Anybody looking for some advice on how to Clean-up and/or Repair NGS items?

[Scott T. Shier]

Feel free to chat with me, via this site or email/message me. I have developed some ways (through trial-and-error!) on how to clean up, refurbish, repair NGS books and issues.

Basically, "freshen up" : )


~ Scott S.

P>S>
....while I know some folks would be disinclined to alter/repair items, my philosophy is this: are your items for a museum case, or to be looked at, enjoyed and used? We can either take steps to "stem" the tide of decay, or let them turn to dust. Then we won't have them at all...

[Joshua Dylan]

Scott-
Thanks for the tip but it unfortunately did not work to well. It did a pretty good job removing the paint around the letters just not the gunk. I am debating having a pro re touch it

[Scott T. Shier]

Joshua,

Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that. Too bad it didn't work. The next thing would be to use Goof-Off to get the crud gone but you definately would lose the gold then. I myself have re-touched gold lettering on a couple old NGS books, but I am not a pro either. Haha.

- Scott

[Joshua Dylan]

Thanks for all the help. There is an old book store in NYC that I am going to head to next week and I will see what they can do for me. I'll let you know how it turns out

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Use vaseline and do NOT apply pressure with the Q-tip. Wipe ever so gently with a dry Q-tip. Try it several times before giving up. You need to get the vaseline worked into the gunk before it will start to loosen it.

There is a solution called Goo-Gone. IF the vaseline didn't work AND you still have lettering on your book, the Goo-Gone may finally do the trick. I've used it on the NG slip cases that had paint splatter all over them. In some cases I've rubbed so hard that some of the brown coloring came off on the paper towel - but it didn't do a thing to the gold lettering stamped on the cases. NOTE: I've never tried the Goo-Gone on a cloth material and have no idea what the reaction might be.

[Keith Sargent]

This is advice from Nick Koopman: "Reinforce the spine by pulling the covers completely off the magazine with the spine. Then put a strip of white acid free tape along the spine bridging 1/8 inch of both covers and the complete spine on the inside of the covers/spine, not the outside. Then use Elmers glue stick to put the reinforced covers back on the magazine. That way there is no tape visible from the outside and the reinforcement is completely hidden."

[Scott T. Shier]

Yes, excellent advice/tip Keith!

I've tried exactly that in the past and I am happy with it. I'd rather have the archival tape on the inside edge than to have the whole issue falling apart and becoming even more damage.


Kind regards,

- Scott Shier

[Marts]

I must try this advice, thanks!

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

For Christmas last year my daughter gave me a wonderful gift:

The Booklover's Repair Kit First Aid For Home Libraries by Estille Ellis with Witton Wiggins and Douglas Lee

The kit comes complete with repair material and a well written How-To guide.

Try this link for your review:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375411199