I opened my ASM 29 to attempt it. After trying with one pass with the cotton ball I could feel my hand get sweaty out of anxiety. I stopped and put the comic back in the bag HAHAHAHA.
I never use a pink eraser on a comic book surface. A pink eraser can leave pink residue. The only thing a pink eraser pencil should be used for on a comic is to hold a small piece of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser firmly. Use on covers with a backer board under them (to prevent dents) and then only on the white areas. When you use a white rubber erasers directly on a book, rub gently as it will remove gloss as well as dirt. Instead of a cotton wad/ball, you can use a Swiffer pad firmly if desired for superficial dirt removal. After dry cleaning it, (all but modern) books need to be humidified or the prospect of it reverting to it's original bent up state is often inevitable!
@@JernosComicsPopCulture If you have Windows 10 just use the Video Editor thats built in for free, its not the greatest thing in the world but it works for making or joining simple videos such as this.
In terms of getting a soft even press to address spine dents that have yet to become white lines into the artwork you can use a white comic book backer from a typical bagged comic, place the glossier (smooth) side facing the artwork, place a single layer of cloth down over the backer covering the area you're going to press (even one layer of a cotton T-shirt will do.) Then, flip a large table-spoon upside down so your the MB fits nicely in the inverted side. Use your thumb to put mild pressure down on the area you need to smooth. The backer will help spread the pressure evenly, displacing any direct depressions. Likewise, the layer of cloth will soften the pressure as well. Rub the convex side of the spoon against the fabric slowly up and down across the problem area. With the backer between the comic face and the fabric, you should be able to avoid doing any residual damage to the cover's gloss or the ink as you address those dents before they become dreaded creases marring the artwork on your beloved collectible. As always, go slow, go soft; keep checking your progress as you go. It's not a race. Sometimes, the difference between a CGC 8 & a CGC 9 comes down to your level of patience and care. Be patient & good luck...
I always use a gum eraser... I noticed some books when cleaning loses gloss while others don't. I would recommend trying a small corner on the back of a book first to see what happens. Thanks! Take care!
Thanks for this! Learned a few new things. When using an eraser, I like using either the white or black Staedtler erasers. They tend to work quite well, and with the white you can see when 'gunk' is building up on it: when too much has built up, you can just run it over a scrap piece of paper to clean it off so it the grime doesn't transfer to your next clean.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture awesome - recently I've tried another tip from youtube. Not sure if you've seen the channel by "eta nick." He used a Dry Cleaning Sponge - time consuming, but I've found it works well for more fragile corners.
Interesting techniques, I have never used cotton balls, might give it a try though, I do however go over comics lightly with a microfibre cloth before I start cleaning just to get off the loose surface dust. A cork backed ruler is a good way to hold down the comic while you work as well. I don't like the pink erasers, I tried them years ago and was just not happy with their consistency, so I use a combination of white erasers, dry magic erasers, and other dirt removal items, I am going to try the cotton balls though as it seemed to me that it brightened up the colors a little. I was a little surprised that you don't let your comics sit in a humidity bath before pressing, (that would be letting them sit on a raised surface in a tub with about an inch of water in the bottom sealed so that the water doesn't evaporate, this allows the paper to absorb a little of the moisture before applying heat to it and keeps the comic from drying out during the pressing process, as I recall Regie Simmons has a pretty good video on it). In any case thanks for showing us how you do your cleaning and pressing and I do hope that you are able to acquire the type of press that you want very soon.
I'll have to try to microfibre for sure! As for the humidity bath, I have contemplated that for years now. Maybe when I upgrade my press I'll finally knock that out as well.
Thanks for watching! As for blunted corners, not really much you can do. Sometimes corners seem blunted down but haven't lost any paper, and you may be able to smooth out any curled over parts, but blunted usually means worn down and ultimately rounded. The only thing that would help there is if you trimmed the book, which I wouldn't recommend doing.
Hey man great video! I also have a few videos on pressing and cleaning I've never heard of using a cotton ball definitely going to give it a try though !!
Honestly the ones I get are probably generic lol. They come in the 5 dollar art packs at Michael's. I'd just go with a cheap one and try it out if you're buying online.
May I suggest experimenting with an artist tool called a gum eraser? Purchased at any college, art or possibly architectural drawing/blueprint business. Just an idea.
I usually use a gum eraser. Definitely my number one choice. I do pencil art so I usually have a few on hand, but I think my son might have hijacked them lol.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture: Rotring B20 is also great, as it's used in technical drawing to erase pencil signs and NOT ink: used very lightly it can remove dirt on the cover in the colored areas without substantial loss of color.
It doesn't need to be a super soft gummy eraser, but I have harder erasers that are still considered "gum." So some drafting erasers would definitely work.
I tried that like crazy but the problem is that it's not a real bolt in there. it's a piece that was welded on both sides, and what looks like the small end of a bolt, actually has a lip on it still.
Buy Moo erasers super soft and Pentel for tough marks... Also using a softer eraser will keep the gloss intact .... To remove the eraser residue I like to use a soft hair cylindrical record player cleaning brush
Yes! You definitely want to take a different approach if it's the news stock paper. You have to be mindful of the different texture and tread easily when applying any cleaning tool.
Thanks! If you're just beginning and want something cheap, any generic one off of Amazon or eBay should suffice. I prefer clamshells for sure over the swing arms. If you get a 15x15, you can do two comics at once.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture I just got my new clam shell heat press today. The name of it is CRZDEAL 15x15. I did a quick press on a insignificant comic that was in decent shape. I was impressed it immediately showed results. I’m testing it on a ASM 361 tonight. I let you know what it looks like tomorrow. Wish me luck. I paid $129.99 on Amazon.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture Hello names Dave by the way. About the 15x15 heat press. I was gonna let you know I’ve used it about 10 times now finally figured out how to adjust the pressure so I don’t have the whole machine pop-up like you were experiencing when you got your clamshell. I was able to watch some other videos and what I saw was get it tightened but not too tight and then lock in the place and that has worked for me personally very well.
I didn't do a video showing the pressing results of this books specifically, but I do have other pressing result videos. Check my "Tips for Comic Collectors" playlist.
Jerno's Comics & Pop Culture the comic you cleaned. Was it stored in a poly bag with a board or a mylite bag.Or was the comic loose. What was it put in to protect it before you cleaned it. It looked like it may have been in something to tight at one time.
Jerno's Comics & Pop Culture Mylar is the best. Sometime the comics are in to tight and it creates a indention along the edge or spine. Not spine roll though.
Good question! I believe water stains are very tough to mitigate. I've seen some die hard comic cleaners do some wonders with a few different techniques, but nothing on my level really reverses water stains.
I appreciate the suggestion, but yeah, not much online regarding this press. It's a generic 'made in China' press, and the piece stuck in isn't actually a bolt. I forget the technical name for it, but I'd probably have to get a drill bit and drill it out at some point.
Respectfully, that's not how it works. When you use a wash cloth to wash your face, are you pressing the dirty onto your face and making it even worse?
I hear your concern, but maybe you aren't too familiar with comic pressing? Pressing is used by professionals throughout the industry. There is no direct heat to the book either. I have been pressing books for years now and have never damaged a book, browned any pages, or seen any discoloring.
@@aped3 Well keep in mind just because a book is from the early bronze age or the silver age, doesn't mean that it's worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. BUT, when you take into consideration that a 9.8 book from that era is pretty rare, that is going to drive the value up, so I would say even for your random common books from that era, it's probably going to be tough to find 9.8's for under 100, at least ones that are already slabbed and graded. I would just monitor eBay and see what you can find on there and watch how they are selling.
Not all erasers are created equal. Just because it is pink, doesn't mean it doesn't do the job. It's about the quality. These pink erasers are smooth and leave no residue.
Gloves allow for more room for damaging the comic. Thoroughly washing your hands prior to handing a book is the best handling option to make sure the comic is protected. This is why industry players, including CGC, do not wear gloves. If one wishes to wear gloves due to their comfort level, to each their own.
lol I didn't make you watch anything. I gave you the techniques to get results. If you want to see a pressing video with results, check this one out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0Z3iConjd78.html