On 5/20/2011 5:41 PM, Sir F. A. Rien wrote:
found these unused words:

Well, I got my albums in today so I'm about ready to get started
transfering from the 50 year old book to the new ones. Question though
on removing the old hinges, what's the best and safest (to the stamp)
way to do this? I've also fogotten the best way to remove stamps from
the portion of the envelope they're on. I know to soak them and I seem
to remember that after soaking for awhile they'd just slide off and I'd
place them on a paper towel to dry or is my memory faulty?

Chris

There are lots of inks tat will 'run' if immersed in water. Many early
stamps used 'fugitive ink' specifically to prevent cleaning and reuse.

I'd suggest that you look into building a "Stamp Lift" or 'sweatbox'. simple
enough, just a tight fritting lidded plastic box, a spongs and a grilled
[holed] plastic piece to lay atop the sponge.

Sponge is damp, but not 'wet'. Lay stamps paper down on the grill, close the
lid and check in a few hours. When ready they'll slip right off the paper.

This way the stamps are never so wet that the paper is affected.

Many people have their methods for hinge removal. IF they will peel, then
lay the stamp face down, stroke the hinge with the edge of the tong to
'break' the gum of the hinge. When you can get a grip on the hinge, using
the tongs and roll it up and off the stamp. NEVER just pull !

If they won't easily peel, then "Stamp Lift".

I've never run into the fugitive ink problem when soaking stamps. If the
stamps are on colored envelopes, though, you should separate these
stamps from those on white envelopes and might need to rinse the stamp
off as soon as you remove the envelope paper.

I use cardboard (the stiffeners in USPS shippers when ordering stamps
from the cave work well) or blank newsprint to dry my stamps. Once dry I
put them into a book overnight to get rid of the curls.

Bill