Tape removal help.......

[tjb1952tjb]

Thanks again for al of your input. Any other experiences/information would be greatly appreciated. You guys are the greatest!!

[dougscats]

I just bought a can of Bestine, based on your recommendation, bbcard1.
Hope it works as well as you say.
As it is, I usually steer away from tape-stained cards as I don't like them.
But I have a couple in my low-grade hall-of-fame collection.

I'll try it first on a '51 Bowman Stengel whose tape I hate.

I'll probably be able to put the Bestine to other uses as well, so thanks for the tip..

Doug

[bbcard1]

Good luck on the bestine. have had others poo poo it but have not found anything that works better for me.

[dougscats]

I got the can of Bestine and tried it first on two '52 Bowman beaters with cello-tape on the backs.
Both cards got pretty much fully soaked, and I used a cottonswab as an applicator and to repeatedly work the Bestine in. I'd say about 75% of the actual tape did come off, though the tape stains did remain, perhaps lightened a bit. Only where there was existing paper loss did any paper come off. Nothing fell off; I gently used my nails to get under the tape. In the end, after numerous applications, some of the tape still stubbornly remained.

I then tried it on the Stengel, immersing and working repeatedly on the lower left corner. The tape on this card had already been removed; I was trying to remove whatever of the tape stains I could. This card was definitely stained as a result of the Bestine, as you can see in the scan below. I don't think it removed much of the tape stain, if any, particularly in the back where there still seems to be a very thin layer of tape despite repeated applications.

I myself would not use Bestine on a valuable card unless I were willing to stain it. You also run the risk of tearing more paper off--where yours is torn--and of course if it were graded I presume it would be "altered."

I'm not sorry I experimented, though; I think Bestine will have its occasional uses. So thanks for the tip, bbcard1.

Doug

[a761506]

It looks like you only dipped the card in the bestine or kept saturating the corner area with a wet q-tip, which is why it is stained like that - total immersion is the only option when trying to work on a card with anything from water to the strongest chemicals, as it will ensure no stain like that - gotta take the plunge before all else.

Like I said with Bestine, you need to understand its purpose, and then you will quickly realize why it didn't work. It is for use with rubber cement. The adhesive on tape is a completely different chemical compound than rubber cement.

There are chemicals in tape that got released into the card beginning immediately after the tape was originally adhered to it. Those chemicals stained the card, and I do not know of any chemical solution that will effectively remove them from the card. Thus, a card with a tape stain will always have that tape stain. Not even a professional restoration service can remove tape stains from a card, I've inquired to all of the places and people that do restoration work on cards.

The problem with using Bestine in any application involving a card is that, aside from not be effective at removing anything that you're likely to encounter that needs removal from a card - it does not dry fast. Quick evaporation is essential in any chemical you would apply to a card. You don't want it peeling or bubbling the surface or further damaging the card because the card takes a while to dry internally.

The reason someone may feel they had success with Bestine and removal of something adhered to the card is simply because the adhered object came off. However, you could use just about any liquid, from water to wine, and if the adhesion will break down, it doesn't matter what liquid is used - the effect will be the same. The easiest way to think about this - an old postage stamp on an envelope. There are millions of cancelled stamps floating around, they have been removed from the envelope by simply soaking the envelope in water. The gum broke down in a matter of a couple minutes, and off the stamp came. The effect would be the same in any liquid.

[bbcard1]

Josh, I disagree because I have had success using bestine, but I agree...I soaked the cards...I used a surface like marble, poured a puddle and soaked the cards with the stickers on them. They come of cleanly, but the were not "pretty much soaked" they were soaked. It evaporates quickly and I had no problem with "wrinkling" like you would expect from water.

[Volod]

This is an interesting discussion (debate?), but is there some confusion here regarding the meaning of "stickers" versus "tape?"