Coil binding is a popular document finishing method that is used by professional binderies, office workers, and school employees and volunteers. Documents bound with coils tend to look very professional and most coil binding equipment is pretty easy to use. However, a lot of people run into trouble when it's time to crimp the ends of the coil with a pair of crimping pliers. This is unfortunate because crimping the coil is the most important part of the process. If you don't crimp your coil, your document will fall apart. However, with good instructions and a bit of practice, you can become skilled at this task. Here is how you can successfully use a pair of crimping pliers:
-
First, make sure you have a pair of crimping pliers. These look just like normal pliers and a pair is sometimes included with new coil binding machines.
-
Bind your document, making sure that you use a coil that's 1” longer than your document.
-
Hold your book in your hands with the coil facing you. Grab your pair of crimping pliers and make sure that the red dot on them is pointing up.
-
Grab one end of the coil with your pliers. Apply some pressure so the the coil is trimmed. Turn your wrist slightly to bend the end of the coil.
-
Flip your document over and make sure the coil is facing you. Crimp the other end of the coil with your crimping pliers. You're done!
As noted above, you might have to practice a little bit before crimping comes naturally to you. That's normal, so be patient with yourself and practice as much as necessary. If you're a visual learner, make sure you watched the embedded video to see someone crimp the ends of a coil. It might help. Good luck to you and happy crimping!