to add moisture i open the book to center and straddle it over a plastic coat hanger. then hang it from my shower curtain rod, turn on the shower on full hot and let the room get steamy. if im gonna press a book i want every page to get a little moisture. the time i let it "soak" in the steam depends on the year and type of book. i have great results as well. just thought i would share.
@@fordhamdonnington2738 no, i turn the shower on and let the bathroom steam up. then i hang the book on the shower curtain away from the water, with the water still on. i point the shower nozzel away from the book. the only thing that touches the book is steam and lots of it. after that i put it right in the press.
That weird color rub is caused by someone putting a hot mug onto the comic but when there are a couple of white pages, such as a letter on top of the comic. Basically, it was used as an 'under-coaster'.
QUESTION So I just found out a part of my comic was missing. A part of one of the pages was cut out. The comic guy said this means my comic would be considered, "incomplete" and basically would make it worthless. The issue I'm having is that I've seen comics with big tears on the covers or big damage and they're not labeled "incomplete," they're just a poor grade. And I know there's a difference between getting a low grade and being labeled as incomplete. So what I want to know is, what makes a comic simply damaged or poorly graded vs. incomplete?
Well done! The book does look far better. How many minutes did your press it for. The staple issue is a bummer but it did press out nicely. Thanks for the tutorial. I've got an ASM #16 with a multitude of defects and heavy spine roll that I've been kind of scared to touch but that just might be the paralysis of analysis making me crazy. Thanks again. Best to all.
Informitive video I just did not prefer the way you created the spine by placing your hands pressing all over it and then working the flat iron gently up and down. The way I would usually do it... is I will have some thicker grade paper like packing paper but Brown packing paper has lots of artifacts in the paper surface that can potentially dimple the cover which have to be scratched-off first. Any kind of thicker grade paper will do but I prefer something larger than notebook size so I could fold the paper under it and over it with one piece. Use a little heat with the hot iron. Don't be afraid but one thing to look out for is you don't want to touch over the Staples with any real pressure. Take notice to where the staples are. You want to gently work around the staples to not smudge the color. Also this requires a firm flat surface so you can apply the pressure. I flattened out the top of an old VCR because it's metal and metal dissipates heat. Very good video except I don't have a press and don't really have to have one because I don't have them slabbed but I might have to buy a steam gun after this. Try not to handle your comic so much next time LOL. My apologies.
is it possible to press out a cup ring? there's no discoloration, its just a ring from when a hot cup was stood and its very slightly warped. would you recommend a light vapor application then steam or just straight hot press
If it's an indentation dur to some moisture from the cup, then it could indeed be pressed out. Adding steam and humidification is most likely essential before the press itself.
Excellent work, Maestro! What about square-bound books? Do you take a different approach for eliminating spine roll on the thicker books or books that were glued? Thanks, Chris!!
I would have to see the specific book in question if it was square bound. Most square bound books aren't capable of getting these tipes of spine rolls. Sometimes the roll on a square bound simply needs a light pressured press.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture Square bound books tend to get slightly puckered at the spine. Looks like a difficult press job, IMO. Still, I've got some that I would like to correct.
I don’t think I would’ve used the tack iron press to smooth out the seam once you did the first pressing I would’ve use something that would’ve been usable for the entire length of the book but overall I think he did a great job with the exception of cleaning it before pressing
Thanks so much for this, Chris. I do have what may be a really stupid question, but could this be done with a basic clothing iron, provided I wasn't steaming it? I have a couple of books that desperately need a press, and I just don't have the funds to buy a press. Peace!
An iron could definitely be used for pressing. I wouldn't try to fix a stone roll with one. I wild be extra careful and keep parchment paper between the book and the iron.
That is so cool how you can do that to the books. About 3 months ago I had a chance to buy a press they wanted $100. I didn't know what it was for at the time otherwise I'd have bought it. I'm sure they cost more than that now don't they? LOL
Hey Michael! "Stress" is used to describe any shifting of the particles in the paper from their manufactured form. So in this case, we are actually eliminating stress from the spine. If that makes sense.
@@User8vfjhejf First off, he edited his comment after my response. Original comment stated "restoration." So, no, I didn't misunderstand anything. But thank you for your concern.
@@User8vfjhejf lol good for you. Do you want a cookie? You do realize that there's no official training, or trade school needed for comic pressing? We're not talking about being a mechanic. You think there is a better way of doing what I showed in the video? Hey, feel free to leave your thoughts, respectfully. I'd happily love to learn. But coming here running your mouth on a high horse is beyond childish. Maybe you can make your own UA-cam video? So, until you have some constructive critique to share in a productive manner, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I've taken midgrade comics up to near mint CGC books, so your passive cynicism and attempt at validation isn't needed here.
It bothers me you didn't spend 2 more seconds on that tiny dog-ear on the lower right of the cover... you could have made it perfect with minimal effort. Instead you pressed the dog-ear into the corner.
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to add moisture i open the book to center and straddle it over a plastic coat hanger. then hang it from my shower curtain rod, turn on the shower on full hot and let the room get steamy. if im gonna press a book i want every page to get a little moisture. the time i let it "soak" in the steam depends on the year and type of book. i have great results as well. just thought i would share.
I've done the creative 'shower bath' as well! Never don't the hanger though. Great tips!
So you hang the comic after you turn shower off? It sounds like it's going to get wet that close to the water.
@@fordhamdonnington2738 no, i turn the shower on and let the bathroom steam up. then i hang the book on the shower curtain away from the water, with the water still on. i point the shower nozzel away from the book. the only thing that touches the book is steam and lots of it. after that i put it right in the press.
One more thing, I thought you're supposed to use distilled water. Doesn't this go against that?
@@fordhamdonnington2738 steam is distilled water.
That weird color rub is caused by someone putting a hot mug onto the comic but when there are a couple of white pages, such as a letter on top of the comic. Basically, it was used as an 'under-coaster'.
Hey Chris, thank you for this - it's going to be very helpful as I venture into pressing.
Thanks for watching!
QUESTION So I just found out a part of my comic was missing. A part of one of the pages was cut out. The comic guy said this means my comic would be considered, "incomplete" and basically would make it worthless. The issue I'm having is that I've seen comics with big tears on the covers or big damage and they're not labeled "incomplete," they're just a poor grade. And I know there's a difference between getting a low grade and being labeled as incomplete. So what I want to know is, what makes a comic simply damaged or poorly graded vs. incomplete?
Its important to use "Distilled Water", when using a Steamer like this one.
Absolutely! Anything else can damage the book and also leave staining.
Great job. I haven't pressed a book yet but I've been thinking about buying a press.
Thanks man!!!!
Looks.great!!!
Your a Goddamn fountain of knowledge!!!!
Appreciate the kind words of support!
Well done! The book does look far better. How many minutes did your press it for. The staple issue is a bummer but it did press out nicely. Thanks for the tutorial. I've got an ASM #16 with a multitude of defects and heavy spine roll that I've been kind of scared to touch but that just might be the paralysis of analysis making me crazy. Thanks again. Best to all.
I keep comics in the heat press for usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the quality of the pages. Modern books only get 30 seconds though.
Informitive video I just did not prefer the way you created the spine by placing your hands pressing all over it and then working the flat iron gently up and down. The way I would usually do it... is I will have some thicker grade paper like packing paper but Brown packing paper has lots of artifacts in the paper surface that can potentially dimple the cover which have to be scratched-off first. Any kind of thicker grade paper will do but I prefer something larger than notebook size so I could fold the paper under it and over it with one piece. Use a little heat with the hot iron. Don't be afraid but one thing to look out for is you don't want to touch over the Staples with any real pressure. Take notice to where the staples are. You want to gently work around the staples to not smudge the color. Also this requires a firm flat surface so you can apply the pressure. I flattened out the top of an old VCR because it's metal and metal dissipates heat. Very good video except I don't have a press and don't really have to have one because I don't have them slabbed but I might have to buy a steam gun after this. Try not to handle your comic so much next time LOL. My apologies.
Love these tutorial videos. Well done!
Thanks, Jason!
is it possible to press out a cup ring? there's no discoloration, its just a ring from when a hot cup was stood and its very slightly warped. would you recommend a light vapor application then steam or just straight hot press
If it's an indentation dur to some moisture from the cup, then it could indeed be pressed out. Adding steam and humidification is most likely essential before the press itself.
Good question D-Man. I didn't know I had the same question until you mentioned it!
Excellent work, Maestro! What about square-bound books? Do you take a different approach for eliminating spine roll on the thicker books or books that were glued? Thanks, Chris!!
I would have to see the specific book in question if it was square bound. Most square bound books aren't capable of getting these tipes of spine rolls. Sometimes the roll on a square bound simply needs a light pressured press.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture Square bound books tend to get slightly puckered at the spine. Looks like a difficult press job, IMO. Still, I've got some that I would like to correct.
Outstanding video bro thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
I don’t think I would’ve used the tack iron press to smooth out the seam once you did the first pressing I would’ve use something that would’ve been usable for the entire length of the book but overall I think he did a great job with the exception of cleaning it before pressing
Thanks so much for this, Chris. I do have what may be a really stupid question, but could this be done with a basic clothing iron, provided I wasn't steaming it? I have a couple of books that desperately need a press, and I just don't have the funds to buy a press. Peace!
An iron could definitely be used for pressing. I wouldn't try to fix a stone roll with one. I wild be extra careful and keep parchment paper between the book and the iron.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture thanks brother! ✌️✌️
That is so cool how you can do that to the books. About 3 months ago I had a chance to buy a press they wanted $100. I didn't know what it was for at the time otherwise I'd have bought it. I'm sure they cost more than that now don't they? LOL
A decent 15x15 clam shell should cost you around 170 to 200
Chris, does flattening out a book like this put additional stress on the spine?
Hey Michael!
"Stress" is used to describe any shifting of the particles in the paper from their manufactured form. So in this case, we are actually eliminating stress from the spine. If that makes sense.
Where can I buy a press machine and what is the cost for the one you have
I purchased both of these off of Amazon for around $170 each.
"ironically" is incorrect. Apt is the term you're looking for...
bro.. only moisture the inside of the cover, That's how CBCS detects pressing, CGC not so much. Pebbing
Adding moisture to a book is not restoration.
Pressing and cleaning is not considered restoration either.
@@stonyonekenobi Indeed. Nothing done in this video is anything near restoration and wouldn't be considered such by any grading company.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture You seem not understand or didn't fully read what he's asking, he's asking you about pebbling
@@User8vfjhejf First off, he edited his comment after my response. Original comment stated "restoration." So, no, I didn't misunderstand anything. But thank you for your concern.
That would look sweet in my collection! Hint hint!
lol this one is staying in my grail run!
@@JernosComicsPopCulture, Damn!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Did you send it cgc for encapsulation?
Watching this is like watching a teenager with a driver's permit, teaching a class on how to drive.
Keep your day job.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture I actually press and sell comics for a living, so I will keep my day job, thanks
@@User8vfjhejf lol good for you. Do you want a cookie? You do realize that there's no official training, or trade school needed for comic pressing? We're not talking about being a mechanic. You think there is a better way of doing what I showed in the video? Hey, feel free to leave your thoughts, respectfully. I'd happily love to learn. But coming here running your mouth on a high horse is beyond childish. Maybe you can make your own UA-cam video? So, until you have some constructive critique to share in a productive manner, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I've taken midgrade comics up to near mint CGC books, so your passive cynicism and attempt at validation isn't needed here.
@@JernosComicsPopCulture I don't give out free training and you're just giving out bad training.
@@User8vfjhejf LOL Go self-promote somewhere else.
It bothers me you didn't spend 2 more seconds on that tiny dog-ear on the lower right of the cover... you could have made it perfect with minimal effort. Instead you pressed the dog-ear into the corner.
Now that I went back and looked, it's bothering me too! lol