Get Good Paperless Stamps From Unsoakable Stamps

Lighter fluid to my knowledge has never had any reaction with the older stamps. It has been used long enough to have a good track record with those stamps. Who hasn't used it at least once for watermarks?

I would not call this drastic by using lighter fluid. Though it might be if you decide to do a large amount of stamps in one night.

Though I certainly don't know what the track record will be with self adhesive stamps because of the different paper and printing used for these stamps.

Ok! I checked through my Sc. Int'l vol.1- (1840-1940) and looked at stamps a mojority of which have had to be watermarked.
I saw no effect on them. I checked all the ones I soaked by the lighter fluid method which I started doing like last march or April. No degradation as to lighter fluid or the baby powder on the stamps. thet are still excellent shape.(I did both my
priority & express mail stamps this way and both are like gem copies. Water soaking has done far more damage.
I refuse to let Ashton-Potter & the USPS get away with this. I'm not collecting used stamps on paper.

(cont.) As to the long term effect (I assume we're talking many years) there's no way to tell. this non-water-soluable
glue thing is fairly recent. We ought to kick USPS's assets. Children shouldn't be using any one of these methods and (they shouldn't have to; if the they have left the watr soluble glue policy alone)
all are either flammable or intoxicating. It appears to me that the fumes from Isopropyl alcohol are worse than the lighter fluid.

I actually bought and used watermark fluid for about 10 years but when the price jumped from $3.00 to $6.00 a bottle
i said the heck with it. can't afford it. Now it's in the 10-18 range. No way, Jose.

I have two old specialty albums that I bought and used some 45 years ago, British America, and British Oceania from Minkus. Lighter fuel/fluid was all I ever used to check watermarks, and looking at them today, the stamps are fine and show no ill effects from its use. It didn't eat through or stain the album pages, either. The stuff is volatile and quickly evaporates and I doubt it leaves anything behind.

I just bought some watermark fluid and I find it smells worse than the lighter fluid so once I use it up I think I'll go back. I just won't use it near any burning candles.

Dianne

I have been using "Ronsonol" lighter fluid for a number of years as substitute watermark fluid without any problems whatever. My only complaint has been that the evaporation time is considerably longer then watermark detector fluid but I have a small fan near my desk that speeds up the drying processs. Does anyone have any experience with lighter fluid other than "Ronsonol" brand. Its possible that other brands may leave an oily residue but I don't know that. I have heard a lot of recommendations by long-time dealers but they have all involved "Ronsonol".

I have been using "Ronsonol" lighter fluid for a number of years as substitute watermark fluid without any problems whatever. My only complaint has been that the evaporation time is considerably longer then watermark detector fluid but I have a small fan near my desk that speeds up the drying processs. Does anyone have any experience with lighter fluid other than "Ronsonol" brand. Its possible that other brands may leave an oily residue but I don't know that. I have heard a lot of recommendations by long-time dealers but they have all involved "Ronsonol".

I have used others, years ago. With lighters all going to butane, it's possible that Ronsonol is the only one left on the market, that's why it's all you see and hear about, here. They have all smelled the same, going back as far as I can remember, when everyone smoked and most everyone used a lighter. They have probably all been naptha.

Carbon tet would really evaporate quickly, but it's hard to find and everyone is afraid of it, these days. It also wouldn't keep. I picked up a bottle some years ago for some photos I was doing, and sealed up tight with tape over the cap, the volume just keeps going down on its own.

If you have ever tried carefully prying up a label from some stamps and invariably ruined them anyway, good old Ronsonol can save the day. Just today, I used Ronsonol to get a sticky label off some stamps on a carton. Just squirted a little onto the edge of the label where it covered the stamps, took my pocket knife and lifted the label by it's edge and it popped right off. Seems it's impossible for these adhesives to hold in lighter fluid. Since there was some sticky residue left on the stamp, I took a cotton-tipped swab with Ronsonol on it and wiped it away using both the wet and dry ends.

It also works to get rid of those magic marker cancellations.

No kidding! It removes magic marker marks? I have five envelopes loaded with setens that they marked the Hades out of.
Gotta try that.
As to other brands of lighter fluid only one I know of is Zippo but haven't seen it for a couple of years.

Just use a cue tip and it will clean the heavy parts off. I don't clean them 100% so that they still have a cancel look to them.

Since they are just for my personal collection I don't mind the retouched stamp. Besides those large black marks hide most of the stamp.

Giles! I say old chap! Check this out! Lincoln stamps guaranteed not water soluable. printed by Jack-Ashton Potter USA.
Non printed by them are water soluable. As you can see there is some debate about method. I find it works great
99.99% of the time. And in addition, if you get really desperate you can burn them in the fireplace for heat.
The next challenge are the totally unremovable stamps from GB.
Anyway, been feeling like thisbut had to help you out.

the powder thing really works...just tried it today actually