Scanning question

[Fred Cisin]

On Thu, 18 Jul 2019, Warner Losh via cctalk wrote:
> So, I have a bunch of old DEC Rainbow docs that aren't online. I also have
> a snapscan scanner that I use for bills and such.
> There's four kinds of docs, and I'm looking for advice:
>
> (1) wire-ring bounded. What's the best way to scan these? The easiest is to
> just clip the wire binding and drop it in the scanner. But then what?

Although the old wire is likely to be unusable, new wire is available.
There are two basic types, "spiral bound", and "wire-O"

Spiral bound is a large helix.  If the material is in good shape, then you 
can just clip the bent over section at one end and unwind it out, 
and thread a new helix into place.  Then bend over the end at each 
end, so that it doesn't unwind out.
Wire-O and "plastic comb"/"GBC" binding use a special (not very expensive, 
STARTING < $100) machine to spread the comb; insert the comb through the 
rectangular holes, and then let the machine release it to return to 
approximately circular.
The GBC combs are easier to use IFF the holes are the right size and 
shape.
Plastic comb and Wire-O will lie flat.

> (2) Folded with staples. These are booklet format, with stables in the
> middle. I could easily remove the staple and scan. but how do I replace the
> staple?

"saddle stitch" requires a deep-throat stapler.
The long-reach staplers lose their needed precision alignment over time. 
I prefer a swivel-head stapler:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JZ8MCEY  $10.99
It's just a regular office stapler that swivels, to permit placing the 
staple right where you want it in the gutter of the booklet.
WELL WORTH HAVING!


> (3) Gum bound. These books are bound with some kind of gum / goo on the
> spine. Some of these are so old I could just remove it and have no real
> degradation of the state. Others have spines that are still in good shape.

A variant of "perfect" binding.  That's a NAME, not a valid description. 
It's what is used for phone books and paperback books.  Many of the glues 
that have been used over the years, particularly in the middle of the 20th 
century decay over time, giving such binding a bad reputation.  There are 
better glues.  The machine melts the glue and then the stacked paper is 
glued, and a cover wrapped over the spine.

If the binding is in good shape, and is not needed for historical 
artifact/provenance, a good paper shear (NOT an office swing-arm finger 
amputator) can cut the binding off cleanly, with a SMALL amount of loss of 
the gutters, and then you could re-bind.

If anybody has use: I have a 4 foot long table-top hot-glue binding 
machine.  FREE!  But, I will not consider shipping it.  It takes a little 
practice to learn to do it well.

> (4) Three ring binder. This is easy: remove, scan, replace. Right?

It also helps to have a paper DRILL.  With a paper drill, you can "punch" 
clean single or three holes through a thick stack of paper.  Then you can 
copy diamaged pages and replace them.


--
Grumpy Ol' Fred     		cisin at xenosoft.com