Comic Book Humification and Pressing Tutorial - Batman 227 - CPR, CGC, CBCS

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This video demonstrates the process of humidification and pressing of a Batman 227 that we have previously "dry" cleaned. This is one of my favorite covers by the amazing artist Neal Adams. I start by a quick 2-3 minute humidification in a tub with a mister (any more will damage the book). Then, using a dry mount press (Bienfang/Seal 210M), I apply heat and pressure to remove defects. Clamshell "T-Shirt" presses are much more common (and affordable) then dry mount presses. I walk though all the steps and a show the before and after results. Refer to the book and website below for details on the process include the proper amount of time and temperature depending on the age and paper type of the comic. Make sure you practice A LOT before attempting on a book of this value!
Information:
Are you interested in increasing the value of your comic collection? As comics age, they often accrue dirt and grime, which negatively impact the “grade” of the comic and ultimately the value. Comic book “dry” cleaning is a process for removing dirt or stains from the covers of comics without the use of chemicals. By learning and applying the process of cleaning, you can remove many of these blemishes, significantly improving the look of the comic. Cleaning is often combined with comic book pressing, the process of applying heat and pressure to remove bends, mitigate creases, and lighten spine ticks. There are a tremendous amount of resources online for learning how to clean and press comics; however, it can be difficult and costly to piece together all the supplies you need just to test out the process. No worries! I have saved you the trouble and assembled a Comic Book Cleaning Starter Kit that includes all you will need to start cleaning. These supplies are detailed in the technical manual Comic Book CPR: How to Clean and Press Comic Books, which is an excellent resource for learning the skills needed to start cleaning and pressing comics! Don’t delay! In addition to increasing the value of your books, comic book cleaning is a fun, relaxing, and rewarding process.
Helpful links to other resources:
Epicomicology eBay store: ebay.us/z1YcK8
Comic Book Dry Cleaning Starter Kit: ebay.us/hCnSpU
Comic Book CPR: How to Clean and Press Comic Books by Michael Sorensen
www.amazon.com...
kaptainmyke.com/
/ kaptainmykecomicpressing
As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase using affiliate links.

Опубликовано:

11 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 106

@FrankRemley 3 года назад

Dry mounting is usually done to foam core (regular and/or acid free) but can be done to matte boards as well. Many frame shops will use foam core pre-treated with adhesive.

@northgardencomics 3 года назад

Just found your channel. What caught my eye was your tag line, “ when science meets collecting.” Looking forward to checking out your other videos!

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Thanks! I like evidence based techniques and data to support collecting decisions. I will post some more video about my "projects" trying to find 9.8s in the wild!

@rushdiehard8784 3 года назад

My batman 227 is a 9.6 without a press. Great content and video. Thumbs up!!

@luismangiaterra1031 2 года назад

With the heat and moisture in the air, the 2 worst enemies of comic books. The first place I look at in comics is the staples and after that if the ink faded in the interior pages. I only buy like new staples in older books, if it's not good I pass. This could start surface rust in the staples.

@jeffharding2020 2 года назад

Crazy, we have the same press. Great video

@drodz1535 2 года назад

Which press is this? Looks good

@collectiblestoastonish 2 года назад

Such a beautiful book. Love seeing you go from cleaning to pressing the book. I followed you on Instagram. Looks beautiful with the Neal Adams signature.

@luismangiaterra1031 2 года назад

He cooked it now.

@InfamyOrDeath-__- 3 года назад

I don’t have any old comics or anything worth getting pressed, my oldest floppies are 10 years old haha. I’d love to see the comic collection of some people, because it must be massive, I have like 16 short boxes from 10 years of reading comics. I’m so weird, I love looking & flicking through them, all nicely bagged & boarded, that’s why it really annoys me when I see a video of someone going through short boxes & everything is mixed up, it’ll have like 2 issues of *X-Men* then 1 *Fantastic* *Four,* 2 *Batman,* 3 *Justice* *League* & so on. My boxes are really neat with full runs all together, the *Batman* stories will all be in the same box, not mixed with other runs, with the proper name dividers so you can tell what’s in the box without having to pull out a comic.

@Fhita1962 Год назад

I've seen this, and variations of this, but can't help thinking the moisture isn't going to get to most of the inner pages unless you soaked it, which probably would destroy it. Nice press!

@richwujek3250 3 года назад

Great job on cleaning and pressing this classic comic! Some excellent tips on the process! For humidification, I like to open my comic book up at the center and place down flat with the cover up. Please post a video on CGC grading preparation, packing and your grading guess on your comic before cleaning and pressing and after. Along with the final CGC grade.

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

I should try humidifying like that. With the mister, I usually do 2 minutes top up and then flip and another minute on the back. That way I can get two in the tank at the same time.

@Joeh1154 10 месяцев назад

I appreciate you approach and it was very good to see it. I now do dry clean some of my better Silver age books and I will ultimately buy a heat press and soon. I've got plenty of books to experiment on before moving to my Silver age gems. Do you have any videos on removing old, browning scotch tape residue? I've not found any so far and I have an ASM #50 with a small amount of residue on the back cover. Perhaps the previous owner taped a small tear with tape and all these years later, it has browned. Thanks for posting.

@innocent718bk 2 года назад

flux capacitor and some jumper cables clip it to the comic, works like a charm

@machofromnyc43 3 года назад

This is a dope video 💪🏼

@nickchavez1050 3 года назад

Pure awesomeness!

@nickshep1111 3 года назад

Great video

@epicomicologycomics 2 года назад

Thanks Nick!

@naturalmystic9250 3 года назад

Awesome info keep it up and thank you!

@TheHellboy1980 3 года назад

thats looks awesome !!!

@DaleofSuspense 3 года назад

Thank you!

@CoreyHall 3 года назад

It really does improve it, does CGC care about stuff like cleaning and pressing? I know some people are purists and freak out about this. Just curious if you have had any problems.

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Are you asking if cleaning can negatively impact the grade? If you do it wrong, yes. You will get a grader note that says “eraser marks on cover”. You just have to be conservative with the eraser and use the magic eraser sparingly. That’s why you have to practice with at least a dozen books before trying it for real. But, let’s just say I would never submit a book, even a fresh modern, without pressing first.

@Trebliw8 3 года назад

Well done. I still have issues with my books showing "waviness" after pressing even after leaving the book to rest for 24 hours. I find that I need to reduce the amount of time in the humidity chamber to 2 hours or less in order to stop this problem

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Yup, waviness is usually a sign of “too much”... either too much heat, too much pressure, or too much humidity. Pulling it out of the press too soon will also cause it. I would dial back the humidity and try again. If the cover is visibly wet, then it’s definitely too much.

@Trebliw8 3 года назад

@@epicomicologycomics Thank for the tip! I will try reducing the pressure as well - I never thought that might be the issue

@IamNoTaBotBruh 3 года назад

Teach me

@the_tech_guy247 2 года назад

Hello great video, getting into pressing & cleaning as a novice for my PC and these videos help greatly and much appreciated. Question what size are those steel plates you are using?

@michaelcabrera794 Год назад

Would one of those large electronic controlled humidifiers that have several trays for cigars work as well?

@Asian_Connection 2 года назад

Amazing video. Can you tell what is that wax sheet that you place on top of the cover for pressing?

@epicomicologycomics 2 года назад

It’s generally referred to as “silicone release paper”. You need to stay away from any that has a wax coating. If you are just wanting to try out pressing, this is a good one to start with: Katbite 200PCS 12x16 In Heavy Duty Flat Parchment Paper, Parchment Paper Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Frying, Air Fryer, Grilling Rack, Oven(12x16 Inch) a.co/d/8Xode3z

@spooky1304 Год назад

How does a whole book humidify in a few minutes..?

@mattmaring4080 3 года назад

So press with heat for 15 min. Turn press off let sit for 8 hrs. Take book out, heat press up and flip book. Press for 15 min and let sit another 12 hours? And if this is correct how the heck do proffessional pressers process 20 books in 2 days?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Yes, that's the general recipe for almost all book except shiny moderns. The temps and times will vary so check the online guide. There are two ways professional pressers accomplish this: 1) They don't let the book rest for the appropriate amounts of time, which will cause reversion of pressing defects, or 2) They have multiple presses. As you can see, the Seal/Bienfang press I use can fit two books. A lot of professionals will have 2-3 of these presses, which gets costly. So that explains the associated cost of GOOD pressing. Honestly, this is another prime example of "you get what you pay for".

@mattmaring4080 3 года назад

@@epicomicologycomics I had 12 copies of ASM 194 pressed. All NM most came back 9.6, but you could see that there were still slight bends in the spine. The conclusion was reversion.

@Launchpad05 3 года назад

Is that suppose to be Maxwell Smart on the 'Skittle Pool' print ad?

@reprintranch 3 года назад

Actor Don Adams, yeah. The Aurora company launched a line of tabletop games and hired Don Adams to be their "face." Skittle Pool was probably the best-known of the games but there was stuff like "Pendulum Pool" and a poker game.

@daviclar867 2 года назад

I got that for Christmas when I was 5?

@CosmicCreationsDIY 2 года назад

Great job ! What card stock do you use . i just used the backerbord And tried a bit higher heat then i did to my 1st comic and backerbord is like glued to the front and back cover. fml lol at least it wasn't to expensive of fail

@epicomicologycomics 2 года назад

Nooooooo! Well, that's why I always say practice on the crappy books first. Usually, the issues with pressing come from "too much" - too much heat, too much time, too much pressure, or too much humidity. This has happened for me too though. Just lower the heat or pressure. Also, make sure you are using the SRP paper between the backer board and cover. Good luck!

@Zenmaster1 2 года назад

I have a question with regards to the SRP that you use. I find that the SRP wrinkles, which then transfers to the cover; especially when I press Bronze e Silver Age. What type of SRP do you use?

@christophertomasello1227 Год назад

Are there any dangers in pressing a comic book where the Staples are on the front or the back of the book as opposed to the side where they belong? ( I think this is called a miss wrap)

@mattronimus 3 года назад

I just boil a pot of water and quickly wave the book over it same affect in minutes. I've done it plenty of times with zero problems.

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

If you have figured out the "recipe" then I am sure that works. The CPR guide suggests a humidity tank using natural humification for 8-24 hours. This can be sped up by using a pot of boiling water in the tank. Alternatively, you can use a steam gun for some applications. I practiced a lot with the mister to understand times. Over humidification is probably one of the biggest issues when starting out pressing.

@mattronimus 3 года назад

@@epicomicologycomics I am just too impatient for a humidity tank. Earlier tonight I just boiled a pot of water and held a book that had a big Dent over it for a couple seconds... It works great but I just learned the hard way that the digital copy sticker will fuck up your whole book. Luckily it was brand new (gwenom vs carnage) so I immediately ordered another one.

@mattronimus 3 года назад

It's bad hard squares on at least 3 pages in each direction with the first page missing ink.

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

@@mattronimus Try a baby mister... works great and only takes 2 minutes each side.

@drodz1535 2 года назад

Great video! What do you call that grid-like board that you lay the book on

@epicomicologycomics 2 года назад

That's called a cutting mat. You can find them pretty easy on Amazon or at your local hobby store in thee sewing section.

@kid_eh Год назад

Try egg crate grid from electrical lighting section of Dept store. Can be cut to size of chamber so to don't need to set the grid on legs

@PasspointComics 3 года назад

What temperatures do you use for the comic books. Golden,Silver, Bronze, Copper and Modern please

@hackinglife9710 3 года назад

Bump

@Thirdbornentertainment 2 года назад

does your platen slide slightly forward right before it closes? I notice mine moves forward a few mm'?s and Im worried that will shuffle the buffer stack

@epicomicologycomics 2 года назад

Yes, and there are two things you can do for this. First, orient the books so that the spines are facing the back of the press. This would be 90 degrees from the way I have mine oriented. Second, as the platen drops, right before it makes contact, just lift the front lip up a little so that it delays the contact it makes with the book. This will make it fall directly on top of the books and reduce the amount it slides forward. Overall, I haven't had issues with the book being pressed odd.

@Thirdbornentertainment 2 года назад

@@epicomicologycomics What a difference using a seal press makes. I had a tshirt results and the results were not great no matter what I tried. 2nd day on the seal and I feel like a pro!

@cybergrindin 3 года назад

I bought the Same press from offerup months ago. I think it's too tight cause I can't press it down easy.. scared to adjust as its not budging on top. Any suggestions? How do I get it back leveled? Where did u get thoss black steel plates?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Picked them up on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B07QGFCMRP/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_J4DX1YKRMS5J1TXZ3B8Z?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 You can find the manual for the press online and it explains how to adjust the height. Also, if you go on the Kaptain Mykes Facebook page there are a few posts about it. Let me know if you can't find it. Good luck! It's a great press.

@customedge1 Год назад

why do people use a cheese cloth? thx

@smokebanshee9298 3 года назад

I've got a Singer Draw and Press that I've yet to use. I'm aware that Silicone Release Paper will be needed but I've heard that Baking Sheets can be also used if SRP isn't available? Is that true? Also, when does a "Steamer" come into use?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Baking sheet *can* work but you need to make sure they don’t have wax on them (some do). You should be able to get SRP paper on Amazon or a company called U-line in bulk. It’s better to overbuy now because you will most certainly go through it. Steamers come in when you need to do slot work or fix a spine. Otherwise humidity tanks worked great!

@jameskneff8212 3 года назад

I’m a postman and hate u-line with a passion. Making me want to hit up the people who get catalogs to press my first few comic buys coming up soon!

@ajj7606 2 года назад

Great video. What's a good place to get steel plates that you show in your press laying on top of the foam pad?

@blinky705 11 месяцев назад

Home Depot.

@kalidd811 3 года назад

Question on a press like that one since you can get a couple books in there at once. Do you try to stick with same era books when doing 2 at a time? Similar thickness? Guessing a square bound and regular sized book is not a good combo. I have 3 15x15 Tusy's. Was just curious.

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Yes, that is essentially what I do, but I would get very comfortable pressing one at a time before moving to two. It's best if it's the same book, but other than that you have to match the era and the thickness taking into account the stack. For example, Venom 3 requires two backer boards at the center to sandwich the staples, plus the cardstock on the digital code and the front and back cover. I would not press that book with an older Venom book without a digital code and only needing a single backer board at the center. Even though they are the same era the thickness of the 3 will be almost twice as much. Last, pressing temps and times are different among eras. So you will have to match that as well.

@kalidd811 3 года назад

@@epicomicologycomics Great thanks! I appreciate the fast response. Have a great Holiday!

@owlcave 3 года назад

The baby humidifier you are using has a side output that is able to steam away from the comic. All of the small humidifiers on Amazon have output vents on the top. Can you share the brand and model number of the humidifier you use?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

I actually couldn't find this mister on Amazon again. I top output mister is fine. Just make sure that condensation is not forming on the top of the humidity tank and then dripping onto the book!

@edpearl299 3 года назад

Have you ever had a problem with your press not opening all the way? I was about to do my first press on the Seal210 and when I finished humidifying, I made my comic sandwich and tried to open the press and it will only open about 3". It looks like the top plate is hitting the bottom plate in the back. It seems as if the lever arms aren't working. Strange, as this is a new model.

@Thirdbornentertainment 2 года назад

same here. did u figure it out?

@jayhays8267 3 года назад

which side of the silicone release paper do you put against the comic? shiny side or flat side?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

The SRP I use doesn’t really have a shiny side. I posted the link below. A lot of people by the Uline SRP in bulk. Just make sure that your SRP doesn’t have wax on one side like some baking sheets do. Katbite 200PCS 12x16 In Heavy... www.amazon.com/dp/B08M44G72B?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

@edpearl299 3 года назад

I just purchased two steel plates but they have some film and grime of some sort. Would you have any suggestions on how to clean that before I use it in the Seal 210m?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Yup! Mine did not come as shiny as you see them in the video. I think I started with steel wool and then some very fine sand paper. It took a lot of elbow grease to clean them up. Make sure you wear gloves. Also, if there are large burs on the steel, then you may have to return them and try again. You certainly don't want any imperfections transferring to your comics!

@ArtizanMetal Год назад

@@epicomicologycomics Where are you guys getting these steel pressing plates? And what are the ideal dimensions? Thanks.

@AmedeeBoulette 4 месяца назад

Why SRP? I’ve only used 110lbs paper and never had ink transfer, ever. Hundreds of presses. I’m just wondering why everyone use SRP and if I’m doing something wrong?

@epicomicologycomics 4 месяца назад

I don’t necessarily think it’s wrong. I just thinking using SRP is safe. It’s the way I learned how to press and I still do it. Since I use backer boards as the “bread of the sandwich”, I was always concerned that there would be gloss transfer from the backer board to the cover. But if you are using 110 lbs card stock, then you don’t have to worry about that.

@AmedeeBoulette 4 месяца назад

@@epicomicologycomics yeah, it makes sense that there could be a transfer given it happens naturally, when comics are just in a box and moved around. You can see it sometimes when changing bags and boards.

@JoeyRam. 11 месяцев назад

About the book Comic CPR, what is the difference between the Stain Removal and Whitening one?

@epicomicologycomics 11 месяцев назад

Thats an advanced techniques book that I wouldn't get into until you have had lots of regular pressing practice. You want the first CPR book.

@JoeyRam. 11 месяцев назад

@@epicomicologycomics ok, now another question: I'm thinking on doing business out of this. Are there any specific steps to go? Since I'll have on hand other people's valuable comics.

@fisshawtv5815 3 года назад

Can you use this for sublimation

@MagnetoWasRight 3 года назад

Do you humidify again after you flip it for the first time? Great video, thank you.

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Great question! I don’t humidity at the flip. After one whole “set” of humidifying, front and back press, I will reassess the book. Usually if there are dents or bends that weren’t removed after the first round, I will do some targeted spot work using the “hot shots” method with the tack iron. Then I will press again. Usually that is enough to address 99% of defects that are fixable.

@MagnetoWasRight 3 года назад

Thanks for the reply. I have so many questions lol. I'll be sure to watch all your videos before I ask too many :)

@stevecapaldi1999 3 года назад

Huge difference Before comic what would you grade comic? After comic grade? Trying to way out the effort for myself to start doing this or pass. Thanks

@epicomicologycomics 2 года назад

I think in was likely a 4.0-4.5 before cleaning and pressing. It came back a 6.5 after the signing!

@IamNoTaBotBruh 3 года назад

How much for that machine

@darkcyclops63 3 года назад

When you're "letting it rest" so to speak, are you leaving it in the press with the heat off? Or are you removing it??

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Correct, you leave it in the press for 12 to 24 hours afterwards with the heat off. Modern books can usually be pull out after 4 hours, but that is the exception. If you pull out the book too early, the press won't hold and you risk causing other defects. The temperature and time for each book varies by the era and type of paper. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the recommended pressing temps and time: www.kaptainmyke.com/comics/howtopresscomics.htm

@berardoferrari 3 года назад

would you know where to buy clear teflon sheets without any sort of texture to press my comics ????

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

I actually have good luck on Amazon. If you want to buy in bulk, check out Uline SRP paper.

@rob718 3 года назад

Are your cleaning kits still available? i cant seem to locate you on ebay

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

I just listed some more. Sometimes it takes me a little to create more kits.

@whitetiger_ccc 3 года назад

🤙 Cowabunga fam 🤙

@yaboythealien 3 года назад

🍻

@cybergrindin 3 года назад

Does it get rid of waterlogging?

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Yes, pressing will significantly mitigate water damage. It won't do much for staining, but it will certainly flatten out the book.

@keytothegate68 3 года назад

So just for fun the book looks like a 6.5- 7.0

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

I sent if for the Neal Adams signing at CGC and it came back a signed 6.5. Great assessment!

@renegaderene4560 3 года назад

All you need is a $150 dollar press,some fancy paper and a hand steamer...your video is ridiculous

@epicomicologycomics 3 года назад

Yes, my dry mount press is not necessary, but I got it for deal from a local photographer. Regular screening presses work extremely well and there are several recommended on the KaptainMukes website or Facebook page. The methods I show here are based on the CPR guide and are tried and true. I have a hand steamer as well, but that is only for certain applications. I like my mister; however, the majority of the community used a chamber like mine but with boiling water or natural humidification.

@InfamyOrDeath-__- 3 года назад

Haha I knew there would be a comment saying he’s doing it wrong, there always is. But your comment is the stupidest, basically saying “your equipment & process is too good, buy cheaper tools” hahaha, what a moron.