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Thread: Disassembling our 40 Encyclopedia Britannicas.........

  1. #1
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Disassembling our 40 Encyclopedia Britannicas.........

    Not easy. I've researched and called around, and nobody wants old Encyclopedias. We bought them when my oldest child was born. They were necessary when we were growing up, for lots of school reports. Then along came the computer. So......I thought the least I could do is recycle the paper in them.......since recycling places don't take them intact.
    Man, these were made so well. I've struggled for about 45 minutes on just one of them. I've used various screwdrivers, scissors, hack saw, a pry tool, and various other tools, and I finally got the paper out...of the first one.
    I know that paper is probably the best thing you can throw in the earth, but it just makes me feel better to at least only send their covers to the dump.

    DH has dozens of every tool known to man (same tool.....but dozens of them).........and can I find a box cutter anywhere?? No. I'm thinking the box cutter would be the best bet, just to score down the side of the pages and pull them out.
    Any suggestions? My poor arthritic fingers. I just went through a pile of old school notebooks and pulled the papers out of them (the ones with the curly wire binding)...to recycle.

    At least I'm energized to clean things out. Just wish it was a bit easier.
    So......any suggestions as to how to more easily get all the pages out of these encyclopedias? (there's 40 of them).

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    No good ideas, but thank you.

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    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chicken lady View Post
    No good ideas, but thank you.

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    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Band saw?

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    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    Band saw?
    That's probably a great idea, but we don't have one (the one thing we don't have!). I'm thinking a box cutter with a new blade might be the easiest. We probably have some around here, but who knows where DH has hidden it. I've tried to pull the pages out by hand, and they don't rip straight and then there's a mess to pull out of the spine. I might resort to just using some TNT.

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    These were the research resource in my house growing up. My brothers went to Harvard and MIT, probably due to the EB.

    I know you live in the country. I would take them into the garden and make a little garden wall out of the them. Cover them with cob, make a window with a glass bottle--you get the idea.

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    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    I feel your pain, last year I finally got rid of the set my parents bought me when I was a kid. Our recycling center took them intact, luckily, I can't imagine the effort to shuck them all.

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    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    I have to admit, even though dealing with just one of them was such a pain, at times I just had to stop and laugh at what I was using to try to get this thing apart.

    They probably would have come apart much more easily, if they weren't in absolutely great/unused condition (for the past 30+ years). They sure looked nice in my oak barrister style bookcase though!

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    Moderator Float On's Avatar
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    My mom has 3 sets that I will have to deal with. I was wondering why you hadn't used a box cutter...until I finished your post. Sorry you can't find one. Do you have a good sharp pair of scissors or a fabric rotary cutter (you'd be willing to donate to the cause? - I'd never allow my good sewing shears or rotary cutter near paper). You could open up scissors (if really sharp and score the pages that way). What ever you do...be careful!
    Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.

  10. #10
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Thanks Float On..........I've tried lots of different cutting things.......even a hack saw.......but I'll just wait now, until I can get a box cutter. I'm just glad I didn't hurt myself with all the contorting I was doing with sharp objects!

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