Price Sticker Removal!
- Thread starter tigerham
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An interesting video, so thanks for posting. However, I certainly won't be putting Vaseline anywhere near my MOCs! The lighter fluid (and other sticker removers - I favour surgical spirit) is a highly volatile solvent which evaporates off quickly and easily, leaving minimal residue. With surgical spirit, I rarely need to do anything further to the card after removing a sticker, but if there is any visible residue, gently wiping it off with a clean cotton bud or wad of cotton wool is all that's required, in my experience.
TK-7785
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I'd agree with Snakebite here. Anything oily on paper goods doesn't strike me a good idea. The lighter fluid method has worked well for me when restoring/cleaning up original boxes; where some old non-factory applied sellotape has been applied or residue has been left by labels long since fallen off.
aussiejames
Sith Lord
Joe F "
Master Bookbinder whose resume includes restoring antiquarian books (some as old as the 10th Century) to near original condition as well as making his own hand-made paper, asking his opinion on exposing paper to Naphtha/lighter fluid or goo gone, as well as providing him context on the way it was being used to remove price stickers. I heard back from him (below is his response), and have another email out to a museum-trained paper conservationist:
"Any chemical treatment will break down the cellulose in paper causing it to first become chalky, then brittle and then disintegrate.
Naphtha is a derivative of petroleum and is used as a blending agent for high octane gasoline among its many uses....needless to say any idiot using it on paper to remove glue/gum, is just that.....an idiot.....The problem is that any short term solution that the seller uses is going to create a long term problem for the buyer with dire consequences.
I wouldn't consider the use of these chemicals as restoration or conservation, I would consider it amateur attempts with fatal effects. New Zealand authorities a few years ago banned all conservators from using chemical treatments as the years of use had shown that their very short history on paper is now disintegrating....,.,they were ordered to just make clamshell boxes to house their precious artifacts. Anyone who uses Naphtha on paper should be considered a vandal and collectors should not invest in such treated items......I think the term is "buyer beware".
Master Bookbinder whose resume includes restoring antiquarian books (some as old as the 10th Century) to near original condition as well as making his own hand-made paper, asking his opinion on exposing paper to Naphtha/lighter fluid or goo gone, as well as providing him context on the way it was being used to remove price stickers. I heard back from him (below is his response), and have another email out to a museum-trained paper conservationist:
"Any chemical treatment will break down the cellulose in paper causing it to first become chalky, then brittle and then disintegrate.
Naphtha is a derivative of petroleum and is used as a blending agent for high octane gasoline among its many uses....needless to say any idiot using it on paper to remove glue/gum, is just that.....an idiot.....The problem is that any short term solution that the seller uses is going to create a long term problem for the buyer with dire consequences.
I wouldn't consider the use of these chemicals as restoration or conservation, I would consider it amateur attempts with fatal effects. New Zealand authorities a few years ago banned all conservators from using chemical treatments as the years of use had shown that their very short history on paper is now disintegrating....,.,they were ordered to just make clamshell boxes to house their precious artifacts. Anyone who uses Naphtha on paper should be considered a vandal and collectors should not invest in such treated items......I think the term is "buyer beware".
Surgical spirit certainly doesn't stain or lighten the card or remove any of the litho (unlike nail polish remover, which does remove litho). As I say, it can leave a slight residue after evaporating, much like the lighter fluid did in the video (although not as bad as that, in my experience), but I usually have to angle the card in the light to see it. I then wipe / gently rub it with a cotton bud / cotton wool. You can also gently wipe the area with a VERY slightly damp wad of cotton wool to help clean it, if required.
If you're planning on using any kind of solvent or any other substance on a MOC, I thoroughly recommend practicing / testing it first on a small area of a similar card back. I've even bought a beaten up loose card back specifically for this purpose to satisfy myself that I won't do any damage to anything I actually care about. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the Vaseline technique works, but I also know that grease doesn't completely wipe off that easily, and I certainly wouldn't want it on any of my cards!
If you're planning on using any kind of solvent or any other substance on a MOC, I thoroughly recommend practicing / testing it first on a small area of a similar card back. I've even bought a beaten up loose card back specifically for this purpose to satisfy myself that I won't do any damage to anything I actually care about. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the Vaseline technique works, but I also know that grease doesn't completely wipe off that easily, and I certainly wouldn't want it on any of my cards!
Also, apologies if this is stating the obvious for most readers, but it's worth pointing out that surgical spirit is not a petroleum derivative like naphtha, but instead mostly isopropyl alcohol.
That's fine if you like them, and if you do, I have absolutely no problem with that. However, personally I find them ugly and unsightly; they (usually - I'm looking at you 'New Figure - £1.59') didn't leave the factory that way, and therefore that's what I want in my collection.lejackal said:
Horses for courses! :-D
Well, I've never used lighter fluid to remove stickers, but the reply Aussiejames shared related to naphtha and related products, of which lighter fluid is one, and the use of which risks long term card damage; something I was previously unaware of. Surgical spirit is not a naphtha / petroleum derivative, and instead is basically an alcohol. I can't say what the long-term effects of surgical spirit on a card are, since it's only been a year or two since I first used it (and the cards still look fine), but since we now know lighter fluid and products like Goo Gone (which contains petroleum derivatives) definitely can cause harm, I would certainly favour surgical spirit.
It would be very interesting however to learn what the master bookbinder aussiejames was talking to thought of the effects of surgical spirit on paper and card.
It would be very interesting however to learn what the master bookbinder aussiejames was talking to thought of the effects of surgical spirit on paper and card.
Palifan
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It would be very interesting however to learn what the master bookbinder aussiejames was talking to thought of the effects of surgical spirit on paper and card.[/quote]
Also remember that SW cards have a glossy finish to them (I'm guessing that's the litho), so it's not like people are using any of these methods directly on paper, the person who was asked the question may not have been aware of this as I wouldn't use any method on just a plain piece of paper as I'm sure it would stain or wrinkle in some way.
Ian
Also remember that SW cards have a glossy finish to them (I'm guessing that's the litho), so it's not like people are using any of these methods directly on paper, the person who was asked the question may not have been aware of this as I wouldn't use any method on just a plain piece of paper as I'm sure it would stain or wrinkle in some way.
Ian
Robstyley
Sith Lord
Palifan said:
Also remember that SW cards have a glossy finish to them (I'm guessing that's the litho), so it's not like people are using any of these methods directly on paper, the person who was asked the question may not have been aware of this as I wouldn't use any method on just a plain piece of paper as I'm sure it would stain or wrinkle in some way.
Ian[/quote]
This is a good point. There are hundreds of different types of paper and card with different coatings and finishes etc. And Vintage SW cards are nothing like ancient books or documents. There is no way anyone could say for sure what the effects of any substance will be on a SW card without experimentation or research.
I love price stickers but I've got this half ripped off one I wouldn't mind removing. I've been reluctant to dick with it but it is ugly and adds nothing to the card.
subzero
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Robstyley said:
This is a good point. There are hundreds of different types of paper and card with different coatings and finishes etc. And Vintage SW cards are nothing like ancient books or documents. There is no way anyone could say for sure what the effects of any substance will be on a SW card without experimentation or research.
I love price stickers but I've got this half ripped off one I wouldn't mind removing. I've been reluctant to dick with it but it is ugly and adds nothing to the card.
88417225-7265-491A-A5F4-C86199AE9504.jpeg[/quote]
As a guess i'd actually say that should come off quite easily, iv'e had several similar small torn off stickers just like that one and used lighter fluid on a soft tea towel to soak it then gradually scraped it off with my thumb nail, then the rest of the residue underneath I carefully rubbed it away with the tea towel again with a little more lighter fluid, every time it's come away as if nothing was on there.
And the small amounts of lighter fluid shouldn't soak into the card because of the litho and it does evaporate fairly quickly, just don't rub too hard as iv'e heard the ink could possibly come away little bit.
Robstyley
Sith Lord
tobedesu said:
That's helpful :| Why do you say that?
