster. You don't care what the outside looks like, just the binder clamp.