GM8 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I've seen this video a few times in my twitter feed and found its application to comic books intriguing. The laser vaporizes rust and contaminants on metal and doesn't affect anything else around it. Check it out if you haven't seen it. I have a few comics this would be great for. My question is, it seems pretty new and if it were applied to comics would it be restoration (assuming you could actually detect it) and if it were what would a service like this be worth on a per-comic basis? Just curious what people think. https://twitter.com/businessinsider/status/953984574459068418 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf Pogs Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 I am assuming every box of staples shipped from Acme Staple Co. was "dipped" so that the boxes could sit for years and thus all our book's staples have that galvanizing protection. Ever sand blast a car part? The rust isn't a patina forming on top it is the metal itself dissolving. Those freshly shocked staples would look so bad the graders would die laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJD Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 I'd want to know the absorption properties of paper and ink at those wavelengths. My hunch is that it would be likely to affect more than just the staple rust - note that it removes paint from metal. (It looks great for treating rusty metal though! I want one.) To @Alf Pogs: staple rust starts out on the surface and gets deeper with time. I've cleaned some staples that look fine after nothing more than a gentle swipe with fine steel wool. Others with worse rust pretty much crumble if you try to remove them for cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyJuice Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Wow, very interesting concept! This video reminds me of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat54 Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 go here to see it take pencil marks of of paper.Now that is cool.Go to the 4th row down first video. You may need to copy and paste. https://www.adapt-laser.com/videos/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicquant Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 (edited) There is a company (I’ll have to find it) that works in the paper conservation space that removes foxing with lasers. I saw a few pics of the before and after and it was pretty amazing. If you look at the properties of foxing it’s incredible they’re able to remove it without damaging the paper. This could take dry cleaning to the next level and would probably not be a detectable process. With the exception of a book so well preserved it seems out of place. Edited February 4, 2018 by comicquant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage Comic Book Exchange Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 I had a Comic come back and they said the Staples were cleaned/wiped? Don't you clean a car tires and it's still original? What if the staples are replaced with other staples from the same time period, just like changing an insert of a Zippo lighter. All the staples are then same and NONE are specified to any Comic just as with a Zippo and it's insert... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber-Bob Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 7 minutes ago, A-Burning-Desire said: I had a Comic come back and they said the Staples were cleaned/wiped? Don't you clean a car tires and it's still original? What if the staples are replaced with other staples from the same time period, just like changing an insert of a Zippo lighter. All the staples are then same and NONE are specified to any Comic just as with a Zippo and it's insert... While I agree with your comments, I think it may have to do how the staples were cleaned. If a solvent of any kind was used, CGC considers it restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...