Any Tips Before I Buy Heat Press 3 3

[joeypost]

On 3/29/2022 at 3:08 PM, shadroch said:

I would, but I like to eat and can't wait a year or more to  get my books back to sell. When I asked about your waiting times, someone who claims to use you told me to expect six months for you and ten months or more for CGC.  I'm not sure where I'll be in fourteen months so using the experts isn't much of an option.  If you or any of the "experts" would guarentee a 30 day turnaround, I'd send you a couple hundred books tomorrow.  Since you can't and no one else can, it kind of limits peoples options.  I'd love to see you expand and bring in whatever you need to change your one man shop into a real business, and I don't mean that to say you don't already have a very nice business.  It just needs to be scaled so turnaround times are practical. 

Presented with the available options, it is no wonder so many people have taken to attempting to press their books.

And here is where most get into trouble. Properly preparing, dry cleaning and pressing comics shouldn’t be assembly line work. Companies that have gone this route out out an inferior product because too many hands touch the book and the final person has no idea of it’s history or where it came from. That’s why I have not expanded and choose to keep the operation small so that the only hands touching your book are mine. 
 

I do understand no one likes to wait but there are so many hours in the day and I understand when people HAVE to start looking elsewhere. My problem is all the overnight DIY’ers that have no skill set or experience that quickly set up shop advertising their service. Collectors desperate for quick TAT’s get drawn in and quickly find expectations dashed when they get their books back from the grading companies. Not saying everyone out there is bad, but I see the results of many who have large followings on Facebook who, aside from the easiest of moderns books, cannot press to save their lives. 

[littledoom]

Not sure why this old thread was resurrected 

[JC25427N]

Must be Tuesday

[NP_Gresham]

On 3/29/2022 at 2:17 PM, littledoom said:

Not sure why this old thread was resurrected 

So who brought the marshmallows?

 

[optimal_max]

Yeah, I realize it's an old thread, but I got into pressing last year and have become decent at it, though I'm sure there are many better than I am.  It is too complex a process to list everything in detail. Here are some tips I can share that work for me.

Type of Press: I have not noticed a difference in press quality between a "regular" and a  clam-style press.  They will both get the job done.  

Suggestion: Practice about 100 times on comics that you don't care about. You will make mistakes.  

Preparation : I typically use 5 pieces of laser-jet paper (re-useable)and one backer board (re-usable) per press. The backer board gets inserted in the center of the book (at the staples) with a piece of paper against the shiny side of the backer board to prevent sticking).  2 pieces of paper under the front cover, and 2 inside the back cover.

I personally prefer to use two sheets of smooth metal above and below each comic when pressed, as the press itself often has bumps/deformities. And the metal sheets tend to dissipate the heat better in the case of a press that doesn't dissipate heat equally.  I also prefer to use parchment paper (instead of teflon paper) above and below to protect the comic from burns, and you can re-use parchment paper until it gets wrinkly.

I typically press comics for about 10 minutes per side. Older books (pre-glossy paper) get pressed at 170-175 degrees.  Newer books (with glossy paper) I press at 155-160 degrees.  If you press glossy paper books at higher temps, you will ruin the books.   Squarebound books I press even lower temperature 135-140 (to not melt the glue) and a much softer press to not deform the binding.

The after-press is just as important as the press.  I use glass shelving to cold-press the books immediately after hot-pressing. Glass has some weight, and is 100% smooth.  I leave it under glass for a few days for best results.

There are plenty of helpful videos on youtube for a more detailed process.

 

 

[Cobbledclam]

On 3/30/2022 at 10:41 AM, optimal_max said:

Yeah, I realize it's an old thread, but I got into pressing last year and have become decent at it, though I'm sure there are many better than I am.  It is too complex a process to list everything in detail. Here are some tips I can share that work for me.

Type of Press: I have not noticed a difference in press quality between a "regular" and a  clam-style press.  They will both get the job done.  

Suggestion: Practice about 100 times on comics that you don't care about. You will make mistakes.  

Preparation : I typically use 5 pieces of laser-jet paper (re-useable)and one backer board (re-usable) per press. The backer board gets inserted in the center of the book (at the staples) with a piece of paper against the shiny side of the backer board to prevent sticking).  2 pieces of paper under the front cover, and 2 inside the back cover.

I personally prefer to use two sheets of smooth metal above and below each comic when pressed, as the press itself often has bumps/deformities. And the metal sheets tend to dissipate the heat better in the case of a press that doesn't dissipate heat equally.  I also prefer to use parchment paper (instead of teflon paper) above and below to protect the comic from burns, and you can re-use parchment paper until it gets wrinkly.

I typically press comics for about 10 minutes per side. Older books (pre-glossy paper) get pressed at 170-175 degrees.  Newer books (with glossy paper) I press at 155-160 degrees.  If you press glossy paper books at higher temps, you will ruin the books.   Squarebound books I press even lower temperature 135-140 (to not melt the glue) and a much softer press to not deform the binding.

The after-press is just as important as the press.  I use glass shelving to cold-press the books immediately after hot-pressing. Glass has some weight, and is 100% smooth.  I leave it under glass for a few days for best results.

There are plenty of helpful videos on youtube for a more detailed process.

 

 

 

[optimal_max]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:33 PM, Cobbledclam said:

 

We don't talk about fight club?

[Cobbledclam]

On 4/1/2022 at 6:45 AM, optimal_max said:

We don't talk about fight club?