Stamp Cleaning

I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

Thanks

Lance

"Lance" skrev i en meddelelse
...
I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

I have seen some kind of Stamp Cleaner kit in the Lindner Accessories
catalogue, but i have not tried it. Perhaps someone here has?

Michael

Check out Arlene Sullivan's article on stamp and cover preservation, archived on the APS Chapter Activities Committee
web site at:

http://www.stamps.org/cac/artg003.htm

I've not reread it recently, but it has much useful information on the topic of paper conservation.

Stan

"Lance" wrote in message ...
I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

Lance wrote:

I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

Thanks

Lance

There is a product called ERNI Mildew stain remover that is sold by many
stamp supply dealers. I've not used it myself and do not know how
effective or dangerous it is. The Subway Stamp Shop catalog says "Not
recommended for stamp colors or cancels that are not 'color fast.'"

= Eric

Lance:

Arlene has written a good article.

There is yet another method, Lindner "Erni A' and "Erni B". This is a
two part solution. Pour a bit of "A" into a glass dish (ashtray is
great) and pour a bit of the "B" into another. Dump your stamp in the
"A" solution - it will turn a horrid purple (unless they've changed
the formulation in the past 4-5 years). Let it soak a moment or two
then place the stamp into the "B" solution. It will return to the
original color and look wonderful!

Dakota


http://www.stamps.org/cac/artg003.htm

I've not reread it recently, but it has much useful information on the topic of paper conservation.

Stan

"Lance" wrote in message ...
I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

DO NOT USE PEROXIDE ON STAMPS.

Peroxide does not whiten or brighten the paper nor remove iron spots.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a mild acid that etches surface printed stamps and
damages cancelling ink. Stamps treated in peroxide become a pale reflection
of their original color.

Beware of what you find on the web.

Arlene Sullivan makes the mistake of repeating this old claim without
issuing a caveat about the hazard's of hydrogen peroxide. Her article cites
an English hobby magazine (1998 "BNA Topics", Journal of the British North
American Philatelic Society, "Rejuvenation of Stamp Colours with Hydrogen
Peroxide" by L. Kruczynski."). Why Arlene doesn't refer to the most
excellent article by Calvet Hahn in the Collectors Club Philatelist is
either a reflection of shallow research or a lack of peer review.

It's an example of sloppy work by the APS. I've cc'd the editor and the web
site on this posting. I assume they are ignorant of the problems associated
with hydrogen peroxide, and in the best interests of the hobby perhaps
they're willing to issue a retraction.

-a



"Stan Fairchild" wrote in message
...
Check out Arlene Sullivan's article on stamp and cover preservation,
archived on the APS Chapter Activities Committee
web site at:

http://www.stamps.org/cac/artg003.htm

I've not reread it recently, but it has much useful information on the
topic of paper conservation.

Stan

"Lance" wrote in message
...
I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

Dakota a pensé très fort :
Lance:

Arlene has written a good article.

There is yet another method, Lindner "Erni A' and "Erni B". This is a
two part solution. Pour a bit of "A" into a glass dish (ashtray is
great) and pour a bit of the "B" into another. Dump your stamp in the
"A" solution - it will turn a horrid purple (unless they've changed
the formulation in the past 4-5 years). Let it soak a moment or two
then place the stamp into the "B" solution. It will return to the
original color and look wonderful!

Dakota


http://www.stamps.org/cac/artg003.htm

I've not reread it recently, but it has much useful information on the topic
of paper conservation.

Stan

"Lance" wrote in message
...
I have a few oldies i.e 1900 and older that have rust marks etc and I
have sought different opinions on cleaning. Some suggest a really
diluted bleach solution in a bowl and other suggest peroxide. This
sounds okay until they say, "Keep am ye on the stamp to make sure the
color doesn't fade!" Just what you need to hear on a $100 stamp :-(.

Any suggestions from the NG members?

your B solution is an acid solution, A solution is in French
"permanganate of potassium" I don't remember the formula!

--
Jean-Paul DROGER (enlever "anti." et remplacer "ptt" par "wanadoo" pour
me joindre en perso; remove "anti." and replace "ptt" by "wanadoo" to
answer me directly)

DROGER Jean-Paul wrote :

your B solution is an acid solution, A solution is in French
"permanganate of potassium" I don't remember the formula!


He he he Jean-Paul !

You have to train your "little grey cells"

The formula you were searching for is K Mn O^4

And my dictionary tells me that "Permanganate de Potassium" translates
to "Potassium Permanganate"

Indeed it is cheeper to use diluted KMnO4 and citric acid (from lemon
juice) than the Lindner "Erni A' and "Erni B" products.

But using the Lindner products (if you find them) is easier than risking
a mess in diluting your KMnO4 crystals :-)).

--
All the best,
Pierre Courtiade
(anti-spam address)
to answer me, please replace my 1st name by my last one

Albumen wrote :
DO NOT USE PEROXIDE ON STAMPS.

Peroxide does not whiten or brighten the paper nor remove iron spots.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a mild acid that etches surface printed stamps
and damages cancelling ink. Stamps treated in peroxide become a pale
reflection of their original color.

Beware of what you find on the web.
................


Agreed totally !

Oxygen Peroxide (formula H2 O2 as water is H2 O) is a very strong
oxidizer, thus has strong decolorizing properties, even in very diluted
solutions (as recommended in Arlene's article).

--
All the best,
Pierre Courtiade
(anti-spam address)
to answer me, please replace my 1st name by my last one