Thanks for the response. I appreciate it. I have been reading up on all the discussions here going back to '09 and I realized there have been MANY discussions about "soaking" and lighter fluid, but nothing ever said about "Lift Liquid," so I just assumed there was a reason no one here ever mentioned it...
Stamp Lift fluid is basically distilled water with a drop of dish detergent. Try a mix of 16 ounces distilled water to 1 drop of dish detergent (it will be alot cheaper than buying Stamp Lift). Mix well, but don't shake it, because you'll wind up with a bunch of bubbles. The water will act as a catalyst to help the detergent permeate the stamp/envelope/hinge paper to break down the gum and free the stamp from whatever was sticking to it.
Note, if you use Stamp Lift or the home-made version on an unused stamp, you will damage the gum on the stamp. The extent of the damage (could even be total removal of the gum) depends on how long and how much of the stamp is soaked.
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy.. 06 Sep 2012 08:49:20am
re: Stamp Lift Fluid
Isopropenol (Rubbing Alcohol ) works just as well, is cheaper than lighter fluid, slightly less volatile and available in drugstores and supermarkets. I have been using it successfully for almost fifty years.
It should be used i a well ventilated room.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy.. 06 Sep 2012 04:40:31pm
re: Stamp Lift Fluid
I started using it for the Four Kings and Wildings to sort the different watermarks and find the inverts and sideways watermarks. So it was simple to try it with the US stickys and to loosen the death grip of the UK adhesives used on the Machins.
With care it works fine on the stamps with security cuts if you soak for a few minutes and then slip a #908 "Lethal" Stamp tongs tip in the center of the security cut and work slowly up and down, first on one side and then on the other.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy.. 07 Sep 2012 03:09:19am
re: Stamp Lift Fluid
Eva just bought me a 16 fluid ounce bottle from the supermarket that cost $0.89.
I use quite a bit especially as I have a new bunch of Machins to work on.
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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Other then the stamp lift product being more expensive and not any more effective then other products there is nothing wrong with using it.
I found a great way to loosen stamps that are even glued to the paper. I found a bottle of a product laying around the house called Basic H. It was given to me by a freind that sold Shaklee products a few years back. A couple drops in my soaking tray with some warm water and the stamps floated right off.
I am not sure if the product is any different then a drop or two of dish soap but I was impressed. It sure beats cooking the glued stamps to get them off the paper.
I am going to try it out of some self adhesives and will post the results.