Removing Sa Stamps With Pure Citrus Air Freshener

Well I finally went to Home Depot to gamble on this stuff to use for removing self adhesive stamps. And I have had results that were both miraculous, and pure failure. It seems to work well on some stamps, but not at all on others. Perhaps it is the combination of stamp and paper that is the problem with the stamps that won't come off, not the glue. I would like to please hear from some others who have tried this method and what their results and thoughts were.

Here is a short article for those who don't know what I'm talking about. Scroll down to page 3.

http://stamps.org/userfiles/file/ed...e_stamps.pdf



-IBFS

I think the paper type makes a difference. It's been awhile since I've done it, so the exact type of paper isn't fresh in my mind, but it seemed like certain papers didn't want to let the Pure Citrus penetrate through to reach the gum.

Here is a video, which is basically what I went by. The guy in the video seemed to not have problems with at least two different paper types, one of them water resistant...(?)...



I am yet to research the ingredient mentioned in the article, because I don't think it will go into paper types, but rather the dissolving of certain gums and cements.

But it's his success with the water resistant paper, in the video, that confuses me more than anything else.


-IBFS

*** Edited by Staff to add YouTube tags. Please use them in the future. We prefer embedded video. ***

My experience is limited to modern US stamps. I find the Pure Citrus to work well with these exceptions:
(1) Does not work on stamps with water activated gum;
(2) Does not work well on Tyvek envelopes - with patience, applying from front-side and working the corners, re-spraying, etc., it can be done, but is more work;
(3) Some spray-on cancellations will run/bleed - this can be avoided by removing stamp quickly, before the PC soaks in. It only takes a second or two for the stuff to work.

Removing it quickly doesn't seem to help. The spray-on cancellations seem to run before the adhesive turns loose. The Citrus spray doesn't wash off with water, and anything that will dissolve the citrus will make the cancellation run. I've had the best success by using only a little of the citrus (but it's hard to control the spray) and wiping/blotting it off with a paper towel as quick as I can.

Anybody else have an idea?

I understand that the limonene (from whatever source) is to be applied to the paper, not the stamp.

Imagine three layers: the stamp, the PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive), the paper (envelope).

Imagine two interfaces: stamp/PSA and PSA/paper.

If you apply the limonene to the paper, the PSA acts as a barrier to stop the limonene from reaching the stamp.

You know you have succeeded when the still-sticky stamp requires a bit of talc/chalk/etc.

But, all in all, keeping any solvent from reaching the stamp would seem like a Best Practice.

Tyvek (and other waterproof papers) would stop the limonene from reaching the paper/PSA interface.

In such cases, you can 'paint' the very edges of the stamp with the limonene (spray onto q-tip, apply with q-tip, repeat), but only in the firm knowledge that the stamp is going to be exposed to much more of the solvent than would otherwise be the case.

A practical alternative is to trim the Tyvek, and apply a h-i-n-g-e.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Capillary action?


-IBFS

I've also had mixed results. I apply it in the back of the paper and then slowly peel off. Then I place on a paper towel upside down. After it dries I use talcum and then put in a book or something like a large catalogue to make sure the stamp is flat. I then hinge and mount in the album.

I've tried removing scotch tape from the image side of PPCs.

The tape comes flying off, and there is no residual tackiness, and there seems to be no effect on the remainder of the image, but the damage from chemical reactions between the adhesive and the photo emulsion (for example) remains.

Such as it does, it does well.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey