Using A Sweat Box To Flatten Curled Stamps By Adjusting Humidity - Stamp Collecting Tools

#PostalPleasures Presents: Using A Sweat Box To Flatten Curled Stamps By Adjusting #Humidity - Stamp Collecting Tools
When #stamps dry out they often curl. Mint stamps with gum can be a particular challenge to flatten and keep flat. With mint stamps we can't simply soak in water and press as we often do with our used stamps because the gum would be ruined. We also cant just moisten the stamp and press because the remaining gum or adhesive would stick anything it touch's.
Stamps which are too dry can also be very brittle and trying to flatten them or take out folds can crack, split, or otherwise damage the stamp.
The trick to successful flattening of curled or even folded stamps is to get the humidity just right. I do this by placing them in a simple sweat box made from a take away container and a clean lightly moist sponge. Often this just takes a few minutes, after which I need to make sure the gum is dry enough as to not be tacky at which point I like to place the stamp in a 102 stock card and then press. The stock card is not important but is my practice. You can just place between two sheets of paper if you wish and then press under a book or other weight for a day or so.
I am happy to answer questions about the #sweatbox and the flattening process and please feel free to share your tips if you have a different process or recommended improvements.
Be sure to watch my videos on using a sweatbox to separate stamps which have stuck to each other or remove stubborn hinges from mint stamps. I will provide the link to the playlist here: • Using a sweat box to s...
I love to hear from you, let me know if there are any topics you would like me to cover in the future. Thanks for watching!
For other #Philately aka #StampCollecting topics please consider following my page at: / ppstamps

[@mischellemessenger2610]

Thank you!

[@stampcollector0452]

Where can you get a sweat box , or can you make one ?

[@PostalPleasures]

While commercial ones are available, I just make my own using a take away container as the box and a clean dish sponge to hold some moisture and support the stamps. I like the sponges with the green scrubby on one side I find that creates a bit of a barrier between direct moist sponge contact and the stamp.

[@stampcollector0452]

@@PostalPleasures I see , thanks for the info sir !

[@stampcollector0452]

@@PostalPleasures I've saved so many stamps with the sweat box in a week ! Thanks for making this video !

[@PostalPleasures]

@@stampcollector0452 that's great! So glad to hear you were able to save some stamps both for the sake of history and your collection.