Removing T205 and T206 from scrapbook

[FrankWakefield]

Having soaked quite a bit...


The T206s will easily soak overnight, or for a few days. Safely, unless there's water soluble ink on some paper underneath or somewhere that will bleed color onto a card, which seems unlikely, based on your pictures.

Go to the store, find distilled water on the shelf, then leave without it. Tap water will be fine.

I wholeheartedly agree with least expensive/desired first. I'd get a clear glass (think of a glass that would hold bourbon) and run room temperature tap water into it. Set it to one side. I'd then run tap water onto a pair of cards, then I'd dip it into the glass. Watch it for a few minutes, then leave it... give it time. The watching is to diminish your anxiety about it.

I've talked with old collectors who'd advertise in a city paper that they'd be at a certain Holliday Inn, room number such-n-such, buying old baseball cards. Among acquisitions would be scrapbooks. These guys would tear out the pages of cards, place them in the bathtub, add water, and let them soak overnight.

Soaking will work on flour, paste, and water based stuff. If it's not that stuff holding the cards in, then you maybe repost and we can discuss nonpolar solvents, and that's a whole new ballgame.

What's said above about not pulling or tugging at stuff is absolutely sound advice.

Warm/hot water is fine, quicker, and good, if you're sure you don't have water soluble ink on paper underneath. But I think your learning curve will be better if you use tap water for your first few attempts.

Give some thought to what you do with wet cards. I'd lay them on a dishcloth, fold the cloth over so there's cloth on both sides of the cards, and stack a few books on that, let it sit for 15 to 20 to 30 minutes or so. Then, move the cards so that they're sandwiched between blotting paper, typing paper, or some such. Maybe look at how the cards are doing after a few hours and maybe change the paper. Don't mash the cards so they are half their normal thickness... we aren't mashing water out, we're imposing some weight just so the cards dry flat. If cards turn out wavy or wrinkled, soak again and use a bit more weight on that last step.

As long as you don't rush this, or pull and tug at them because they look like they're ready to release, then you can't really screw it up.

Email me if you want if you have questions, concerns, or need help.