Question 1

Can you staple pages before thermal binding with the Helios 30/60? I worry about pages falling out.

Accepted Answer

Yes. It works  very well. The glue is strong but some times couple of pages come out from the binding books. As long as you use staple with glue. It is perfect. They are not recomand to use staple, but it works better. I made many thick binding books with staple and glue. none of them failed.

Question 2

I am looking to purchase a thermal binder for my school library--can this system be used to re-bind paperback books that have pages coming loose?

Accepted Answer

In theory, yes.  The only thing that can be an obstacle is whether the heat from the machine will affect the book spine... e.g. warping, melting, and cracking.  We use it to make custom books and the quality of the spine after heating really depends on the cover paper coatings.

Question 3

Do you have to use their binder covers? Or can you just use a thermal binding glue strip so you can use your own cover.

Accepted Answer

I tried both cases. All works well. I tried binding glue strip with own cover which I used own printed photo paper as cover. It looks good with pretty strong binding. I bought some covers. It looks like commercial binding. Overall I am happy with this binder. Even though binder glue is good, I always use staple to make extra binding power. It is not recommend by fellows, but I have used. None of page comes out from my bindings so far.

Question 4

Can you use any cover you want (for example, heavy cardstock) or do you have to use their specific covers?

Accepted Answer

I have used lots of different covers:  chipboard, cardstock, report covers, etc.  Anything that will not melt at a lower temperature than the hot glue/adhesive.

ASIN	B002T03VIW
Best Sellers Rank	#238,554 in Office Products ( See Top 100 in Office Products ) #150 in Binding Machines
Brand Name	Fellowes
Color	Platinum/Graphite
Customer Reviews	4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (211)
Global Trade Identification Number	00043859566464
Included Components	5219501
Item Dimensions L x W x H	20.88"L x 9.44"W x 3.94"H
Item Weight	7.9 Pounds
Manufacturer	Fellowes
Number of Rollers	1
UPC	043859566464
Unit Count	1.0 Count
Warm Up Time Description	4
Warranty Description	2 Year Warranty

Fellowes Thermal Binding Machine, Helios 60, Platinum/Graphite (5219501)

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