Detectamark Spectrum Gibbons Watermark Detector

Some months back I purchased new a Stanley Gibbons Detectamark Spectrum Watermark Detector.
I find it useless!! I find it nearly impossible to see any water marks. I try all the different settings, screw the plate down as hard as I can and barely find anything.
The only ones I can see are usually the ones I can nearly detect by the naked eye.
The machine has been in the cupboard for months but now that I am retired, I plan to catch up with my hobby. The different colour lights make no difference what so ever. Am I doing something wrong?? I have been researching what other method I could buy. Anybody got any suggestions. I might go and buy a tin of lighter fuel. At present I'm on all of Germany East and West I know the postmarks have got to be there but I can't distinguish them.
Thanks in anticipation.
David

I think most of us just use lighter fuel. Some watermarks and stamp colours are just difficult. But I'm pretty useless at watermark detection.

The dandy roller impresses the watermark into the paper, so the mark is compressed paper. I would have thought squashing the stamp under a block of perspex would make it more difficult to see the watermark. Also, I like my Bavarian embossed stamps just the way they are.

Most of these watermark detectors are very unimpressive when it comes to the more difficult issues. I have never seen the value in them.

The SG one looks suspiciously like a rebranded Leuchtturm one.

I am convinced these detectors were created with the sole purpose of fleecing collectors since I have never found one that isn't useless.

Fluid is still the best option. Even that can fall short for some stamps. In the US the Washington -Franklin's can be notoriously difficult and some colors such as orange exacerbate the situation.

I've had a terrible time trying to see single line wm's on Washington Franklins and have at different times thought of getting one of these gizmos. Sounds like I'm better off saving my money.

A possible method. Consumer digital cameras can be modified to work as infrared cameras, and it may be possible to use a mobile phone as well.

"Thermography: […] writing ink on paper is transparent (not absorbed) under thermal radiation (infrared light). This technique works by placing a thermal source (warm plate) at a temperature of 35 to 40ºC behind the watermarked paper, and using an infrared camera in front of it. The camera is sensitive to thermal radiation; it records the changes of the watermark density in paper, and generates a digital watermark image. This method is fast, and produces good watermark images. The limitation is concerned with the safety of the watermarked paper: it is safe as long as it is at a distance (of 1 cm) from the warm plate, and the exposed time is only one second. (page 24, Paper-based Watermark Extraction with Image Processing by Hazem Ali Abd Al Faleh Al Hiary, University of Leeds)

I still use the SG Philatector that I bought way back in the 1960's with some success. If this gizmo can't do it, my next step is using Clarity WM fluid which is an expensive option, but I'm just not comfortable using lighter fluids like Ronsonol for fear of long-term adverse effects (which has been the subject of debate for many years).

WOW, I wished I saw this post a few weeks ago. I bought a Leuchtturm Sherlock watermark detector just three weeks ago. I paid almost $400 with sales tax and shipping. I also have found it difficult to detect anything. I to have used the different lights and pressures to see the watermarks. I have been unsuccessful in my attempts. I thought I was doing something wrong. It seems others have had the same experience as I have with this machine. Now I own a very expensive paper weight. Just to let you know I tried to return it and the store will not take it back. They said it was a special order and they can not return it to their suppliers. They do not stock this and only orders one if a customer requests one. They do have a posted policy on the wall they will not accept returns on special orders. So that us why I now own thus paper weight.

In this thread https://goscf.com/t/67746 Billsey identifies Clarity as 3M Novec 7100 Engineered Fluid. This product is being discontinued.

UK Government recommends Samsol™ HFE71 FP and Promosolv™ DR3 as suitable replacements, both having "…the same structure as Novec™ 7100. There was also no meaningful difference in purity that would affect performance."

These fluids are used by the police to develop fingerprints.

The Novec stuff is used as a cleaning and rinsing agent for heavy-duty cleaning (heavy oils, greases and fluxes), medium-duty cleaning (oils, greases and waxes), light-duty cleaning (particulates, fluorolubes and light oils), as a fluoropolymer lubricant carrier, a spot-free water drying agent (with surfactants added) a spray contact cleaner CFC, a Dielectric test media, and for heat transfer, also the preservation of biological specimens, as a cryofreezing solution, and as a tantric yoga lubricant.

Obviously some watermarks are harder to detect than others; but just setting a stamp on a black background and the right lighting costs nothing.

And yeah, Ronsonol... It works! Also use latex gloves and turn a fan on when using it; but it works.

Head shops sell lighter fluid (Ronsonol and other brands). It's used to extract the active ingredient from skunk.

I used to use the expensive "philatelic" fluids but finally realized that lighter fluid was just as good if not better and I was wasting money. I still have a can of two of Prinz Super Safe fluid that I would gladly give to a fellow collector but the shipping (hazardous) is a pain.

The Supersafe fluid is some nasty smelling stuff.

"At present I'm on all of Germany East and West I know the postmarks have got to be there but I can't distinguish them."

Are you looking for postmarks or watermarks?

Welcome Hoteldave! I too bought a Detectamark, many years ago, and soon gave up on it! I use lighter fluid and a black plastic tray, and find that works for most stamps.
Regards
David