3-Ring Binders
Leila Ehtesham
ARCH 5500: Processing the Anthropocene
Repurposing retired, surplus 3-ring binders acquired from the UVA Rose Program.
The Ring Binder: A History
First patented in 1859 by the American Henry T. Sisson. Several other loose-paper ring binders designs emerged internationally in the following decades, including in Germany, Sweden and Japan.
Modern Specifications
Dimensions vary depending on paper size and holding capacity. The most common ring binder dimensions in the US are for 8 ½ x 11” (letter) sized papers.
Materials
3-Ring binders typically consist of three components - the spines, the body, and the cover. The materials vary, but are fairly consistently some form of plated steel, paperboard, and vinyl respectively.
Spines - Plated Steel (nickel, gold, silver)
Body - Dense Cardboard (continuous sheet, folded)
Cover - Polyvinyl Chloride (commonly PVC or vinyl)
Deconstructing the Spine
Removing rivets, taking apart the spring mechanism, extracting the rings.
Sewing PVC
Vinyl panels stitch together easily on a standard sewing machine.
CNC Machining
Using the Cricut Maker 3, or a CNC die cutter, to cut patterns into the vinyl
References
-“3 Ring Binders | History, Sizes, Types, Materials, and Uses.” Univenture, https://www.univenture.com/safetysleeve/3-ring-binders/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.
-“3-Ring Binder Sizes & Page Capacity Guide (with Chart).” CompanyFolders.Com, https://www.companyfolders.com/binder-sizes. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.
-“Binder Dimensions and What They Mean.” Bindertek, https://www.bindertek.com/blog/binder-dimensions-and-what-they-mean/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.
-How It’s Made - Three Ring Binders. Directed by SamsillCorp, 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ_PdA-OQ3Q.
-Island. US23506A, 5 Apr. 1859, https://patents.google.com/patent/US23506/en.
-MA, Southern Studies, et al. “All About Vinyl: The Plastic Found in (Almost) Everything.” Treehugger,https://www.treehugger.com/vinyl-plastic-found-almost-everything-4847568. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.
-mikell. “Metal and Plastic Rings » PostPress.” PostPress, 1 May 2012, https://postpressmag.com/articles/2012/metal-and-plastic-rings/.
-Nocerini, Steve. “A Breakdown of Vinyl Fabric History & How It Is Made.” All Vinyl Fabrics, 8 Oct. 2019, https://www.allvinylfabrics.com/2019/10/08/how-vinyl-fabric-is-made/.
-Plating: The Role of Nickel. https://nickelinstitute.org/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.
-“Ring Binder.” Wikipedia, 2 May 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ring_binder&oldid=1152855329.
-Steel Recycling: Processes, Benefits, and Business Solutions | Rubicon. 8 Oct. 2020, https://www.rubicon.com/blog/steel-recycling/.
