seven post lengths to choose from
Popco’s aluminum posts and screws, also know as “Chicago” screws, are well known in the P.O.P industry as great, reusable, general-purpose binders. Using them may be straight forward, but understanding their sizing combinations is far less so.
Shown here are the seven lengths of posts that we offer. Posts are the female side of the post-and-screw sets, and our post selection ranges from 1/8 to 1-inch long. All of these post sizes are coupled with just three lengths of screws..
three screw lengths serve all seven posts
Shown here are the three lengths of screws that we offer. These three lengths serve all seven post lengths. That is because the longest screw, which is 3/8-inch, is used with posts that measure 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1-inch long.
What’s more, the middle-sized screw, the 1/4-inch style, is combined with the both the 3/16 and 1/4-inch posts.
What? Why combine a 1/4-inch screw with a 3/16-inch post? Well there’s a reason for this. Please, read on.
small posts feature an open-style head
Our four smallest posts range in length from 1/8 to 3/8-inch. They each feature an open-style head. When a screw is fully inserted into an open-style post, the bottom of the screw essentially closes the open-style head (as shown in this photo). This is even the case when a 1/4-inch screw is inserted into a 3/16-inch post.
The three longest posts we offer, from 1/2 to 1-inch, feature a closed style head — you’ll see this in the first photo of this blog. For these longer posts, a 3/8-inch screw is sufficient for a strong bond, and the closed head obscures the fact that the screw does not extend all the way to the bottom of the post.
Are you confused yet? You must be. It’s all quite maddening.
a “cheat sheet” for post & screw combinations
Well, there’s nothing like a little spreadsheet to clear up confusion, so we’ve created one specific to the posts and screws and entitled it our “cheat sheet”. In our view, one cheat sheet is worth many paragraphs of blather about posts and screws. We hope you’ll agree that the cheat sheet clears things up.
If you want to buy posts and screws, you can do so right here. If you need more info on how to use these great products, reach out to us here. If the cheat sheet hasn’t cleared things up, please don’t call us because we’re likely to curl in a fetal position and start crying over this terrific and terrifically confusing little product.
