Do you own, run or work for a pharmacy, hospital, clinic or doctor’s office? If so, you probably deal with prescription drugs on a daily basis. As you may know, disposal of prescription bottles must be done in a way that patient information is protect. One great way to do this is to use a prescription bottle shredder. One model you may want to consider is the Martin Yale UC5500 ScriptStroyer prescription bottle pharmacy shredder. This is my review.

Prescription bottle shredders are fairly new to the market in relation to traditional paper shredders. A few well-known manufacturers of pharmacy shredders are Martin Yale and Ameri-Shred. The new Martin Yale UC5500 ScriptStroyer is one of the most affordable models on the market today.

An important part of HIPAA compliancy is the proper storage and destruction of customer information. If you have ever looked at a plastic prescription bottle, you may have noticed that the label contains a lot of personal information. These labels need to be properly disposed of.

The Martin Yale UC5500 is a prescription bottle shredder designed to help pharmacies, hospitals and other medical facilities be HIPAA compliant. The shredder itself can be used to shred bottles, lids, adhesive labels and paper containing patient information. It even features the ability to shred up to 10 sheets of paper.

The UC5500 is designed to handle bottles up to 3 ½” in diameter. This includes wet or dry bottles. The shred size of the particles is 5/32″ x 1 1/2″.

One thing I really like about the UC5500 is its compact design. It is large enough to get the job done, but compact enough to fit under most counters. The actual size of the UC5500 is 17 1/4″ x 21 5/8″ x 33″. For what it does, the UC5500 is very quiet.

The build quality of the UC5500 ScriptStroyer is very good. It weighs in at 186 pounds (unpackaged). Martin Yale makes the popular line of Intimus shredders.

One thing many people forget about when using a shredder is proper maintenance. One critical part of maintaining a shredder is oiling it. Unfortunately this can be easy to forget. The Martin Yale UC5500 includes its own automatic oiler.

Even if you aren’t dealing with empty bottles on a regular basis, it is great to offer the service to your customers. This has caused many pharmacies to experience more repeat business.

Overall I consider the UC5500 to be an excellent fit for any pharmacy or hospital. The construction is good and there is plenty of support from us to help with any parts, servicing or questions.

You can find the Martin Yale UC5500 ScriptStroyer prescription bottle pharmacy shredder here. You can find our entire selection of pharmacy bottle shredders here.

I like to try and keep up on the news and daily events as much as possible. Yesterday, while I was driving home in my car, I heard a story about a lady who tried to use a counterfeit bill at a bank. Being that I work for a company that sells counterfeit bill detectors, I turned up the radio. At firs I thought, “Oh great, another person trying to cash in a fake $50 or $100.” I wasn’t even close.

This morning I hopped online and found an article written by Nick Carbone over at Time about the situation. Apparently this lady was trying to use a fake 10,000 at a bank. As you might imagine, the bank workers got very suspicious.

The article, written by Nick Carbone, goes on to say:

Michael Gallagher, risk management director at Enterprise Bank, said the bill hasn’t been printed since 1934 and he believes there’s only 300 in circulation, so they were fairly sure they weren’t seeing a piece of history come into their bank earlier this week but a crime. The bill was sent along to the Federal Reserve for examination, and the woman was sent out of the bank 10,000 fake dollars poorer.

I found conflicting reports about the $10,000 bill. Many sources say it was printed from 1928 to 1946. Either way, it’s been out of print for a while.

You can read the entire Time article here.

I don’t know why I got such a kick out of reading that article. It amazes me some of the dumb stuff some people try to pull. Did this lady really think she was going to get away with trying to pass off a $10,000 bill, at a bank of all places?

So here’s a piece of trivia. Who’s face is on the 10,000 bill? It’s Salmon P. Chase. Wikipedia has this to say about Salmon P. Chase:

Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 23rd Governor of Ohio; as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Abraham Lincoln; and as Chief Justice of the United States.

It also ends up that Salmon P. Chase is the guy that helped get “In God We Trust” put on U.S. money.

I have to admit that our bill counters may not be built to verify a 10,000 bill. Chances are very slim that you’ll every have to worry about it.

Now you know a little more about $10,000 and Salmon P. Chase. As I mentioned earlier, we sell counterfeit bill detectors here at ABC Office. If you have time, you should stop by and check them out. You can find our counterfeit bill detectors here.

Counterfeit money is used every day and many retail stores and businesses have no idea. The only problem is that counterfeit money is worthless, and if you’re stuck with it, you could be out a lot of money. You should combat counterfeit money by using a counterfeit bill detector. One great model you should consider using is the Ultrascan Model 2600 counterfeit bill detector from Cashscan. This is my review.

Unlike many counterfeit bill detectors out there, the Ultrascan 2600 does most of the work. It is considered by many to be one of the best counterfeit bill detectors available. So why is this? I’ll go over a few of the features.

Weighing in at 3 pounds and measuring in at 8½” x 4½” x 3¼”, the Ultrascan is extremely portable. Simply put it in a bag and take it to where it’s needed. This also makes it easy to use near a cash register, in an office or at a Kiosk. It operates on 110 pr 220 volts, which can be switched back and forth on the adapter.

It is designed to scan one bill at a time with extreme precision. When a bill is inserted into the opening, it is pulled into the Ultrascan and scanned for counterfeit properties. A screen on the top of the machine will let you know if the bill is legitimate or counterfeit (green for real and red for fake). An audible alert will also let you know if the bill is fake.

A display, designed for bills printed in 1996 and later, will give you additional details about scanned bills. It will let you know the denomination of the bill, the total number of authentic bills and the total dollar value of authentic banknotes. This is a feature unique to only a few counterfeit bill detectors.

The Ultrascan is capable of detecting what’s called a supernote. Supernotes are counterfeit bills that are so complex that it is difficult for many counterfeit bill detectors to catch. The Ultrascan 2600 was tested against 100 of these sophisticated supernotes and was able to identify all as counterfeit with 100% accuracy.

One thing I really like about the Ultrascan 2600, other than being really easy to use, is that it can be upgraded to accommodate future releases of US currency. This means that it is future proof. Many counterfeit bill detectors can’t make that claim.

If you need a fast, accurate and foolproof way to scan and verify bills, the Ultrascan 2600 is a great way to go. Cashscan has been making counterfeit bill detectors for some time now and has developed a good reputation for making high-quality equipment.

You can find the Ultrascan Model 2600 counterfeit bill detector here. You can find our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors here.

At first I thought it was an odd question, but the more I think about it I can completely understand the reasoning behind it. Can Elmer’s Glue be used as padding adhesive for use with a padding press?

It makes sense right? Elmer’ Glue has a very similar consistency to padding adhesive. In fact, the first thing I thought the first time I opened a bottle of white padding adhesive was, “Hey, is this Elmer’s Glue?” In its soft liquid form, padding adhesive does look like Elmer’s glue. That is until it dries.

This is where you’re going to have trouble. Elmer’s Glue dries extremely hard and won’t allow pages to tear out of a pad. Padding adhesive also dries, but still maintains some pliability, making pages easy to tear out of a notepad.

In conclusion, Elmer’s glue cannot be used as a padding adhesive. You can find our entire selection of padding adhesive here. Good luck and happy padding!

I had someone ask me today if Spiral-O wire could be used with any comb binding machine. Both Spiral-O and comb use the same hole pattern, so it would seem to make sense that they would be compatible. The quick answer to this question is no, but maybe. I’ll explain.

Spiral-O wire is a very unique type of double-loop wire. It is neither 2:1 nor 3:1 pitch (the most common wire hole patterns). It instead follows a 19-ring comb pattern. Ten-plus years ago, including two different punching dies in one machine was unheard of, so using the same punching die (comb) to punch holes for two different binding styles made sense.

While less common now than it used to be, binding machines are still made to handle both comb and Spiral-O wire. The nice thing about a combination machine that handles these two types of binding is that the machines are relatively compact (again, only one punch).

The only problem with using a standard comb binding machine that was not originally made to handle Spiral-O wire is that there is no wire closer. Sure you can punch the holes using a comb binding machine, but you can’t close the wire.

The only way you will be able to use Spiral-O wire with a standard comb binding machine is if you purchase or use a separate wire closer. Separate wire closers are nice to have on hand because one person can punch paper while another closes the wire. You can find our wire closers here.

At this point you will have to determine if it is in your best interest to buy a separate wire closer or just get a newer machine that has one built in. A big part of your decision will also depend on how much you spent on your original comb binding machine and how good a quality it is.

A good example of a combination binding machine that handles both 19-ring comb and Spiral-O wire is the Akiles MegaBind II.

You can find our entire selection of combination binding machines here. You can find our comb binding supplies here and our Spiral-O wire here.  Good luck and happy binding!

Do silent paper shredders exist? While the ultimate goal of a completely silent paper shredder does not yet exist, there are some very quiet models out there. If you work in an office, quiet can be very nice. Here are a few tips that should help you locate a quiet paper shredder for use at home or in the office.

To begin with, you have probably heard them. Paper shredders that sound like a lawn mower. I don’t know about you, but I really hate a loud shredder. There are few things you can keep an eye open for when shopping for a quiet shredder, and if you already own one, there are a few things you can do to quiet it down.

Quiet Shredder Tips & Ideas

Decibel Rating – The decibel rating is how much noise the shredder produces when turned on. The higher the decibel rating, the louder the shredder. Most shredders will now let you know what the decibel rating is somewhere in the specifications. Here are a few decibel rated objects that should help you determine what’s quiet and loud:

• Library – 30 Decibels
• Telephone Dial Tone – 80 Decibels
• Standard Motorcycle – 100 Decibels
• Gun Shot – 140 Decibels

Most shredders run anywhere from 50-70 decibels. Anything in the 50-60 decibel range is pretty quiet.

Strip Cut & Cross Cut – This probably comes as no surprise, but a strip cut shredder is typically quieter than a cross cut shredder. This is because strip cut shredders have fewer parts, less-complex blades and do less cutting. The only downside is that strip cut shredders aren’t as secure as their cross cut counterparts.  You can find both our cross cut and strip cut shredders here.

Shredder Oil – Shredder oil, believe it or not, will help keep your shredder quieter. This is because it cuts down on noise-causing vibrations and friction. You can find our shredder oil here.

So there you have it, three of the most important things to consider when looking for a quiet shredder. Luckily most modern-day shredders are much quieter than shredders from just a decade ago. Hopefully, with time and technology, shredders will become even quieter.

You can find our entire selection of paper shredders here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

Do you need a fast, durable and no-nonsense paper folding machine? Whether you’re folding letter-size paper or legal-size documents, the Formax FD 320 paper folding machine may be just what you need. This is my review.

I say “no-nonsense” when talking about the Formax FD 320 because it’s a fairly simple paper folding machine. Simply put, there aren’t buttons and dozens of settings you have to mess with. If you already have experience using a paper folder, using the FD 320 will feel like second nature when using.

This folding machine uses traditional folding plates. This means you will have to manually adjust two separate folding plates. Folds are clearly marked on the plates, making it easy to determine where they need to be set. Both plates can be removed for easier access.

The FD 320 itself weighs in at 55 pounds, making it solid enough to handle the tough jobs, but light enough to be used on most tables and countertops. The exact dimensions of the FD 320 are 38″ L x 18″ W x 11″ H (97 L x 46 W x 28 H cm). Keep in mind that the length includes the exit tray, which can be folded up.

It is primarily designed to be used with standard copy paper, up to 11 ¾” x 18″ in size. A convenient conveyor system helps keep the paper organized and lined up when leaving the machine. This is especially nice for people who want to keep folded documents alphabetized or in numerical order.

Once the plates have been set, paper can be dropped in the feed tray. No fanning is required. The tray can hold up to 250 sheets of paper. One thing I personally really like about the feed tray is that it uses three friction rollers to pull paper in. This helps keep paper even and straight as it enters the machine, making the folds cleaner and more professional.

Folding is started by turning on the dial located on the front of the machine. This same dial allows for variable speed control. The Formax FD 320 can be used to create letter folds, accordion folds, half folds, gate folds and more. Because the folding plates are manually adjusted, custom folds are pretty easy to set up.

The only downsides I can think of is that this folding machine really isn’t designed to fold card stock. It would also be nice to have some sort of batch folding and paper counting capabilities.

Overall I consider the FD 320 to be a solid little machine. It is probably one of the best manual setup paper folding machines available.  Best of all, it’s made in the USA.

You can find the Formax FD 320 paper folding machine here. You can find our entire selection of paper folding machines here.

Whether you work in a print shop, a copy center or have a business that cuts pictures, card stock and other paper, you will probably benefit from using a guillotine paper cutter. One model you may want to consider is the MBM Kutrimmer 1080 guillotine paper cutter by IDEAL. This is my review.

The Kutrimmer model of guillotine paper trimmers is one of the most popular lines used by people today. Build quality is one of the reasons. These German-made, German-engineered cutters are made from metal, feature Solingen steel blades and would probably survive a nuclear blast. They are known for lasting for years.

The Kutrimmer 1080 is MBMs least-expensive floor model guillotine paper cutter. It includes the stand, which is pretty nice. The height of this cutter is ideal for most people and it is laid out in a way that just about everything on it is easily accessible. The exact dimensions are 42″ x 27 1/2″ x 48″.  It weighs in at 158 pounds shipped.

The long 31 ¼” cutting blade can cut most sizes of paper, card stock and photos. It can even cut most banners and signs. It can also be used to cut matteboard, plastic and metal foil. With a cutting capacity 20 sheets of standard copy paper, you should be able to easily handle most jobs.

The Kutrimmer 1080 isn’t just known for its durability, but also for its precision. The Solingen steel blade easily cuts paper. Thanks to a built-in clamping mechanism, cuts are straight and dead on every time. The foot-pedal is foot pedal activated for easy hands-free use.

Setting up the 1080 is pretty easy as well. Measurements and a grid of common-sized cuts makes lining things up easy. It also includes an adjustable guide and an adjustable back gauge. The back gauge makes cutting larger paper easy. No more needing to worry about paper flopping around while being cut.

I know I am probably sounding a little one-sided in this review, but it really is that good. If this paper cutter fits the specifications you need, it is a great investment and a great cutter to have on hand. If this cutter is larger and more than you need, Kutrimmer does make a wide variety of smaller desktop guillotine paper trimmers.

You can find the MBM Kutrimmer 1080 guillotine paper cutter here. You can find our entire selection of guillotine paper trimmers and cutters here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions. Have a great day!

I had a customer ask me a very interesting question today. They wanted to know if they could use roll laminating film with pouch laminators. Believe it or not, I have had this question asked several times over the pas several years. Per square foot, roll laminating film sometimes costs less than pouch laminating film. Here’s the answer I gave my customer.

To begin with, roll and pouch thermal laminating film are essentially made out of the same material. The finished results are the same, the mil thickness is the same and temperature requirements are about the same. This means that you can use roll laminating film in a pouch laminator, but there is a catch.

To begin with, you will have to unroll the roll laminating film, use scissors and create your own top and bottom layer of film. You will then need to try and keep the film in place while it runs through the laminator. A skilled operator may be able to do this without any issues, but many people will get frustrated.

Another customer asked me if they could take the roll film and cut out a square, fold it in half and make their own laminating pouch. Again, you can do this, but the seam where the laminating film is folded over may get wrinkled or laminated incorrectly.

You’ll notice on pouch laminating film that there is a seam on one side of the film. This is because during manufacturing, the factory takes two separate layers of film and seals them together on one side. This allows the film to turn out well every time.

In summary, I still highly recommend using laminating pouches with pouch laminators. There is far less hassle, the time needed to get the job done is far less and in all honesty laminating pouches don’t cost very much.

You can find our entire selection of pouch laminating film here and roll laminating film here. In case you’re in the market, you can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Do you need to cut and trim the corners off of hundreds of sheets of paper at a time? This may be for creating cards, business cards and other projects. If this sounds like something you need to do, you may want to consider looking at the Lassco CR-50B corner rounder. I have had the opportunity to use this little machine on several occasions and this is my review.

The Conerounder line from Lassco-Wizer is one of the most popular lines of corner rounders around. This includes the popular CR-20 and the CR-50B, which I am going to review. Lassco-Wizer also makes a wide range of other floor and desktop corner rounders, which you can find here.

To begin with, the CR-50B is a beefed up CR-20. A few of the improvements include a wider base, for larger paper, and a slightly longer handle. These improvements make the CR-50B ideal for more continuous, daily use.

The CR-50B uses special cutting dies to cut the corners off of paper. These dies come with different sizes of blades for different radius cuts. The corner rounder comes with your choice of several different corner cutting dies. Additional dies can be purchased and used.

Changing the dies on the CR-50B is very easy. The die fits in the base of the CR-50B like a socket. Simply lift the handle, pull the die out and push another die into the open socket. This process may seem simple, but it ends up being very stable. This is much easier than many other competitors that require you to use a tool to swap dies.

The table measures in at 9″ x 18″, making it very easy to cut letter-size and larger paper. This is a nice improvement over other corner rounders that have small bases. If the base is too small, paper will flop over the edge, making it hard to square-up the paper for cutting.

The CR-50B can cut through a stack of paper up to ½” thick. This can be standard copy paper or thicker card stock. I have even used this to round the corners on laminated paper without any issues. The cutting process is very easy, with the handle leveraged in such a way that very little effort is needed.

The CR-50B weighs in at 9 pounds, making it very light and easy to move around. Don’t let the light weight trick you into thinking it’s cheap. The build quality on this corner rounder is excellent.

Overall I consider the CR-50B to be one of the best (if not the best), manual tabletop corner rounders on the market. It is solid, easy to use and I love the option of being able to swap out cutting dies.

You can find the Lassco CR-50B corner rounder here. You can find our entire selection of corner rounders here.