Success!
Equipment used (and I recommend / endorse):
- Brother HL-2370DW - but any duplexing printer will do. I’ve had good luck with the Brother HL-23xx series, they remind me of the '90s HP LaserJets & Apple LaserWriters
- Generic 20lb printer/copy paper
- MAKEASY Comb Binding Machine, but I suspect most binding machines in this price range are functionally identical.
- Crystal Clear Binding Covers
- Amazon Basics 5/8" Binding Comb (the machine came with 3/8", I wanted to be sure the OT manual would open and lie flat without opening the comb)
Process:
- Unpacked the binding machine
- Punched through the supplied cardboard six times as instructed to clean the mechanism of oil
- Adjusted the machine for US Letter paper
- Punched 6 sheets at a time
- Punched the front plastic cover with a single sheet of 20lb paper on top, no problem
- Punched the second plastic cover naked, again no problem
- Placed the comb on top of the machine, opened with the lever
- Put the back cover in first, then added sheets about 20 at a time
- Put the front cover in last
- Returned the lever to middle position, closing the comb
FWIW: I watched this youtube video on comb binding with a different, possibly nicer (more expensive) machine before buying.
Notes:
- This is all pretty generic stuff, I doubt it is necessary to buy the specific products I used. But feel free to do so if it makes you feel better.
- I bought a side-lever machine instead of a horizontal lever machine because I thought the horizontal lever would interfere with the final binding process. After using the machine once, I suspect that either style is fine.
- I had zero problems punching a single clear plastic cover sheet. I suspect that the reviewers who had trouble were trying to punch multiple sheets at a time.
- Similarly, I had no trouble punching 6 sheets of paper at once. I suspect 12 sheets would be fine.
- Slow and steady wins the race.