Paper Help For Homemade Drying Book?

So once upon a time I found someone's drying book method - plastic zip bags and scrapbook paper. It's the perfect solution for my HUGE soaking work ahead of me.

Only one problem: Can't find blotting paper and everything I've found that I can afford labeled scrapbook has colored dyes or very thin paper that will fall apart and more akin to barely above rice paper.

So would anyone know if brown craft or undyed construction paper would work as well?

We're in a tiny little town and the one place that WOULD have this paper just doesn't and can't order it. And our nearest town is 25 miles away and all those craft stores have nothing. I really can't afford the charge for a special order but the dollar store has plenty of construction paper.

Years ago when I worked at a Stamp Store, we'd soak stamps, and dry them between two inner fitting window screens, the stamps always came out dry, flat and ready to be sold. We had a system and soak thousands of stamps.

Cheers

David (Stampmaster)

Betty Ann,
I got back in the hobby 4 years ago in a big way and had a "ton" of stamps to soak off old hinges, etc. I was advised to get a drying book, which I got off ebay. The cost was about $12 w/shipping. The book works perfectly, and is still very serviceable. It has one page of gloss material upon which the "glue" side of the stamp is placed. The alternate page is of a blotter material. Left overnight, the process works like a charm and you can do a couple hundred stamps at a sitting.

Buy one, you won't regret it.

Agreed 100% mobilman. They are great. And one tip to prolong the lifespan of them is after you lay the stamp down on the glossy side, use a crumpled paper towel (I use VIVA) to blot the stamps. What it does is push the excess water through the sides of the stamp and the front of the stamp, into the paper towel. I will actually blot each stamp on the page 2 times and let it sit open for 2-3 minutes to let a little more moisture evaporate before starting on the next page.

That method helps keep the water from warping the "paper" side of the book. Even though warped books work fine as well. My stamps are usually ready in a couple hours. Then I put them in glassines under a book to give them their final flattening.

I do have a drying book already and it does work very well. The only thing is it does about 2-- to 300 stamps, maybe 500 if it's smaller defins like from Japan. I have Kiloware to soak tho so I'm looking to do about 1000 a day for week long blocks.

I'd been considering the electronic drying presses but at that price...plus, I don't know how fast it truly is and if the convenience is worth it.

Back when people use to dry their photo prints there were blotter books some as large as 12 11x14 sheets.

BettyAnn

The place I get blotter paper from is Blick art supplies they are a nation chain. From them I think it comes in 2 x 3 foot sheets. Another possibility for you is to use watercolor paper. I think it is the same stuff and can be gotten at Target or walmart in pads. Just have to find the right thickness.

I have 3 drying books and can soak about a half a pound per day (generally in about 2 hours total) with them. If the blotter pages are still slightly damp after removing the prior day's soakings, I just place them in front of a fan for a short time and they dry out pretty quickly. If I'm doing a big soak like that, I remove the stamps from the drying book within 12-24 hours and just let the stamps air dry for a short while before putting them in a large glassine and pressing them.

I don't do a lot of drying but I just use paper towels. This conversation make me think I am doing something wrong. My way is just too simple to be correct.

There's nothing wrong with it if it works for you and I'm sure it works fine if you're just doing a handful of stamps at a time. When you're talking about soaking 1000 stamps in a day like the original poster (and as I've done myself on occasion), a drying book or similar system is definitely needed. To the original post, drying books are inexpensive enough (in my opinion) that there's no need to reinvent the wheel. If the cost of the drying books ($12 or so) is doable, I'd just get a couple more of them.

I'm with ronv. I use paper towel to dry my soaked off stamps, then put them between the pages of large book to press them flat. I typically let them drain/dry for 6-8 hours, then "book'em". I have a couple of old large unabridged dictionaries that I use as they have a lot of pages to work with and are heavy when closed. Doesn't get much cheaper than that.

I have a drying book, but if I do a lot of stamps, it eventually needs to dry out itself and is slowly dissolving. With paper towels, I just roll out a few lengths on the dining room table and fill them up with soaked stamps. When the stamps are dry, the paper towel is too, ready for the next batch.

I wonder how much money I've saved by not using paper towels over the last 30 years? I still vote for the larger blotter book.

I also use paper towels and then press them flat. Of course you can reuse the paper towels, I have some that are well over a few years old and they still work fine.
Don

I've had the blotter book for 25 years and it still works fine. I think it was a sound $8.00 investment and I think I've saved at least $100.00 by not using paper towels over 30 years. I get old bath towels for free and cut them up and use them for rags.

I'm a paper towel guy. I do about 25 - 50 and place the stamp face down for about 1 hour then flip it to face up. I place a second section over the partially dried stamps and put a couple of Scott's on top to flatten out. Any remnant adhesive is of not consequence as it usually does not stick hard to the paper (& if it does I can usually, deftly, remove with a wet tipped tong).

Desert magic drying books work great.



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