If the stamp is not, in any way, stuck to the page, I would definitely grab the stamp and hinge and remove the hinge from the page still attached to the stamp. Then they go into the sweatbox to remove the hinge.
For those that are attached to the page, I would simply cut the page around the stamps attached (say a few millimeters border). This could be singly or in groups of two to four. Then off they go to the sweatbox as well.
I always use tongs to carefully handle stamps; especially when transfering them in & out of the sweatbox.
After stamps come out of the sweatbox & all of the paper & hinges have been carefully removed, one will see that there is still quite a bit of wet gum on the mint stamps. Take the stamp and carefully lay the gumside down on a smooth sheet of plastic until the stamp throughly dries. Then the stamp will easily pop off with some nice shiny gum still attached.
I am a big fan of the sweatbox. There is almost nothing that I have not cleaned with a good sweating.
If you are going to trash the album anyway, option 2 makes more sense. That way if the hinge is easily removable, you can just peel it off later. If not you still have the soaking option.
Also, once the stamp is removed from the album page, if you have some very thin spade tongs, I have found that you can gently work most hinges off stamps you do not wish to soak (e.g., unused stamps with OG): just gently and carefully press the edge of the spade where the hinge meets the stamp and work it around until the hinge comes off - often works, occasionally doesn't. This method also occasionally works where a mint stamp has attached itself to the album page because of humidity or pressure.
If a mint stamp is really stuck well, I have no answer other than to cut around it and then soak it off (ofc, then you have unused, ng which is not good).
I was typing my answer as Terry was posting his. He is absolutely correct about sweatboxes (I just didn't think of it).
I'd only worry about using a sweat box if the stamp were mint and appeared to have some premium value. Otherwise just pull the stamp and hinge away from the paper and then reverse the process as most hinges were designed to come away from the stamp easily.
Hi all. I'm putting this topic here as I've never done it before and it should help newcomers as well. I have quite a few old albums that I want to disassemble. All of the stamps are mounted using hinges.
In cases where the stamps have adhered to the page, I plan to soak them off and hope the hinge comes off as well.
In cases where the stamp is still appropriately hinged, I can think of three methods:
1. Place tongs on top of stamp and gently pull (this could damage the stamp).
2. Place tongs on top of stamp AND hinge and gently pull (the albums are going in the trash so I'm not worried about damage to them).
3. Cut hinges from page (this leaves the hinge on the stamp even if it would have removed easily).
What do you all do and what is the best method with the least amount of potential damage?
re: How do you disassemble an album?
If the stamp is not, in any way, stuck to the page, I would definitely grab the stamp and hinge and remove the hinge from the page still attached to the stamp. Then they go into the sweatbox to remove the hinge.
For those that are attached to the page, I would simply cut the page around the stamps attached (say a few millimeters border). This could be singly or in groups of two to four. Then off they go to the sweatbox as well.
I always use tongs to carefully handle stamps; especially when transfering them in & out of the sweatbox.
After stamps come out of the sweatbox & all of the paper & hinges have been carefully removed, one will see that there is still quite a bit of wet gum on the mint stamps. Take the stamp and carefully lay the gumside down on a smooth sheet of plastic until the stamp throughly dries. Then the stamp will easily pop off with some nice shiny gum still attached.
I am a big fan of the sweatbox. There is almost nothing that I have not cleaned with a good sweating.
re: How do you disassemble an album?
If you are going to trash the album anyway, option 2 makes more sense. That way if the hinge is easily removable, you can just peel it off later. If not you still have the soaking option.
Also, once the stamp is removed from the album page, if you have some very thin spade tongs, I have found that you can gently work most hinges off stamps you do not wish to soak (e.g., unused stamps with OG): just gently and carefully press the edge of the spade where the hinge meets the stamp and work it around until the hinge comes off - often works, occasionally doesn't. This method also occasionally works where a mint stamp has attached itself to the album page because of humidity or pressure.
If a mint stamp is really stuck well, I have no answer other than to cut around it and then soak it off (ofc, then you have unused, ng which is not good).
re: How do you disassemble an album?
I was typing my answer as Terry was posting his. He is absolutely correct about sweatboxes (I just didn't think of it).
re: How do you disassemble an album?
I'd only worry about using a sweat box if the stamp were mint and appeared to have some premium value. Otherwise just pull the stamp and hinge away from the paper and then reverse the process as most hinges were designed to come away from the stamp easily.