Wish there was a 'Search' function on forums... or am I missing it? I have a lot of on-paper S/A's I would like to recover. I have heard of the Pure Citrus solvent... anyone have any good luck with that? Also read articles on the Rosinol lighter fluid and naptha but really don't care for the headache that comes with those. Anyone have a good way to get them off cleanly? I have gotten some from mixes I have ordered and some stamp folks leave little flecks of adhesive on the backs which causes all sorts of issues. Thanks...
There is a search function in this forum. On the top right side just below the inbox and alerts, you can find the search box if that is what you are looking for.
Yes I have used the Pure Citrus and it works quite well with USA and GB Machins with the security tabs. I use corn starch on the back and the scrape it off with an old gift card or credit card.
Someone told me about the Pure Citrus Orange Air Freshener Spray over a year ago and that's all that I use now. It works great and smells good too. I buy it from Wal-Mart and you can also find it on Ebay. I've only had one casualty with it and that was on a stamp from Aland. It caused the dye to run and ruined that stamp. I've used on Australia and USA stamps without any problems. I've also used the kerosene/ lighter fluid type stuff and it works, but I would be concerned about using it in a well ventilated area, as I wouldn't think it would be too good to breathe the fumes long-term.
Thank you, fellow Texan... (even though I am a transplant, I have lived in most of the corners: McAllen, El Paso, Wichita Falls, Huntington, and now in San Antonio). Hope to hear more good tips as time goes on...
I heard about the cornstarch on the back also... when you say 'scrape it off', it is like rolling it off, right? Some of the used S/A's I get from some of my sellers are just perfectly clean so I am wondering how to do the same thing.
In the words of Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles " It's twoo, it's twoo!" This following described method is labor intensive and, don't expect to cleanup up more than 24-30 stamps . . . per hour ? I use naptha (available at your local paint or hardware store); Ronson lighter fluid sorta works, but for me, not as well as pure naptha. Dispense naptha thru a needle oiler to wet the paper holding the stamp. Stamp releases (peels off) from the paper, carrying most of the adhesive with the stamp (darn). Then spray the back of the stamp with Pure Citrus and wipe gently with a paper towel (not kleenex). You'll go thru paper towels about 1 per 10-12 stamps wiped, but what's a guy to do?. It may take a couple of applications of the citrus oil. If there's any 'stickiness' left, a light dusting of talcum powder takes care of that, and they're still 'hinge-able'. As to headaches caused by the use of organics, I assiduously avoid doing this effort indoors. This means I have a 4-5 month window during the summer/fall period, and those have to be relatively calm days, or the released stamps will blow all over the place as the citrus oil is given a chance to evaporate.
Thanks Larry, for giving the 'naptha' view a voice. As I said, I had heard about it from some of the more experienced collectors; one of the stamp stores I used to frequent smelt like a printing house at times. He would also hire some of us 'newbies' as cheap labor, but I never unstuck stamps... my primary job was cataloguing. By the way: I bet I have seen "Blazing Saddles" a hundred million times... "Young Frankenstein" only fifty million...
I have tried them all as well. The problem I find is what they do to the stamps in the process of removal. Many get discolored and mottled. Others seem to deteriorate in some fashion because of the chemicals involved. As you discovered there are also adverse effects on us humans. Even the lingering odors from Pure Citrus can be overpowering. I wish other countries would use self-adhesives like Canada does that are most usually water soluble. I guess we will have to spread the word, avoid self-adhesives, discover a better removal method, or devise a collecting solution that is conducive to these types of stamps. It would be great if the major catalogues provided a simple symbol to warn against the water-removal method. Anyways, thanks for simulating the discussion.
DOUBLE ditto on the water soluble... would solve tons of problems and maybe keep that ozone hole a little bit more closed...
Yes, it sure does work, but you have to be careful too. You need a light touch when using the aerosol spray. Use too much and the stamp(s) will have a strong citrus smell. And if you are in a small room, with little ventilation you will be smelling that citrus scent for a long time. By the way, while that aerosol can sells for $4.95 were I live, there are 1 or more sellers @ E-bay USA, selling a 4 ounce bottle of D-Limonene for a few bucks more. That's what you need.
Thanks for the tip Robert... I had heard about the Limonene also but never pursued it. Is it the same chemistry as the Pure Citrus except liquid vrs aerosol? Or different chemistry?
On a constructive note, for those of you who may not be aware of new developments in dealing with self-adhesive stamps, there are some creative ideas posted on 'YouTube'. One video suggests the use of 'Heptane (-N)' as a less invasive way to remove self-adhesives from their backing along with the use of stamp sales envelopes for a unique way of preparing these stamps for mounting in a collection. The title of the video is 'Removal & Preservation of Self Adhesive Postage Stamps' by Philatelic Corner. Another suggestion and process that seems to have simplified the procedure is the use of the product 'WD40 No-Mess Pen' and cornstarch. This video is entitled 'Removal of Adhesive Postal Stamps just got easier II' by Bruce McKinney. Ideas worth exploring.
Not so sure about the WD40... but I have a lot of expendable 'on-paper' (same type, able to be destroyed for the sake of science...!!) subjects that I can torture for the truth. Will do the experiments and publish briefs as I find the effects...
