LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I have a fairly large collection of Woodsmith magazine back issues. Once apon a time you used to be able to get binders to keep them safe in. As they are no longer available I have decided to design my own. This is my first try, still needs a few adjustments, but pretty good so far.

The official Woodsmith binder.


My custom design.




The binder rings were taken from a cheap office supply store binder, and then fastened with small tapered head screws and nuts.

Well done, I have never tried live hinges. What material did you use? Gene

Nice looking! Let us know how the living hinge hold up over time.

Nice job. I like the look and idea of a living hinge but I have not tried one yet.

Doug Fisher wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2019 Nice looking! Let us know how the living hinge hold up over time.

I used living hinges on some small boxes made from 3mm mdf, I wasn't too sure how long they would last with frequent open/close, a decent ply would possibly be a better option.

Gene Uselman wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2019 Well done, I have never tried live hinges. What material did you use? Gene

3mm mahogany ply, was a scrap left over from another project. As long as you blow out the soot from the hing then wipe the hinge area on both sides with a damp rag and let it sit for 30 to 60 seconds then wipe it off it works quite well.

I have 3 main changes for this design.
First is to shorten it 1/2 inch, I had made it a little taller on purpose not realizing my bookshelf doesn't have the room. Oops.
The second will be moving the binder clips back so they touch the spine when closed. That will keep the contents better protected.
Third thing will be 1.5 inch binder rings as the one inch looks a little small in there.

Eventually I will finish making the logo so it looks as it does on the original. After spending a ridiculous amount of time finding the right font for it, the rest "shouldn't" be too hard.

If anyone is interested, once I get it fine tuned I can share the design.

Ian Bell wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2019

Doug Fisher wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2019 Nice looking! Let us know how the living hinge hold up over time.

I used living hinges on some small boxes made from 3mm mdf, I wasn't too sure how long they would last with frequent open/close, a decent ply would possibly be a better option.

You are correct about the ply being better. The MDF will start to flake apart if flexed often, but it is super easy and cheap to prototype with though.

Nice work.