Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I think soaking them off would be appropriate beings they are used stamps.
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I soak any used stamps that I receive because hinge remnants will often mask faults such as thins. Hinge remnants may also prevent the stamp from laying flat when it is remounted.
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What do people use as a soaking agent. In my early days of collecting it was just tap water. Today distilled water is probably better than what we have flowing through our taps for the paper.
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Hi BlackJack;
Just plain tap water is fine. If they are washed with several rinses in clean water they tend to
brighten up the paper and ink somewhat and look much better.
If you only have a couple to do and do not want to soak, try this. Lay stamp upside down on a
flat hard surface. A small piece of glass is perfect.
I use a 5x7 inch piece from an old picture frame. I mounted it to a box and added a light inside,
then a sheet of translucent white plastic as a light diffuser. This is similar to a light table used
by photographers to examine slides and photographic negatives. The light coming thru the
stamp will help to reveal flaws, thins and repairs. It can also double as a dry watermark detector
for the easier to identify watermarks.
To use for hinge removal, I use an old pair of tongs that have very rounded over spade tips
from years of use. You could also use an old butter knife as long as it has no sharp edges.
The knife is used as a burnishing tool. You are not trying to remove the hinge, but merely rub
gently across the hinge, from center toward edges, using a few ounces of pressure. Best to
practice this on damaged stamps or common ones, not those you want.
The burnishing caused the hardened gum of the hinge to fracture into a powder, and the hinge
will become less stuck down. Then after burnishing choose the corner that looks to be the least
stuck down and grasp with tongs. pull gently and slowly. You can often remove the entire rem-
nant in one pass.
I know this sounds complicated, but it is not at all and can be learned after just a few tries. I
have used this method for years. Also to keep it simple, you do not need a light box, just a
small sheet of glass and a butter knife.
Besides it's fun to learn new tricks. The small light box is really useful for many other tasks in-
volving stamps too.
Keep on stampin'....
TuskenRaider
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I learned something new today! Thank you
Andrew
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I usually use a small old small brush to stoke hinge remainders. It is therapeutic. It allows removal while avoiding complete immersion and waiting for the dry out. Gets new stuff in the album quicker.
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This was taken from the book "How to Detect Damaged, Altered, and Repaired Stamps" by Paul Schmid.
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Wow, I have been doing it wrong all these years, I just dump them in a bowl of water from the kitchen faucet for a day or two and then put them in between some paper and under a bunch of heavy books and if I remember I take them out and put them in one of my albums or a glassine.
jeezlaweez go figure.
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Mark, I'm with you!
"I just dump them in a bowl of water from the kitchen faucet."
-Steve
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I believe the book was talking about removing a hinge from an "unused" stamp to try to save as much gum as possible.
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I've used the rubbing the back of mint hinged stamps with rounded edge of thongs. Works pretty good. Now after decades of doing this, yesterday I added a twist. Place the stamp in a glassine envelope, Place it on a heavy peace of cardboard or your stamp catalog. Now when you rub the hinged side of the stamp, your can be a little bit more aggressive and not damage it while trying to remove the hinge. After taking the stamp out of the glassine, the hinge may simply fall off - or I pry the corner up by carefully sliding a Utility knife blade under the corner of the hinge to coax it a bit.
If that fails, that trick with soaking just the hinge with a brush sounds like the way to go - but more work.
Used stamps - original question - Soaking the safest bet . . .
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http://stampsmarter.com/learning/HowToRemoveHinges.html
Don
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I was talking to a man at a show a few years back and he told me to add just a few drops of dish washing detergent (such as Dawn). he said that hes been doing it for years and it helped to get some of the dirt off the stamps and brighten them up. Haven't tried this but he swore by it.
Art
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I'm one of those bowl of water guys! For standard hinges, they pretty much float off on their own within an hour.
Some of the 19th century stamps I've soaked had generation of hinges on them from being passed from collection to collection. Some of those early hinges were stamp selvage and other things you aren't going to peel off.
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There is an article by John Hotchner in the September 17, 2018, issue of Linn's that touches on this subject.
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Just a reminder. With fugitive inks make sure you get no water on the face of the stamp. I use a cotton bud or small artist brush to put the minimum of water on the hinge remnant only. If you have several to do use a sweat-box.
Malcolm
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Is there any problems with removing hinges from used postage stamps? When I buy some of my 19th Century issues they have parts of hinges on them. Is it OK to soak them off or should I just leave them alone? I only use hingeless mounting.
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09:10:05am
re: Hinge Removal?
I think soaking them off would be appropriate beings they are used stamps.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
I soak any used stamps that I receive because hinge remnants will often mask faults such as thins. Hinge remnants may also prevent the stamp from laying flat when it is remounted.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
What do people use as a soaking agent. In my early days of collecting it was just tap water. Today distilled water is probably better than what we have flowing through our taps for the paper.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
Hi BlackJack;
Just plain tap water is fine. If they are washed with several rinses in clean water they tend to
brighten up the paper and ink somewhat and look much better.
If you only have a couple to do and do not want to soak, try this. Lay stamp upside down on a
flat hard surface. A small piece of glass is perfect.
I use a 5x7 inch piece from an old picture frame. I mounted it to a box and added a light inside,
then a sheet of translucent white plastic as a light diffuser. This is similar to a light table used
by photographers to examine slides and photographic negatives. The light coming thru the
stamp will help to reveal flaws, thins and repairs. It can also double as a dry watermark detector
for the easier to identify watermarks.
To use for hinge removal, I use an old pair of tongs that have very rounded over spade tips
from years of use. You could also use an old butter knife as long as it has no sharp edges.
The knife is used as a burnishing tool. You are not trying to remove the hinge, but merely rub
gently across the hinge, from center toward edges, using a few ounces of pressure. Best to
practice this on damaged stamps or common ones, not those you want.
The burnishing caused the hardened gum of the hinge to fracture into a powder, and the hinge
will become less stuck down. Then after burnishing choose the corner that looks to be the least
stuck down and grasp with tongs. pull gently and slowly. You can often remove the entire rem-
nant in one pass.
I know this sounds complicated, but it is not at all and can be learned after just a few tries. I
have used this method for years. Also to keep it simple, you do not need a light box, just a
small sheet of glass and a butter knife.
Besides it's fun to learn new tricks. The small light box is really useful for many other tasks in-
volving stamps too.
Keep on stampin'....
TuskenRaider
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Hinge Removal?
I learned something new today! Thank you
Andrew
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
I usually use a small old small brush to stoke hinge remainders. It is therapeutic. It allows removal while avoiding complete immersion and waiting for the dry out. Gets new stuff in the album quicker.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
This was taken from the book "How to Detect Damaged, Altered, and Repaired Stamps" by Paul Schmid.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
Wow, I have been doing it wrong all these years, I just dump them in a bowl of water from the kitchen faucet for a day or two and then put them in between some paper and under a bunch of heavy books and if I remember I take them out and put them in one of my albums or a glassine.
jeezlaweez go figure.
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Hinge Removal?
Mark, I'm with you!
"I just dump them in a bowl of water from the kitchen faucet."
-Steve
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
I believe the book was talking about removing a hinge from an "unused" stamp to try to save as much gum as possible.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
I've used the rubbing the back of mint hinged stamps with rounded edge of thongs. Works pretty good. Now after decades of doing this, yesterday I added a twist. Place the stamp in a glassine envelope, Place it on a heavy peace of cardboard or your stamp catalog. Now when you rub the hinged side of the stamp, your can be a little bit more aggressive and not damage it while trying to remove the hinge. After taking the stamp out of the glassine, the hinge may simply fall off - or I pry the corner up by carefully sliding a Utility knife blade under the corner of the hinge to coax it a bit.
If that fails, that trick with soaking just the hinge with a brush sounds like the way to go - but more work.
Used stamps - original question - Soaking the safest bet . . .
1 Member
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re: Hinge Removal?
http://stampsmarter.com/learning/HowToRemoveHinges.html
Don
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Login to Like.
re: Hinge Removal?
I was talking to a man at a show a few years back and he told me to add just a few drops of dish washing detergent (such as Dawn). he said that hes been doing it for years and it helped to get some of the dirt off the stamps and brighten them up. Haven't tried this but he swore by it.
Art
Login to Like
this post
re: Hinge Removal?
I'm one of those bowl of water guys! For standard hinges, they pretty much float off on their own within an hour.
Some of the 19th century stamps I've soaked had generation of hinges on them from being passed from collection to collection. Some of those early hinges were stamp selvage and other things you aren't going to peel off.
1 Member
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11:16:47am
re: Hinge Removal?
There is an article by John Hotchner in the September 17, 2018, issue of Linn's that touches on this subject.
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06:54:04pm
re: Hinge Removal?
Just a reminder. With fugitive inks make sure you get no water on the face of the stamp. I use a cotton bud or small artist brush to put the minimum of water on the hinge remnant only. If you have several to do use a sweat-box.
Malcolm
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