# Quick way to hole-punch a LOT of paper **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 11, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741 "2008-12-11T18:22:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/1 "2008-12-11T18:22:20Z")
[ul] [li]I don’t have a heavy duty hole-punch, it just punches like 10 sheets at a time[/li][li]My photocopier no longer punches paper[/li][li]I have something like 5,000 sheets I need punched, but they have to remain collated. [/li][/ul] When I do it by hand the punch just breaks after a while and it’s not neat or even, plus it looks like this will be an all-day project or worse. I have other things to do, too! Suggestions? I have thought about buying pre hole-punched paper but then I have to photocopy all of these onto another document and waste more paper… But I will do that if there’s no other way. Cost is an issue; we’re a not for profit and cheap. Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/2 "2008-12-11T18:27:38Z")
Kinko’s or another copy service (especially one that you regularly use) would probably do it for next to nothing, if not for free. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/3 "2008-12-11T18:40:57Z")
Drill with 1/4 inch bit. You can do whole reams of paper as long as you do it straight down (not at an angle). Drill press if you have one or know somebody. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/4 "2008-12-11T18:42:20Z")
Shoot it with a small caliber bullet? 😃 Take it to Kinko’s and let their experts deal with your hole punching needs. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/5 "2008-12-11T18:46:10Z")
Another vote for bullets or drills. Any print shop will have the proper equipment for the job as well. Pressmen are notoriously lecherous and will probably not charge you any \*money \*at all for the service. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/6 "2008-12-11T18:49:11Z")
Do you not know anyone with a plasma laser? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/7 "2008-12-11T19:00:57Z")
Ok, much as I would like to, I am NOT allowed to play with drills without adequate supervision. And I shouldn’t be allowed to either. I like the bullet idea but bullets are expensive but I guess I’ll go to Kinko’s. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/8 "2008-12-11T19:03:36Z")
Clamp the edge to be punched with 1x4 boards and C-clamps to prevent tearout and shredding. Then use a drill press with a new bit. Or just about any print shop. No idea what they might charge. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/9 "2008-12-11T20:02:21Z")
> [@pbbth](#): > > Shoot it with a small caliber bullet? 😃 We went camping one time mid-semester, and my buddy thought it would be funny to put a .22 through the middle of my multi-class notebook. Instead of getting a new notebook, I just wrote around the hole for the rest of my assignments that year. It may have been because the sheets weren’t compressed, but the whole wasn’t very neat at all. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/10 "2008-12-11T20:05:59Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Ok, much as I would like to, I am NOT allowed to play with drills without adequate supervision. And I shouldn’t be allowed to either. They meant paper drills. Most high volume print shops will have one. Next time it might be easier to print on 3-hole punched paper, fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/11 "2008-12-11T20:20:37Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > They meant paper drills. Most high volume print shops will have one. > > Next time it might be easier to print on 3-hole punched paper, fwiw. See? This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to do it. And I would have, really, but my coworkers were like we need them NOW and I didn’t have any in stock. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/12 "2008-12-11T20:26:14Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Or just about any print shop. No idea what they might charge. I used to work at a print shop that offered a lot of one-off services like this. 5000 sheets would take about 15-30 minutes and should definitely cost less than $20. It’s the kind of thing we’d do for free and on the fly for regular customers. Kinko’s would probably be fine, **Anaamika** , but they might be slow about it. If you’ve got a handy-dandy locally-owned copy shop, they should be able to do it on the spot or within a very short time frame (same day). ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/13 "2008-12-11T20:52:59Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I used to work at a print shop that offered a lot of one-off services like this. 5000 sheets would take about 15-30 minutes and should definitely cost less than $20. It’s the kind of thing we’d do for free and on the fly for regular customers. > > Kinko’s would probably be fine, **Anaamika** , but they might be slow about it. If you’ve got a handy-dandy locally-owned copy shop, they should be able to do it on the spot or within a very short time frame (same day). Cleavage. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/14 "2008-12-11T21:16:27Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > They meant paper drills… Not me. 🙂 I see \*\*JSexton \*\*knows a pressman or two? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-way-to-hole-punch-a-lot-of-paper/476741/15 "2008-12-11T22:47:18Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Not me. 🙂 > > I see \*\*JSexton \*\*knows a pressman or two? Nope. I know a _man_ or two.