Test Drive- Backster LX-570 Cool Laminator

Backster LX-570
Cool Laminator

Brother International Corporation, 100 Somerset Corporate Boulevard, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. www.brother.com 1-800-824-4357. $79.95

As teachers and media specialists, we spend a great deal of time creating fantastic learning aids and teaching tools. Often we want to laminate these materials in order to preserve and reuse them. The Backster LX-570, by Brother International, is a compact, sturdy, cool-process laminator that is perfect for the little projects. Not only can you laminate your projects, but with the Backster you can also apply an adhesive or a magnetic backing to them.

The Backster LX-570 makes laminating small projects simple, easy, and convenient. Because the Backster does not use heat, you do not need a lengthy warm-up time and there is no risk of an accidental burn or a potential fire hazard. And since the Backster does not require electricity, you can use it anywhere—in the classroom, on the playground, or even on a field trip. Indeed, the Backster is simple and safe enough for students to use.

The Backster is a cartridge-based system that can handle projects of up to five inches wide. First choose the appropriate cartridge for your project. Insert your project and turn the large knurled knob. When the project emerges from the other end, use the built-in cutter to separate it. The Backster comes with a starter cartridge that will apply a permanent adhesive backing to your project. Additional cartridges are available to laminate both sides of a project, to laminate the front and apply a permanent adhesive to the back, to apply a adhesive that allows repositioning to the back, or to apply a magnetic backing to your project. Since the Backster is small, I keep mine in my desk drawer. If a teacher wants a pass laminated or a special backing applied to a project, I simply pull out the Backster and check that the correct type of cartridge is installed. In seconds, that small project is laminated.

The Backster has a list price of $79.95, but it is generally available at a discount. Cartridge costs will be the biggest expense, and their prices ($15 to $30) vary by the type of backing and material applied. Any teacher or media specialist will find a hundred uses for this small, convenient laminating machine. The Backster won't replace the large-roll hot laminator, but it will save you lots of time with those small projects.