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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

 

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capetown

18 Jun 2018
07:51:21pm
Does anyone have a solution to soak old stamps from Austria, Hungary, sometimes Romania? They are extremely stubborn and easy to damage and just don't come off the paper. Maybe there is a trick way of removing these stamps...I'd be grateful for any solutions anyone may have. Thanks, capetown

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cougar
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19 Jun 2018
12:35:44am
re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

I have heard of people putting stamps in boiling water. This should soften the glue on older stamps.

I would experiment with some low value stamp first to see if it works.

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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

19 Jun 2018
01:38:15am
re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

" ... I have heard of people putting stamps in boiling water. This should soften the glue on older stamps. ..."

'I'd lower the heat to just below the boiling point, were I to try doing that. Vigorous bubbling might tear the flimsy stamps apart..

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
jmh67

19 Jun 2018
04:48:08pm
re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

Warm water and patience definitely help getting the stamps off the paper. You could try to scrape the gum off with the back of a knife or the edge of a phone card. Put the soaked stamps with their picture side on blotting paper and put a piece of plastic foil over the gum side. The gum residue does not stick well to the smooth material.

-jmh

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capetown

19 Jun 2018
06:07:02pm
re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

Thanks for all your responses...time and patience was rewarded, and luckily the casualties were light, but I did suffer a couple of fatalities. Hope I don't run into any more of these again soon.
...capetown

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malcolm197

24 Jun 2018
06:48:22am
re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

These will probably be organic ( i.e.plant-based) gum, rather than the modern PVA type.

A problem with these gums is that they often either soak into, or react with the acids in old papers, which is why the aper often becomes like it has foxing but not the same thing at all. The longer these stamps stay on paper the more difficult it becomes to deal with them, so unless the item has some postmark or cover merit get the stamp off as early as possible.

If you don't want to risk very hot water you can use a sweatbox. Use a plastic box with a close fitting lid - a small (clean) Tupperware box is ideal. Cover the bottom with blotting paper,soak the paper with warm to hot water then pour it away. Put the stamps and paper face up on the blotting paper and fit the lid.

The warm humid atmosphere should soften the gum,and make it easy to remove the backing. Always remember when removing the paper to put the stamp face down and remove the paper from the stamp, never the stamp from the paper. The latter almost always results in damage to the stamp. You may have to carry out this process more than once as thick paper often delaminates leaving the top layer of the paper still attached to the stamp.

Extreme care and patience is required and the process should never be carried out after imbibing the amber nectar !!

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Author/Postings
capetown

18 Jun 2018
07:51:21pm

Does anyone have a solution to soak old stamps from Austria, Hungary, sometimes Romania? They are extremely stubborn and easy to damage and just don't come off the paper. Maybe there is a trick way of removing these stamps...I'd be grateful for any solutions anyone may have. Thanks, capetown

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
cougar

19 Jun 2018
12:35:44am

re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

I have heard of people putting stamps in boiling water. This should soften the glue on older stamps.

I would experiment with some low value stamp first to see if it works.

Like
Login to Like
this post

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
19 Jun 2018
01:38:15am

re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

" ... I have heard of people putting stamps in boiling water. This should soften the glue on older stamps. ..."

'I'd lower the heat to just below the boiling point, were I to try doing that. Vigorous bubbling might tear the flimsy stamps apart..

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
jmh67

19 Jun 2018
04:48:08pm

re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

Warm water and patience definitely help getting the stamps off the paper. You could try to scrape the gum off with the back of a knife or the edge of a phone card. Put the soaked stamps with their picture side on blotting paper and put a piece of plastic foil over the gum side. The gum residue does not stick well to the smooth material.

-jmh

Like
Login to Like
this post
capetown

19 Jun 2018
06:07:02pm

re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

Thanks for all your responses...time and patience was rewarded, and luckily the casualties were light, but I did suffer a couple of fatalities. Hope I don't run into any more of these again soon.
...capetown

Like
Login to Like
this post
malcolm197

24 Jun 2018
06:48:22am

re: SOAKING AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, ROMANIA

These will probably be organic ( i.e.plant-based) gum, rather than the modern PVA type.

A problem with these gums is that they often either soak into, or react with the acids in old papers, which is why the aper often becomes like it has foxing but not the same thing at all. The longer these stamps stay on paper the more difficult it becomes to deal with them, so unless the item has some postmark or cover merit get the stamp off as early as possible.

If you don't want to risk very hot water you can use a sweatbox. Use a plastic box with a close fitting lid - a small (clean) Tupperware box is ideal. Cover the bottom with blotting paper,soak the paper with warm to hot water then pour it away. Put the stamps and paper face up on the blotting paper and fit the lid.

The warm humid atmosphere should soften the gum,and make it easy to remove the backing. Always remember when removing the paper to put the stamp face down and remove the paper from the stamp, never the stamp from the paper. The latter almost always results in damage to the stamp. You may have to carry out this process more than once as thick paper often delaminates leaving the top layer of the paper still attached to the stamp.

Extreme care and patience is required and the process should never be carried out after imbibing the amber nectar !!

Like
Login to Like
this post
        

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