Rusty staples

[budsbundy]

I just got a really nice copy of FF 48, probably a 7.5 - 8.0 except for one thing

Rusty staples

They have minor halos (rust migration) when viewed at the centerfold.

I'd put up pics, but doing so, just like using the search function here, is still a great mystery to me.

 

I have a few questions

It looks like the rust is not ongoing, seems like it happened some time ago, and has stopped now.

Is there a way to tell if the rust is stopped?

Or does it not ever stop?

 

If rust is something that never stops,no matter what environmental conditions you are storing the book in, than I want to have them replaced(staples)(or cleaned??)

I collect raw so I don't care about the effect replaced staples would have on grading

 

Who are some good people for replacing the staples? I'm in MN so someone local would be nice.

What is the average cost for staple replacement?

 

Any help people could give me would be greatly appreciated

[grebal]

My understanding is that absent moisture in the environment, the rust shouldn't spread.

 

Cleaning or replacement will be considered restoration, with an impact that varies depending upon collector.

 

I've no info to share about who/where/how much for the resto., sorry,

[PovertyRow]

 

Cleaning or replacement will be considered restoration, with an impact that varies depending upon collector.

 

Under the rewritten standards cleaned/replaced staples no longer fall under restoration but would get a conserved label.

 

https://www.cgccomics.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=4083&

[grebal]

^ Thank you !

 

Sounds a sensible compromise, and avoids the PLOD issue.

[Sqeggs]

I just got a really nice copy of FF 48, probably a 7.5 - 8.0 except for one thing

Rusty staples

They have minor halos (rust migration) when viewed at the centerfold.

I'd put up pics, but doing so, just like using the search function here, is still a great mystery to me.

 

I have a few questions

It looks like the rust is not ongoing, seems like it happened some time ago, and has stopped now.

Is there a way to tell if the rust is stopped?

Or does it not ever stop?

 

If rust is something that never stops,no matter what environmental conditions you are storing the book in, than I want to have them replaced(staples)(or cleaned??)

I collect raw so I don't care about the effect replaced staples would have on grading

 

Who are some good people for replacing the staples? I'm in MN so someone local would be nice.

What is the average cost for staple replacement?

 

Any help people could give me would be greatly appreciated

 

If you really don't care what effect replacing the staples would have on the book's grade, you may want to just remove them yourself and replace them with rust-free staples from some other (low-value) book. Should be relatively easy to do without damaging the book. Not that I've ever done it!

[Mystafo]

I tried it once before with a reader and it was a lot harder than i thought. Holding the staples while bending them is the really hard part. Id never try it on a FF48!

[D84]

When I asked a comic restoration person about replacing the staples with rust migration, he told me if the rust migrated it's too late for replacement or cleaning. Even if you replace the staples, the rust is still in the paper and can possibly spread.

 

Basically, if it's interacted with the paper, the damage is done and can't be fixed, but if you store it in low humidity, you can slow the spread.

[budsbundy]

I just got a really nice copy of FF 48, probably a 7.5 - 8.0 except for one thing

Rusty staples

They have minor halos (rust migration) when viewed at the centerfold.

I'd put up pics, but doing so, just like using the search function here, is still a great mystery to me.

 

I have a few questions

It looks like the rust is not ongoing, seems like it happened some time ago, and has stopped now.

Is there a way to tell if the rust is stopped?

Or does it not ever stop?

 

If rust is something that never stops,no matter what environmental conditions you are storing the book in, than I want to have them replaced(staples)(or cleaned??)

I collect raw so I don't care about the effect replaced staples would have on grading

 

Who are some good people for replacing the staples? I'm in MN so someone local would be nice.

What is the average cost for staple replacement?

 

Any help people could give me would be greatly appreciated

 

If you really don't care what effect replacing the staples would have on the book's grade, you may want to just remove them yourself and replace them with rust-free staples from some other (low-value) book. Should be relatively easy to do without damaging the book. Not that I've ever done it!

The thing is that the staples are off-set, and not right on the spine, but about a half inch or so onto the front cover, plus the book lays really flat.

I'm concerned about my ability to access and remove them without creasing the cover.

I'd much rather have someone who knows what they are doing replace them.

 

But if they are not getting worse, I might just leave them.

 

Someone else said once the rust migrates, replacing the staples won't matter, but if the staples are the source of the rust that is migrating, than I would think removing them would prevent the transfer of any new/additional rust to the paper.

 

Thanks for all the responses so far

[grebal]

 

The expert opinions I've read say that the rust doesn't migrate absent rust-friendly conditions. Constant temp and low humidity is good environment enough to prevent rust spreading. That's what I've read anyway, but I'm not expert.

[Topnotchman]

I would believe that ccs could replace staples as a service and return the book without going to Cgc for grading. This is something I would not recommend trying your self as permanent damage can happen to the book.

[jimbo_707]

When I asked a comic restoration person about replacing the staples with rust migration, he told me if the rust migrated it's too late for replacement or cleaning. Even if you replace the staples, the rust is still in the paper and can possibly spread.

 

Basically, if it's interacted with the paper, the damage is done and can't be fixed, but if you store it in low humidity, you can slow the spread.

Paper doesn't rust; rust is formed from iron and oxygen. If staples are replaced with no-rust staples, then no more rust will form. That doesn't mean that the stains left from the previous staples couldn't spread--any stain can potentially spread to any area of lower concentration--but if that were to happen, then the stains would be more diluted: the same amount of rust particles spread over a larger area. I don't like restoration, but I don't oppose conservation measures that prolong the life of a book, so I would recommend replacing rusty staples.

[D84]

When I asked a comic restoration person about replacing the staples with rust migration, he told me if the rust migrated it's too late for replacement or cleaning. Even if you replace the staples, the rust is still in the paper and can possibly spread.

 

Basically, if it's interacted with the paper, the damage is done and can't be fixed, but if you store it in low humidity, you can slow the spread.

Paper doesn't rust; rust is formed from iron and oxygen. If staples are replaced with no-rust staples, then no more rust will form. That doesn't mean that the stains left from the previous staples couldn't spread--any stain can potentially spread to any area of lower concentration--but if that were to happen, then the stains would be more diluted: the same amount of rust particles spread over a larger area. I don't like restoration, but I don't oppose conservation measures that prolong the life of a book, so I would recommend replacing rusty staples.

 

I didn't mean that the paper was rusted. Sorry about the confusion.

 

I'll ask another restoration professional and see what they say.