Pressing Stamps That Have Been Soaked

Just got the nerve off to post this one. I was afraid the seasoned collectors would bite my head off.

I have quite a few stamps to soak off envelopes. I don't have stamp drying book so the last time I put them between heavy books like suggested. Well I found that took lots of space and time with me not having a great deal of patience I decided to try a little experiment.

Once the stamps were dry(I used duplicates of common ones I had lots of) I placed them on a peice of parchement paper face up (about 25 at a time) place a peice of white tissue paper on top and pressed them with a dry Iron set on medium low. Worked like a charm and didn't seem to damage the stamps. Once they cooled a little they slid off the parchement paper.

Just Wondering what you think of this method

Dianne

Diane, when you posted this information under this topic

https://goscf.com/t/559

you used parchment paper. Here you say waxed paper.

I'd watch out for waxed paper with a hot iron and stamps!

I use two similar cookie sheets and some paper towels. After soaking all the paper off the stamps I place a layer of paper towel in one cookie sheet and put the wet stamps on top of it. I then place another layer of paper towel on top of the stamps followed by the other cookie sheet and let the stamps sit until dry. The cookie sheet seems to be enough weight to keep them from curling.

That's a good Idea james but sometimes some of them Still have a bit of gum on them and I'd be afraid they would stick to the paper towel

Modern view the other post is correct it should read parchment not waxed paper.

Dianne

What is parchement paper?

When the stamps in my Traveler album started rubbing together I put wax paper between the pages...it doesn't seem to have damaged them. Of course, I didn't run a hot iron over them, either. I have since replaced them with Glassine interleavings. The wax paper was in the album for about 15 years.

Charles.

Parchement paper is mostly used for baking It is heat resistant and non stick you buy it in a roll like waxed paper.

I often used paper towels and wax paper myself, although I never used an iron. I suppose I'd still do it with common stamps if I had to, but I'd still recommend a stamp drying book if you can afford one (about $10).

I use paper towel and cling wrap or food wrap (whatever you want to call it). Put a paper towel down first, place your wet stamps on this, face down. Place cling wrap over this and repeat the process. When you have them all done, place something heavy on top and leave to dry overnight.(maybe longer in cold conditions).

Works well for me and the stamps can be easily removed from cling wrap, if they should stick.

Steve

Hey guys

I went ahead and did about 600 last night with no casualties. I will get a stamp drying book eventually. By the way guys I do let them dry face down on paper towel first When they are totally dry I iron them.

These stamp came in an album and it looked like they were stuck in good so I had to soak them in warm rather than cool water.

I had a good variety from old to new large colourfull ones and they came out great. I even flattend some that had creases that bugged me.

I'm glad it worked out for you Dianne!

i rarely press..if I do..i use a book..i soak a stamp and put it face down on a napkin or paper towel..this kind of goes against my recycling policies but hey..they usually turn out all right..you can kind of tell early on if they are going to curl or not....i have a stamp drying book but usually forget I have it....

Hey Philb

Once I'm done drying stamps I use the paper towel for other purposes.
So I kinda feel like I'm doing my bit for the environment. We have a septic system so when I have to use harsh cleaning products to clean bad stains I wipe it up with paper towel instead of rinsing it down the drain.

Diane every Wednesday I make a 3 mile round trip to town recycling with one shopping bag of paper and one of plastic..glass..tin cans..i hope its worth the 3 miles of gas..makes me feel better anyway..where my Dad is in Florida they are way behind...they recycle only clear glass..no green or brown..and newspaper..i guess they have lots of landfill space left !!

They pick ours up at the house. Its only once a month but it doesn't smell like garbage cause I rinse everything first. And no I don't think 3 miles is a lot to drive to recycle.

I might try this method, I'm really sick of waiting for the ones in the book and they don't even flatten properly. Just some common duplicates.

Parchment paper - check
Tissue paper - ?? what about a tissue? or normal paper, what is tissue paper?

When I do soak I use paper towels and then wax paper also I use a drying book if it obvious that the stamp is going to curl