Pressing Books at Home 2 2

[cigars&comix]

I decided to make a small investment and play around with pressing at home. I was thinking I could press a few books a day, so I watched a bazillion videos on youtube, many with their own twist on the perfect way to press, and understandable.

What I didnt understand is that the overwhelming majority of the videos make this an overnight process. That would mean that if I had 50 books to press and only 1 press, I would need 50 days to press them?

That cant be right. CGC , CBCS would never survive. Im sure they own several presses but still this cannot be an overnight process for each book. Can somebody shed some light?

[theCapraAegagrus]

Sounds about right to me.

[joeypost]

Welcome to my world. 

[1Cool]

On 3/17/2022 at 10:04 AM, cigars&comix said:

I decided to make a small investment and play around with pressing at home. I was thinking I could press a few books a day, so I watched a bazillion videos on youtube, many with their own twist on the perfect way to press, and understandable.

What I didnt understand is that the overwhelming majority of the videos make this an overnight process. That would mean that if I had 50 books to press and only 1 press, I would need 50 days to press them?

That cant be right. CGC , CBCS would never survive. Im sure they own several presses but still this cannot be an overnight process for each book. Can somebody shed some light?

Where are you located?  I'm in Cleveland and I've got a two book press that has been sitting dormant for a year.  I'd be happy to sell it to you but it's too heavy to ship so we would have to meet.  Send me a PM if you are interested.

[cigars&comix]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:53 AM, 1Cool said:

Where are you located?  I'm in Cleveland and I've got a two book press that has been sitting dormant for a year.  I'd be happy to sell it to you but it's too heavy to ship so we would have to meet.  Send me a PM if you are interested.

thanks for your kind offer, but I live in NY, and like most New Yorkers we have space issues. Thats why I bought a 10x12 press.

Im determined to figure this out and then make my own YouTube video for multiple books and blow away all the other guys.. haha..

[Kevin76]

On 3/17/2022 at 1:00 PM, cigars&comix said:

thanks for your kind offer, but I live in NY, and like most New Yorkers we have space issues. Thats why I bought a 10x12 press.

Im determined to figure this out and then make my own YouTube video for multiple books and blow away all the other guys.. haha..

This is why things are kept secret 

[Dr. Bruce Banner]

It is not necessary to keep books in the press for 24 hours. Switch them to a cold press method for part of the process. Go to a local glass store and have custom Lucite pressing boards (15x15) cut to order. Use a 10-pound weight with the boards and you're able to process several books a day off of a single press. 

[littledoom]

On 3/17/2022 at 7:04 AM, cigars&comix said:

overnight process. That would mean that if I had 50 books to press and only 1 press, I would need 50 days to press them?

Overnight for comics that need maximum effect of the press. I own two 15x15 presses so I'm able to press 4 comics a day.  If you have 50+ comics to press you need at least a 15x15 press to fit two comics inside. Or multiple presses. Depends on your goals and how long you plan to be pressing. Pressing is not something that can be done in haste and requires lots of patience. Sometimes I've gotten away with 12 hours "cold press" and the effects were satisfying

[THE_BEYONDER]

Or....

 

Just leave the books alone 

[Tony S]

On 3/17/2022 at 9:04 AM, cigars&comix said:

I decided to make a small investment and play around with pressing at home. I was thinking I could press a few books a day, so I watched a bazillion videos on youtube, many with their own twist on the perfect way to press, and understandable.

What I didnt understand is that the overwhelming majority of the videos make this an overnight process. That would mean that if I had 50 books to press and only 1 press, I would need 50 days to press them?

That cant be right. CGC , CBCS would never survive. Im sure they own several presses but still this cannot be an overnight process for each book. Can somebody shed some light?

The obvious answer is that CGC, CBCS and third party retail pressing services have lots and lots of presses.  If you want to press 50 books and only have it take a couple of days, you will need 25 presses.  If you want to press 100 books a day, you need 50. On and on. 

If you are using a 10"x12" press, it's also near certain that you are not using the correct type of press.  You are not putting graphics on T-Shirts. You are pressing comic books nice and flat and smooth.  The correct press is one originally intended for photographs. 

The overall point is that you if made a small investment, you either are not doing it correctly OR you got an incredible good deal on the right equipment. 

[The Green Ghost]

How do you press a book at home yourself? What kind of machine do you need to buy? I'd be too afraid of screwing it up, but then, I trust myself more than some of the buffoons who press nowadays...

[FFB]

On 3/17/2022 at 7:04 AM, cigars&comix said:

I decided to make a small investment and play around with pressing at home. I was thinking I could press a few books a day, so I watched a bazillion videos on youtube, many with their own twist on the perfect way to press, and understandable.

What I didnt understand is that the overwhelming majority of the videos make this an overnight process. That would mean that if I had 50 books to press and only 1 press, I would need 50 days to press them?

That cant be right. CGC , CBCS would never survive. Im sure they own several presses but still this cannot be an overnight process for each book. Can somebody shed some light?

I don't know for sure, but Matt Nelson said in an interview that CGC does not use heat when it presses books.  Just humidity and pressure.

Edited March 21, 2022 by FFB

[Kevin76]

This thread filled with bad advice is getting comical 

[Topnotchman]

Heating and electrical are the second and third leading causes of house fires.  There is danger involved by bringing these machines into the house especially multiple machines. Pressing should be left to professionals.  Oh and when you get good at this you don’t need a heat press for high quality results. 

[Tony S]

On 3/21/2022 at 4:39 PM, FFB said:

I don't know for sure, but Matt Nelson said in an interview that CGC does not use heat when it presses books.  Just humidity and pressure.

That is not what Matt Nelson said.  What he said is 
 "Heat is not as effective as, say, moisture. ..if you throw a book in a dry mount press, there’s a higher chance of reversing in those cases"
What Matt is referring to is those that press using heat only.  Doing so because humidity is the hardest part of the process to get right. 

One might also note Matt says "a dry mount press". Not a T-Shirt press. 

[FFB]

On 3/24/2022 at 12:50 AM, Tony S said:

That is not what Matt Nelson said.  What he said is 
 "Heat is not as effective as, say, moisture. ..if you throw a book in a dry mount press, there’s a higher chance of reversing in those cases"
What Matt is referring to is those that press using heat only.  Doing so because humidity is the hardest part of the process to get right. 

One might also note Matt says "a dry mount press". Not a T-Shirt press. 

That's the interview I was referring to.  Here is the full quote:

“…paper memory is an issue that anybody has to deal with when they’re pressing books. There are certain processes that will cause a book to revert typically, like if using heat.  Heat is not as effective as, say, moisture. ..if you throw a book in a dry mount press, there’s a higher chance of reversing in those cases. But typically, our processes, once it’s finished pressing, there should not be any reversion…

Books that we press could be graded the same day. They can be graded a week later, a month later, even several months later, depending on the tier and the turnaround time.  So reversion is definitely a factor, a big factor in our pricing process because of that, but I’ve been pressing books now for about 20 years, and obviously we take that into consideration in our process. ..We make sure that what we do to the books will not lead to reversion if they sit for a long time.

When I read the rest of his quote in conjunction with the first part, one can infer that they may not use heat.  I can agree, however, that it's unclear either way and he does not explicitly say they don't use heat.  I know Kenny Sanderson, who long worked with Matt, has a cold press technique that uses no heat, and I recall him saying that he learned much of his pressing technique from Matt when he worked with Matt at Classics Incorporated.  

Also, when he says "dry mount press," he is referring to it in terms of a technique that is not always effective at preventing reversion.  I don't read that as a recommendation to use a dry mount press, but I also don't see him saying that they don't use them.  

At the end of the day, I suppose we could just ask Matt directly if CGC uses heat presses instead of speculating like this.    

Personally, I've used a Seal Commercial 210 dry mount press for many years and a couple of newer, smaller presses more recently, say in the last year or so.  Side by side, the Seal Commercial 210 does a better job.  I think it's because the temperature control is more accurate and the heat is more even across the entire platen.   But the smaller presses do work fine if you know what you're doing, prepare your books properly, take precautions against scorching, and are patient while waiting for the book to finish.  If the book is adequately protected from the heated platen, and if the heat is evenly applied at the correct temperature, the book doesn't know if it's in a T-Shirt press, a commercial dry mount press, or something else.  

[JollyComics]

50 books per day?   I prefer 5 books per day.

[Quicksilver Signs]

On 3/18/2022 at 12:44 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

Or....

 

Just leave the books alone 

Basically the equivalent of Nancy Reagan’s “Say no to drugs” mantra in the 80’s with similar results. 

[Axe Elf]

On 4/2/2022 at 9:53 AM, Quicksilver Signs said:

Basically the equivalent of Nancy Reagan’s “Say no to drugs” mantra in the 80’s with similar results. 

 

[Sauce Dog]

On 3/24/2022 at 2:21 PM, FFB said:

 

Personally, I've used a Seal Commercial 210 dry mount press for many years and a couple of newer, smaller presses more recently, say in the last year or so.  Side by side, the Seal Commercial 210 does a better job. 

I'm jealous of you having that model strictly for the better temperature range & controls - I've been using a Seal Jumbo 150 for years as my first press to practice minor hobby stuff with, as I was able to get it cheap from a local seller, but have had to carefully adjust my times and process due to how easily it can nuke a book