Getting tiny pieces of scrap tobacco off a T205?

Bocabirdman · #1 11-15-2016, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Bill/Mike ... thanks for the replies. Bill ... thanks for sharing info. on your Willis soak. Definitely improved the eye appeal. I collect lower grade cards ... so I'm always on the lookout for Polar Bears because they often have a lot of tobacco stains ... which seems to cause a lot of buyers to shy away from them (at least commons). Thus they are sometimes a bargain ... but not always :-) Anyway ... I don't mind tobacco stains. Just wondered about this one card in my collection that still has pieces of scrap tobacco stuck to it. I'd never seen that before. So I may eventually trying soaking it. Thanks again for the information! Best regards. Jerry.

Post a scan of the card.....I bet it would benefit greatly from a dunk. I, or any of a few dozen guys around here, could talk you through it. It seems counterintuitive to put cardboard in water but trust me. It works....

Leon · #2 11-17-2016, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bocabirdman

Post a scan of the card.....I bet it would benefit greatly from a dunk. I, or any of a few dozen guys around here, could talk you through it. It seems counterintuitive to put cardboard in water but trust me. It works....

My only concern with soaking tobacco is the possibility of tobacco stain "bleed" to other parts of the card. A Q tip and a bit of water might be a more conservative first try....

Bocabirdman · #3 11-17-2016, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leon

My only concern with soaking tobacco is the possibility of tobacco stain "bleed" to other parts of the card. A Q tip and a bit of water might be a more conservative first try....

Perhaps, Leon, if there is actual pieces of tobacco, a swab would be the first step. A scan would settle the mystery....

obcbeatle · #4 11-18-2016, 10:08 AM

Sorry it took me so long to provide a scan. So the two pieces I thought about removing are the piece on the front just below Neal's cap ... and the piece on the back covering "1910". Those two pieces feel raised when you rub your finger over them. The other two pieces (one between the "N" & "A" of NAP's ... front of card ... and the other in the top right corner of the back of the card) don't feel raised when rubbing with finger (although it would be nice to remove those too). But as Leon and others have mentioned ... removing the pieces doesn't remove the stain.

As an aside ... the piece below Neals cap I alway thought was part of his hair ... until I tool a closer look at another T205 Neal Ball card :-) BTW ... kind of neat too that Neal befriended Babe Ruth when Ruth was a young pitcher (I think around 1914). Plus I think Ball was the guy that is mentioned in an old (1908/1909?) letter that has survived ... from a NY writer suggesting that he allow the ATC/ALC to use his image on a T206! Neat stuff! Thanks for any help with soaking this card! Jerry.

Bocabirdman · #5 11-19-2016, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Sorry it took me so long to provide a scan. So the two pieces I thought about removing are the piece on the front just below Neal's cap ... and the piece on the back covering "1910". Those two pieces feel raised when you rub your finger over them. The other two pieces (one between the "N" & "A" of NAP's ... front of card ... and the other in the top right corner of the back of the card) don't feel raised when rubbing with finger (although it would be nice to remove those too). But as Leon and others have mentioned ... removing the pieces doesn't remove the stain.

As an aside ... the piece below Neals cap I alway thought was part of his hair ... until I tool a closer look at another T205 Neal Ball card :-) BTW ... kind of neat too that Neal befriended Babe Ruth when Ruth was a young pitcher (I think around 1914). Plus I think Ball was the guy that is mentioned in an old (1908/1909?) letter that has survived ... from a NY writer suggesting that he allow the ATC/ALC to use his image on a T206! Neat stuff! Thanks for any help with soaking this card! Jerry.

The official verdict from Boca is a quick 5 minute soak in room temperature distilled water. STAY AWAY from a Q-Tip seeing as how you are dealing with a face and a tobacco wad directly on a number on the reverse. A Q-Tip could lead to a bit of ink loss in both places. If 5 minutes doesn't finish the job, give it another 5. The two wads of tobacco will break free quickly and the other two larger stains should benefit.....Good Luck.....

obcbeatle · #6 11-20-2016, 10:38 AM

Mike ... thanks for the recommendations. I do have one question. The last two cards I soaked (post-war 1950's cards) ended up a bit warped. What is the best way to prevent warping? What I currently do is put the card between a thin wash cloth ... immediately after a soak ... and put the card between two very heavy books ... the top book being the heavyist. The first day I replace the wash cloth with another wash cloth at least once ... sometimes twice. After that I replace the wash cloth about once a day for about a week ... or until I'm sure the card is dry. But the last two cards I did I noticed near the end of this process (of being between the books) the card started to exhibit a bit of a wavy warp. I used to use paper towels instead of thin wash cloths ... but I've had a few cards stick to the paper towel. Maybe I didn't get all the glue off the card. But now I don't want to use a paper towel as it means re-soaking the card to get the stuck paper towel off. Plus ... if it IS glue still on the back ... I can't see it and am afraid to try to rub it off as it soaks ... because it might tear the surface of the card. Just curious. Thanks. Jerry.

drmondobueno · #7 11-20-2016, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Mike ... thanks for the recommendations. I do have one question. The last two cards I soaked (post-war 1950's cards) ended up a bit warped. What is the best way to prevent warping? What I currently do is put the card between a thin wash cloth ... immediately after a soak ... and put the card between two very heavy books ... the top book being the heavyist. The first day I replace the wash cloth with another wash cloth at least once ... sometimes twice. After that I replace the wash cloth about once a day for about a week ... or until I'm sure the card is dry. But the last two cards I did I noticed near the end of this process (of being between the books) the card started to exhibit a bit of a wavy warp. I used to use paper towels instead of thin wash cloths ... but I've had a few cards stick to the paper towel. Maybe I didn't get all the glue off the card. But now I don't want to use a paper towel as it means re-soaking the card to get the stuck paper towel off. Plus ... if it IS glue still on the back ... I can't see it and am afraid to try to rub it off as it soaks ... because it might tear the surface of the card. Just curious. Thanks. Jerry.

Jerry,

Prewar cards are made of a different cardboard than the post war stuff. I have soaked prewar cards and if you use reasonable precautions, your card shoud not warp. Mine did not, not a one.

The new cardboard stuff absorbs water like paper and the card is done. Forget soaking most postwar.

Keith

Bocabirdman · #8 11-21-2016, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obcbeatle

Mike ... thanks for the recommendations. I do have one question. The last two cards I soaked (post-war 1950's cards) ended up a bit warped. What is the best way to prevent warping? What I currently do is put the card between a thin wash cloth ... immediately after a soak ... and put the card between two very heavy books ... the top book being the heavyist. The first day I replace the wash cloth with another wash cloth at least once ... sometimes twice. After that I replace the wash cloth about once a day for about a week ... or until I'm sure the card is dry. But the last two cards I did I noticed near the end of this process (of being between the books) the card started to exhibit a bit of a wavy warp. I used to use paper towels instead of thin wash cloths ... but I've had a few cards stick to the paper towel. Maybe I didn't get all the glue off the card. But now I don't want to use a paper towel as it means re-soaking the card to get the stuck paper towel off. Plus ... if it IS glue still on the back ... I can't see it and am afraid to try to rub it off as it soaks ... because it might tear the surface of the card. Just curious. Thanks. Jerry.

The card will come out of the book press just fine. Use the paper towels or the parchment paper as suggested. The wash cloth will not be sufficient. There is no comparison between tobacco cards and post-war cardboard. The Ball will be none the worse for wear. The tobacco clumps will come off. The stains will improve a bit. Keep the soak short for your own peace of mind................

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