Show your soaks!

[atx840]

I've only soaked two cards, lots of good info if you search the forum. Tap or filtered room temperature water, left it for an hour and gently peeled the paper off. Sandwiched the card between paper towels and some heavy books overnight.

Filmed the removal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1QFe7T8zK8

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by atx840

I've only soaked two cards, lots of good info if you search the forum. Tap or filtered room temperature water, left it for an hour and gently peeled the paper off. Sandwiched the card between paper towels and some heavy books overnight.

Same as Chris, except I use warm water and change it out every 30 min or so. Also place my tweezers on top of the card so it doesn't float around.

[ZachS]

Originally Posted by t206hound

Same as Chris, except I use warm water and change it out every 30 min or so. Also place my tweezers on top of the card so it doesn't float around.

Same. I use a tuperware container with warm-ish water and change it out every 30 min to an hour. I use a large marble to weigh the card down.

Sometimes it works with stains... sometimes it doesn't. I've also ran into some glue residue that just refuses to come off. There are T206s floating around out there with small rectangular green glue stains and I can't get those off no matter how many times I soak.

T206s are pretty resilient when it comes to soaking. Don't be afraid to leave them in the water for a long time. I've actually forgot about them before and went to sleep. The next morning they were fine.

Oh and like someone else mentioned, I put them between paper towels and then stack a few heavy books on top while they dry. Every now and then I move the card to a dry spot on the paper towels.

[drazz5]

After you've soaked them, is there a technique to removing the paper? Or does it normally just fall off on it's own?

[edjs]

I cracked it out to soak it, it was only a 1 anyway. My first time soaking a card. Well worth it.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by drazz5

After you've soaked them, is there a technique to removing the paper? Or does it normally just fall off on it's own?

Sometimes the paper floats off. Other times there is just a corner or two that lifts. In those cases I have gently pulled the paper with tweezers. If there's any resistance, I stop and then let sit longer.

[Jobu]

The paper might float off, but what about the glue and stains? Do those float off too or do you have to gently use something like a q-tip?

I am fascinated by this. I think I will look for a couple of cheap beaters and practice a little once I am confident I have the steps down.

[ullmandds]

from my experience...paper remnants will usually just float off...or gentle movement of the card will cause paper to come off too.

I have gently blotted with a qtip...operative term being very gently. The soaking itself(with distilled...warm water) will cause a lot of gunk to come off...personally I would not try to mechanically remove stains.

[joeadcock]

Originally Posted by t206hound

Sometimes the paper floats off. Other times there is just a corner or two that lifts. In those cases I have gently pulled the paper with tweezers. If there's any resistance, I stop and then let sit longer.

Agreed. Use tweezers also carefully. Can let it sit for hours in water.

If you try and do too much removal, sometimes surface begins to come off. Thats where you stop.

[Centauri]

Someone asked about T205 - I have a WaJo that presents about a 6 on the front, but has some glue residue on the back- readable, but obviously glued. Quite similar to the Lumley shown earlier. Will soaking affect the borders on a T205?