The shiny side of the backing board is the treated side, so you should lay the comic on the shiny side. Its treated to be acid free, the mat side is not
True but the other side also has bicarbonate as well which is a base to the acid of the comic paper. I worked with BCW for several months 😉 Short term contact with either side during the comic book pressing process will not make a major difference.
I wanted my giant size x-men pressed and no one would do it. So one day I said screw it and I did it myself. And it came out very well. Sometimes you just gotta take a dive. Lol
Nicely done video Regie. I would recommend reconsidering the metal plate on the bottom though and flip it instead. Part of the process is the cooling off period and having that plate will stall that process out considerably. Not to mention that the metal won’t get up to the same temperature as the heated ceramic plate. So you run the risk of uneven levels of moisture locked into the book if both sides don’t get heated evenly for the same duration. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your process!
I hear what you’re saying but I haven’t experienced those problems. I’ve actually secured three 9.8s and a 9.6 using my process. I’m still learning but I feel that the results give me comfort that my approach is working. As I mentioned in the video, people will have to decide for themselves what they are comfortable with so I appreciate you offering up additional tips for people to consider-that’s not lip-service either. 👊🏾👊🏾 Thanks bud.
Well done my friend I’m looking forward to the next video. As you know I’m learning about pressing myself and I gotta say it’s fun watching beat up comics come back to life.
Oh my...that is one of the best things. To take a beat up book and breath new life into it. It’s such an amazing experience. Thanks for asking all those questions over the last few weeks. Those questions were helpful during my brainstorming for these videos. 👊🏾👊🏾 I appreciate you, Joe.
Here we go, been waiting for this bro. I’m loving that mustard yellow and red shadow detail on that Lobo cover on you wall. Can’t wait for the next video man.
Reggie. i have my own business dry cleaning and pressing books in florida on east coast Melbourne. Cleaning and pressing comics can be a tedious task depending on condition. Deoending on condition will depend on process/need. Its not as easy as everyone thinks and is a unique art. I use the 12 x 12 sheets top AND bottom. Teflon oven sheet between top sheet metal and the paper thats on top of comic cover. Golden age done same as you. Currents are needy. Magic Eraser VERY LIGHTLY AND ONLY OVER WHITES works great! I use that same tote for my humidity chamber and snipped a plastic coated wire dog cage divider to make a rack and zip tied the 3 sides together to make the stand. Good job on the video reggie. you are doing good things for the community!
As someone looking to get into pressing this is the most helpful video I have come across! Thank you! I really hope that you can also show us the complete process of you actually pressing a silver/bronze comic that would be great to see all the steps you do from the start to ending :) Thank you so much Regie.
Part 2 is focused on the "bath" but part 3 which is uploading now show the process from start to finish. I literally show you before and after books. Stay tuned Chris. And, thank you for the kind words.
Reggie, I'm an avid viewer, rare commentor which is not cool. I just wanted to thank you for your fantastic content and knowledge, it doesn't matter if you had just started collecting yesterday or you've been collecting for years, all your videos are very informative for all of us. Keep it up brother, and the fact that you're a Home Depot shopper is icing on the cake. You rock Reggie!
Stan thank you for the kind words. I had a really hard day yesterday and it's nice to wake up to this wonderful comment from you. Everything happens for a reason. Thank you bro. Happy holidays.
You need to mention that the Teflon film will leave a grid pattern on your comic books because they aren't completely smooth. I don't think you mentioned the pressure setting on the press. I had to dial it down because I was getting Teflon film imprints on my books.
Very nice video! I was really getting into it and was like it's over already?! Love it. Super informative and detailed. Thanks, Regie. Can't wait part 2.
Party times in the house!!! What's up Regie!!! I have been waiting for this for a while... You know me and the fam bam are here to stay!!! Loyal comic swolders!! Congrats on the 4K and let's keep moving forward!!
This is great. It makes me think that I might actually be able to press my own books and save a bunch of money in the long run. Thanks Regie! I'm gonna check out the other parts of this series now too!
That was the goal bro. People told me it was easy and I resisted then I did it. 🤯 I had to share with folks so I tried to put out a high quality video series that would help. I appreciate you watching.
great video regie. i've been holding out on making this jump to cleaning/pressing and you've provided some really good tips. glad you are getting good results, especially from grading. you're doing something right. :D
And, I'm saving myself some money bro. As I mentioned in the video, I'm still learning but I'm doing something right. I appreciate you taking the time to watch.
SENSEI! You're a well of comic knowledge that just KEEPS on giving! Thanks for making these pressing videos..you got me and a buddy INTRIGUED! Now just have to convince wifey to get the pressing machine..she just got a cricket for shirt decals and such so maybe she would appreciate it!
Nick has an entire series on cleaning and pressing comics. He was actually one of the first guys that I started watching years ago before creating my own channel. With that said, I haven’t watched that specific video. It does however illustrate that there is more than one way to press a book. 😀👊🏾
@@RegieCollects It's interesting, and could be just an added option to what you are doing. Appreciate the time you are investing in passing along information to the rest of us.
Have you ever used a steamer wand, like they use for clothes? I watched a video where the guy uses one instead of the steam bath. Seemed to work , and quickly.
I have not. I think that their are many ways to skin a cat. 😀 At the end of the day, the moisture bath is not the rate limiting factor so speeding up that portion of the process doesn’t help with the time need in the press itself. The bath can also be accelerated with warm/hot water versus room temperature but again the bottle neck is still the press itself. I’ve tried to unsuccessfully use a streamer on my dress shirt a few weeks ago. I ended up setting up the ironing board and breaking out the iron. Lol. I hope this helps.
I didn't use sandpaper I took a utility knife blade and scraped it across the surface at a 90 degree angle and checked for resistance 1st . Thankfully none . I evidently saw the same youtube video as it also encouraged me to try pressing .
To check for them as the blade wouldn't slide smoothly. I checked and it didn't require sanding. I find that deposits built up on the surface after I pressed a number of books . I assume that it might been from using well water not distilled. I used the blade to remove it. And say distilled is the way to go.
Well this is a Rabbit Hole I am going down as well. Buying a press. I'll keep you updated. I believe a year ago you and I said...yeah I'm not pressing. Wow what a difference year and a half makes.
Like others, probably too many questions to ask so I'll wait to see more. But a couple things stand out as I've never pressed a book before. 1: I didn't know a "moisture bath" was even necessary. Seems like it'd be the natural enemy of a comic book, right? :) So is it just that the book needs to be a bit moist since it's about to be heated and you thus lessen the chance of burning it by giving the book a touch of moisture that can be removed by the heat? Anyway, I found this part quite alarming. :) And 2: I hadn't even thought that you would press more than one book at a time like you mentioned, let alone two books with say, different needs? If one book needed more attention to the cover (and thus, some boards applied) in order to get taken care of, why would you even think of pressing it with a book that doesn't? Unless time is an issue, I can't even imagine contemplating doing this? Very interesting video and look forward to more. I also didn't know that you clean books too until this video. I hear it's meticulous work where you must apply just enough pressure with a point eraser to move dirt, grime or writing from the surface but not so much where you take the gloss off the book. Tough balance to achieve, for certain!
I'm not sure that your questions will be answered by additional videos so I'll attempt to address them here. :) Please keep in mind that I am not a professional presser. I'm a guy that watched some videos. Played around and pressed about a hundred books with a few 9.8s and 9.6s to show for it. My point is that you may have to see out additional insight from experts that may know more than me. The questions around pressing have been going on for a very long time, you may want to check out the CGC forums for the pages of debate. ☺ With that said, here goes. 1. Have you ever ironed a dress shirt? If so, what’s one the things that many people do? They use “wet” starch or mist from the iron. If not these things, they tend to use steam. All of these approaches apply moisture to a dry object then use heat to remove that moisture leaving behind a wrinkle-free piece of cloth. Can you iron without a little moisture? Sure, but do the clothes get as wrinkle-free? Maybe, but you might have to iron it a few times…turn up the heat…etc. to get the same effect. In my mind, this approach isn’t any different than ironing a shirt. You add a little moisture then remove it until the paper is perfectly dry. There are some people that press without adding moisture but that is not the method that I wanted to apply. Have you had a chance to watch my interview with CGC on pressing? In that video we discuss a comic book restoration guy that actually submerges comics into water in order to recreate and restore the pages. I can’t recall the guy’s name on IG but he has done some beautiful work on high dollar golden age comics. My point is that we’re not submerging anything here. LOL. Alarming? Yes. Effective? Absolutely. 2. Given that the pressing process can take 6-hours the question isn’t why you would press two books at once but why would you not? If I can press two books at the same time and press them effectively why would I only press one? That would seem to be inefficient. Hope this helps.
Hi Reggie. I have a quick question regarding the use of backer boards. Do you ever re-use your boards or do you discard after every press. It can get somewhat expensive to discard each time. Your thoughts are appreciated.
The problem with reusing backing boards or parchment paper is that they start to warp/wrinkle which especially presses defects into the comic. How much warping will depend upon the dampness of the comic, temp of the press, etc. Long story, reuse at risk.
Did you take the aluminum sheet and put it at the bottom of the press? I have a rubber pad at the bottom of mine. I was thinking of removing it for a harder surface. Just asking for a little clarity. Thanks.
I toss the backboards when they start to use shape. That will depend upon the quality of the board...if you place it in the moisture bath..what type of moisture bath used, etc.
Hi Reggie: Can you perhaps provide a "shopping list" for us (me) to buy what we need to create our own moisture bath (tote) for this process. I'm trying to take notes, but I feel like I'm going to miss something. The actual size of the tote would be helpful as well. Thanks!
I’d pause the video at 4:22 and write down what you can see on the labels. The size of the tote doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t have a size because I would have provided it. It was literally something that the wife had at the house.
Glad you enjoyed Part 1. Part 2 has been posted so check that out if you can. The water bath allows the book to take on a little moisture. The moisture allows the books to be manipulated either by hand-to correct a spine roll for example-and by the press easier than a dry book. Think about ironing your clothes. One of the first things you might do is use some starch or spray it with water. Some might even use steam. All of these things are basically using moisture, heat and pressure to remove wrinkles.
The Teflon sheets have two sides. A textured side and a smoother side. If you put the smooth side in contact with the comic and don’t over tighten the press you will be fine. Parchment paper also has a down side as it absorbs the moisture from the comic and gets wavy which can imprint onto the comic.
@@RegieCollects thanks. I guess I bought the wrong Teflon sheets from Amazon, as both sides are textured the same. I will try parchment paper. Keep up the great videos! Take care!
Yes, they come from Amazon. No clue the brand but I show everything at the very start of this video. We are without power or else I’d try to fond the brand on the box.
Dang 1G not only can you press weights but you can also press comics 😱 Congrats on 4K as well. I am happy to say I knew you before you blow up like Kevin Smith and Joe Rogan. As always your videos are top notch my friend.
No, I never get staple impressions because I use backing boards. Yes, you can use too many boards. Be sure to watch the other parts of this series including the Q&A.
@@RegieCollects oh i have rewatched you vids a few times. I think this particular book had high arching staples. Maybe a board on each side of the staple om books such as these. Been pressing with just boards, finally made the jump to plates so I can stop flipping.
What if you're not an avid collector of comics and only want to press 1 or 2 that are part of an ongoing collection of a franchise that isnt really about comics? (I have a comic based on a video game that's in crappy condition and wanna press it but dont need to go and buy a press and all that for 1 book)
Hello reggie, do you know how to remove water stains? I have heard that you can remove them by adding pure water, that the water stain is not actually water but the dirt that was in the water and by adding pure water you may remove the dirt, wait to dry and good as new? I dont know what pure water is? Filtered?
I have literally heard one person say that it’s possible but I have never seen it done. I tend to avoid books with water damage but it appears that you have have some pretty expensive books on your hands warrants exploration of removal. Good luck bro.
Regie Simmons IFBB Pro I highly doubt it dude. You have a great voice for this. Very soothing. Lol. The quiet storm by Regie Simmons’s. I can’t catch a lot of videos live so I always replay them during my work commute. Keep up the stellar work brother
Reggie you make great videos! I recommend you put your face on some of your thumbnails because I passed over this video multiple times because I didnt know it was you 😅 definitely subscribing tho so I don’t miss your other stuff
Alright Reggie thanks for everything thus far. I have all my supplies / press and I'm ready to go. But I noticed that with YOUR press you can SEE the metal plate. My press, which is a HP23OB model (with no real instructions sadly) has some time of cover over the plate. I would say it's some type of polyester fabric (like the loose one in your video). Should I try to remove this and be using the PLATE ONLY (uncovered) for pressing my books? After checking it for imperfections of course. Plus the bottom has these FOAM pads (removable) in place to use. Should I take those out / off as well. Of course I have dollar bin trash books for test runs, but I want to make sure I'm setting this up the right way. I didn't notice these things until I unpacked the press and set it up. Thanks for the help Sir.
My ability to help will be somewhat limited because I’m not familiar with the various models that are out there. To this end, I have no experience with the padding presses per se. I placed an aluminum plate on the bottom to cover my pad and the top was already exploded metal. I would suggest, putting aluminum on bottom and trying to press the book with the top pad to see what happens. It might work nicely.
@@RegieCollects Thanks for the reply back. I did buy and cut the aluminum as you suggested. I'll leave the plate alone to start then. Obviously this is a trial run, but you think I should take out the pads from the bottom and just go with the aluminum after setting up the book with the backing board and teflon out of the humidity bath?
@@RegieCollects Well I'm going to give it a go next weekend when break kicks in. I'll be sure to let you know after the holidays how it goes. Thanks so much for your feedback and time dedicated to this conversation and to the comic community. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Have you ever had an issue with putting in the comics dry and after the pressing, they come out with water spots all over. I am guessing i have too much humidity in my home?
@@RegieCollects filtered water out of our fridge. But I tried no moisture and they were coming out wet, I tried 4 hours and today I tried 30 minutes, but still wet. I am thinking of buying a dehumidifier. Just seems weird as I'm in the prairies not on the coast
I’ve heard that filtered water can cause water rings. I’ve never seen it using filtered water but you might want switch to distilled. I only put 4-5 cups of water in my moisture bath and depending upon the age of the book I will leave it in the press for 6 hours. All books get the same 25 seconds cook time at 175.
Ive tried the magic eraser but it removed some of the ink. I tried it on a free comic day book so no big deal i just wondered if I did it wrong. Any tips would be appreciated.
Comic Fam..Make sure you ALWAYS clean your book first before pressing and bathing or at the very least wipe it down with a fragrance free cotton round (people use for make up removal) or fragrance and lotion free Kleenex or a 1"x1" DRY Swiffer pad. Pressing before cleaning or wiping down can push dirt, grime, foxing (bacterial growth seen on covers) oil and grime from your hands into the books fibers, and will come up if graded.. Please be careful if you are putting multiple sheet of Parchment or SRP (Silicone Release Paper) in Buffered Modern Books(that are not square bound or prestige style spines)! Let me tell you why.. Depending on the type of Card stock you are using(60-65LB Card stock Recommended or your going heavy like a 110LB or Golden age Backing board), under your covers or splash pages **Should ONLY be used if getting rid of spine ticks or non colorbreaking creases that go through the entire book. IF you do not have spine ticks then a Magazine or Golden age Backer Board At the center fold with srp or parchment under both covers and a sheet on top and bottom of outside of book is good enough** If you put in multiple Srp or parchment paper between every other page or every page so they do not stick, you are running the risk of completely ruining the book due to it buffering the book fatter or wider than the spine side and can actually split or STRETCH your spine with modern centerfold stapled inner binding and staple exterior binding type books, this is very dangerous.** I highly suggest using Parchment or SRP under both covers (with or w/o cardstock or backing boards under cover) So if you press, the ink from the last page or splash page does not run or transfer to the front or back cover (RED ORANGE AND PURPLE ESPECIALLY). The way to avoid pages sticking together with modern books with that glossy cover and glossy pages (or cheap marvel card stock) is just use LOW heat or less time or both .. I use 2 1/8" steel plates (sometimes 1 and aluminum is cool, like Reggie is using) so I never have to flip my book. Also with a DIY Humidity Chamber 1 only use 1 cup at the most 3 cups of DISTILLED WATER ONLY (DO NOT USE TAP OR BOTTLE WATER!!!This can leave spots on your book from minerals). Remember the goal here is to make the book humid not wet. Also, please practice on every ind of book (Golden age, silver age, bronze, copper, modern(Gloss cover New paper inner pages), New Modern, Glossy Cover/Glossy Pages Filler cheap books first for trial and error before you press your babies/valued treasures.. Good Luck
Not responding for Browny points or holding a “Look at me i cook with books”Sign.. I am just adding due to many many many hours and books of trial and error.. Its going to happen (error) to everyone, I just had to learn the hard way unfortunately.. Good luck
@@RegieCollects Sorry about that ill make sure to watch all of the video before I ask any questions. My Apologies if I'm being annoying. Marry Christmas.
This video series is a great start. Be sure to watch all three parts and the Q&A. If you look for the blog post on my website you can find links to all the resources needed.
@@RegieCollects I literally still have it on the little cart that I brought it home on. I haven't even plugged it in yet. I bought it from a graphics artist that used it for a special project and didn't need it anymore.
That is fundamentally and factually untrue. Please provide me with a reference for this things. I am a huge fan of facts based evidence. You can message me on IG or email me at Regie@RegieCollects.com. Thanks.
So any comics with water damage or whatever damage after trying this, you can throw in the garbage. Saves time and money then keep dragging these comics from place to place.
All my comics are 1st print, Very few if any 2nd or 3rd print. I many that are not as expensive that I may or may not want to try pressing myself. Heat acts different for many comics. The results are not the same. I already damaged a $94 dollar comic thinking it wouldn't do that kind of damage. I will keep trying but this time with a presser. It's hard to find the right settings so as not to damage the comic not too badly.
The shiny side of the backing board is the treated side, so you should lay the comic on the shiny side. Its treated to be acid free, the mat side is not
True but the other side also has bicarbonate as well which is a base to the acid of the comic paper. I worked with BCW for several months 😉 Short term contact with either side during the comic book pressing process will not make a major difference.
I wanted my giant size x-men pressed and no one would do it. So one day I said screw it and I did it myself. And it came out very well. Sometimes you just gotta take a dive. Lol
Boom!
Nicely done video Regie. I would recommend reconsidering the metal plate on the bottom though and flip it instead. Part of the process is the cooling off period and having that plate will stall that process out considerably. Not to mention that the metal won’t get up to the same temperature as the heated ceramic plate. So you run the risk of uneven levels of moisture locked into the book if both sides don’t get heated evenly for the same duration.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of your process!
I hear what you’re saying but I haven’t experienced those problems.
I’ve actually secured three 9.8s and a 9.6 using my process. I’m still learning but I feel that the results give me comfort that my approach is working.
As I mentioned in the video, people will have to decide for themselves what they are comfortable with so I appreciate you offering up additional tips for people to consider-that’s not lip-service either. 👊🏾👊🏾 Thanks bud.
See about a flat sheet of silicon for the top of hot press for more of even heat distribution we use it in our photo press at me job
Well done my friend I’m looking forward to the next video. As you know I’m learning about pressing myself and I gotta say it’s fun watching beat up comics come back to life.
Oh my...that is one of the best things. To take a beat up book and breath new life into it. It’s such an amazing experience. Thanks for asking all those questions over the last few weeks. Those questions were helpful during my brainstorming for these videos. 👊🏾👊🏾 I appreciate you, Joe.
Excellent breakdown Regie! Appreciate the concise overview of supplies.
👊🏾
Here we go, been waiting for this bro. I’m loving that mustard yellow and red shadow detail on that Lobo cover on you wall. Can’t wait for the next video man.
Thanks bro. That Lobo is a beast. I love that book. I appreciate you watching.
Reggie. i have my own business dry cleaning and pressing books in florida on east coast Melbourne. Cleaning and pressing comics can be a tedious task depending on condition. Deoending on condition will depend on process/need. Its not as easy as everyone thinks and is a unique art. I use the 12 x 12 sheets top AND bottom. Teflon oven sheet between top sheet metal and the paper thats on top of comic cover. Golden age done same as you. Currents are needy. Magic Eraser VERY LIGHTLY AND ONLY OVER WHITES works great! I use that same tote for my humidity chamber and snipped a plastic coated wire dog cage divider to make a rack and zip tied the 3 sides together to make the stand. Good job on the video reggie. you are doing good things for the community!
Salute. 👊🏾
Would be great to get an amazon list link of supplies in this video! Thanks for sharing!
During the comics bath if you dim the lights, light candles and play Enya it helps the comic relax and prevents further wrinkles! ;)
As someone looking to get into pressing this is the most helpful video I have come across! Thank you! I really hope that you can also show us the complete process of you actually pressing a silver/bronze comic that would be great to see all the steps you do from the start to ending :) Thank you so much Regie.
Part 2 is focused on the "bath" but part 3 which is uploading now show the process from start to finish. I literally show you before and after books. Stay tuned Chris. And, thank you for the kind words.
Great video. Our methods are a bit different, but we do have the same press. Thanks so much for sharing!
I think there are a number of ways to make magic. 😂 Personally, I am still learning. Thanks for taking the time to watch.
Reggie, I'm an avid viewer, rare commentor which is not cool. I just wanted to thank you for your fantastic content and knowledge, it doesn't matter if you had just started collecting yesterday or you've been collecting for years, all your videos are very informative for all of us. Keep it up brother, and the fact that you're a Home Depot shopper is icing on the cake. You rock Reggie!
Stan thank you for the kind words. I had a really hard day yesterday and it's nice to wake up to this wonderful comment from you. Everything happens for a reason. Thank you bro. Happy holidays.
Regie great job at explaining what you use! It's very interesting to see what all goes into pressing comics.
Thanks Tina. I think the video came together nicely. Hope everyone enjoys it.
Yesssssssss!!!! Already have questions, but I’ll hold off until the end of class 😁
Lol. You’re awesome. Thanks!
You need to mention that the Teflon film will leave a grid pattern on your comic books because they aren't completely smooth. I don't think you mentioned the pressure setting on the press. I had to dial it down because I was getting Teflon film imprints on my books.
Very nice video! I was really getting into it and was like it's over already?! Love it. Super informative and detailed. Thanks, Regie. Can't wait part 2.
Glad you enjoyed it bro. That 18 minute video almost killed my laptop. 😂🤣 Part 2 is coming soon. I’m brainstorming part 3.
Great informative and detailed video. For the new comers to the community Just a reminder to clean before pressing.
Thanks for watching bro. I appreciate it. Part 3 is uploading now. 👊🏾
Thank you. Great info. Waiting for part 2
Glad you enjoyed it. I can't recall if part 2 will go live this week. I need to check.
No problem. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Great video Regie !!! Can't wait for the other parts !!!
I am uploading part 3 as we speak. Part 2 coming soon.
@@RegieCollects thanks you're the man!
Awesome. Cant wait to see the rest of the vids so I can try this out on my own.
Party times in the house!!! What's up Regie!!! I have been waiting for this for a while... You know me and the fam bam are here to stay!!! Loyal comic swolders!! Congrats on the 4K and let's keep moving forward!!
I appreciate you brother.
Dude, you are the best. Thank you for what you do for us collectors. You have helped me so much. Peace
You are very welcome. 👊🏾
Great video, I've been researching this quite a bit lately. Can't wait for your next one.
Thanks for watching Ross. I hope that the video helps.
This is great. It makes me think that I might actually be able to press my own books and save a bunch of money in the long run. Thanks Regie! I'm gonna check out the other parts of this series now too!
That was the goal bro. People told me it was easy and I resisted then I did it. 🤯 I had to share with folks so I tried to put out a high quality video series that would help. I appreciate you watching.
Regie,thank you for sharing this wealth of information! You really are an inspiration!!
Thanks for watching and commenting Karl. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks Reggie! Your tips were VERY helpful. I recieved 4- 9.8s on my first submissions to CGC!
efren villa Boom! Congrats! I try to put good information out there with the hope that it will help people. 👊🏾
Very informative. I’ve been looking for a step by step process for pressing books. Good job, Regie...
I hope the video helps bro. Stay tuned for part two.
Amazing
Great information, I like the personal attention to details. Very helpful thanks!
You are very welcome. There are several parts to this series including an FAQ.
Mmmm getting into the wizardry. Thank you brother, good knowledge.
I wish I could like this video twice for the humility and transparency you put into this.
Making magic on a daily. 😂👊🏾👊🏾
great video regie. i've been holding out on making this jump to cleaning/pressing and you've provided some really good tips. glad you are getting good results, especially from grading. you're doing something right. :D
And, I'm saving myself some money bro. As I mentioned in the video, I'm still learning but I'm doing something right. I appreciate you taking the time to watch.
love this channel.. keep up the great work regie
Thanks Tom. I appreciate you brother. 👊🏾👊🏾
SENSEI! You're a well of comic knowledge that just KEEPS on giving! Thanks for making these pressing videos..you got me and a buddy INTRIGUED! Now just have to convince wifey to get the pressing machine..she just got a cricket for shirt decals and such so maybe she would appreciate it!
Bro, we got the T-shirt press then the Cricket (for the wife). 😂🤪😜 Glad you are enjoying the videos bro.
@@RegieCollects hahaha that's awesome. Now THAT'S a power couple!
Thanks, boss. Have you seen ETA Nick's video where he uses a handheld garment steamer?
Nick has an entire series on cleaning and pressing comics. He was actually one of the first guys that I started watching years ago before creating my own channel. With that said, I haven’t watched that specific video. It does however illustrate that there is more than one way to press a book. 😀👊🏾
@@RegieCollects It's interesting, and could be just an added option to what you are doing. Appreciate the time you are investing in passing along information to the rest of us.
Have you ever used a steamer wand, like they use for clothes? I watched a video where the guy uses one instead of the steam bath. Seemed to work , and quickly.
I have not. I think that their are many ways to skin a cat. 😀
At the end of the day, the moisture bath is not the rate limiting factor so speeding up that portion of the process doesn’t help with the time need in the press itself. The bath can also be accelerated with warm/hot water versus room temperature but again the bottle neck is still the press itself.
I’ve tried to unsuccessfully use a streamer on my dress shirt a few weeks ago. I ended up setting up the ironing board and breaking out the iron. Lol. I hope this helps.
@@RegieCollects Lol, valid points. Thanks! And thanks for the videos! Your putting out some great stuff!
Been looking forward to this video good job Regie very informative
Thanks John. I appreciate it. Hopefully this helps someone.
Word Reg! Thanks for the advice!
Nicely done! Clear & concise video. Looking forward to follow on. How often do you add moisture to your books prior to pressing?
The book is exposed to moisture once in the bath for a few hours. This is covered in more detail on part 2.
I didn't use sandpaper I took a utility knife blade and scraped it across the surface at a 90 degree angle and checked for resistance 1st . Thankfully none . I evidently saw the same youtube video as it also encouraged me to try pressing .
You used the utility knife to check for imperfections or to remove them?
To check for them as the blade wouldn't slide smoothly. I checked and it didn't require sanding. I find that deposits built up on the surface after I pressed a number of books . I assume that it might been from using well water not distilled. I used the blade to remove it. And say distilled is the way to go.
Great vid Reg. Been wanting to do this for a while now.
I just saw the Livestream you mentioned and thought the same thing. In the water bath do you use regular or warm/hot water?
Room temperature.
Thanks for watching.
Why do you not have more subs? You are extremely informative and I thank you!
Thanks for making my day bro. We are a small but mighty community. 😂🤣
I did the old iron over a towel thing with an issue of Sports Illustrated I had years ago. But I would never do it with my comics lol
?
Thanks Regie
You are welcome Caloy!! Part 2 and 3 coming soon.
Well this is a Rabbit Hole I am going down as well. Buying a press. I'll keep you updated. I believe a year ago you and I said...yeah I'm not pressing. Wow what a difference year and a half makes.
😂😜 I had to make the jump when CGC raised its prices. Pressing costs as much as grading.
I'm excited and scared to try this.
Lol. It’s not for everyone. Trust me.
Like others, probably too many questions to ask so I'll wait to see more. But a couple things stand out as I've never pressed a book before. 1: I didn't know a "moisture bath" was even necessary. Seems like it'd be the natural enemy of a comic book, right? :) So is it just that the book needs to be a bit moist since it's about to be heated and you thus lessen the chance of burning it by giving the book a touch of moisture that can be removed by the heat? Anyway, I found this part quite alarming. :)
And 2: I hadn't even thought that you would press more than one book at a time like you mentioned, let alone two books with say, different needs? If one book needed more attention to the cover (and thus, some boards applied) in order to get taken care of, why would you even think of pressing it with a book that doesn't? Unless time is an issue, I can't even imagine contemplating doing this?
Very interesting video and look forward to more. I also didn't know that you clean books too until this video. I hear it's meticulous work where you must apply just enough pressure with a point eraser to move dirt, grime or writing from the surface but not so much where you take the gloss off the book. Tough balance to achieve, for certain!
I'm not sure that your questions will be answered by additional videos so I'll attempt to address them here. :) Please keep in mind that I am not a professional presser. I'm a guy that watched some videos. Played around and pressed about a hundred books with a few 9.8s and 9.6s to show for it. My point is that you may have to see out additional insight from experts that may know more than me. The questions around pressing have been going on for a very long time, you may want to check out the CGC forums for the pages of debate. ☺
With that said, here goes.
1. Have you ever ironed a dress shirt? If so, what’s one the things that many people do? They use “wet” starch or mist from the iron. If not these things, they tend to use steam. All of these approaches apply moisture to a dry object then use heat to remove that moisture leaving behind a wrinkle-free piece of cloth. Can you iron without a little moisture? Sure, but do the clothes get as wrinkle-free? Maybe, but you might have to iron it a few times…turn up the heat…etc. to get the same effect.
In my mind, this approach isn’t any different than ironing a shirt. You add a little moisture then remove it until the paper is perfectly dry. There are some people that press without adding moisture but that is not the method that I wanted to apply.
Have you had a chance to watch my interview with CGC on pressing? In that video we discuss a comic book restoration guy that actually submerges comics into water in order to recreate and restore the pages. I can’t recall the guy’s name on IG but he has done some beautiful work on high dollar golden age comics. My point is that we’re not submerging anything here. LOL.
Alarming? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.
2. Given that the pressing process can take 6-hours the question isn’t why you would press two books at once but why would you not? If I can press two books at the same time and press them effectively why would I only press one? That would seem to be inefficient.
Hope this helps.
Hi Reggie. I have a quick question regarding the use of backer boards. Do you ever re-use your boards or do you discard after every press. It can get somewhat expensive to discard each time. Your thoughts are appreciated.
The problem with reusing backing boards or parchment paper is that they start to warp/wrinkle which especially presses defects into the comic. How much warping will depend upon the dampness of the comic, temp of the press, etc. Long story, reuse at risk.
@@RegieCollects Thanks Regie. I appreciate your help.
Did you take the aluminum sheet and put it at the bottom of the press? I have a rubber pad at the bottom of mine. I was thinking of removing it for a harder surface. Just asking for a little clarity. Thanks.
Yes, I address this at about 5:20 seconds into the video. The aluminum conducts heat and basically presses the other side of the book.
Do you remove the rubber pad or place sheet on top of it?
How many uses do you think the backing boards have? I have heard about people throwing board out after 1 use.
I toss the backboards when they start to use shape. That will depend upon the quality of the board...if you place it in the moisture bath..what type of moisture bath used, etc.
Hi Reggie: Can you perhaps provide a "shopping list" for us (me) to buy what we need to create our own moisture bath (tote) for this process. I'm trying to take notes, but I feel like I'm going to miss something. The actual size of the tote would be helpful as well. Thanks!
I’d pause the video at 4:22 and write down what you can see on the labels. The size of the tote doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t have a size because I would have provided it. It was literally something that the wife had at the house.
Why the water bath ? Great video so far....
Glad you enjoyed Part 1. Part 2 has been posted so check that out if you can.
The water bath allows the book to take on a little moisture. The moisture allows the books to be manipulated either by hand-to correct a spine roll for example-and by the press easier than a dry book.
Think about ironing your clothes. One of the first things you might do is use some starch or spray it with water. Some might even use steam. All of these things are basically using moisture, heat and pressure to remove wrinkles.
Very informative video, thank you. Any success with foil covers?
Thanks for the info. I been waiting for someone to make a great video like your..A step by step.. 🤙🤙
Thanks for watching bro. 👊🏾 Make sure you check out the other parts of the series.
Well I guess I know what I'll be getting, lol. Thank you for the great video.
I just dropped you a message on IG. 👊🏾
Those reusable Teflon sheets have a woven pattern on them. Doesn't that get imprinted on the front/back covers?
The Teflon sheets have two sides. A textured side and a smoother side. If you put the smooth side in contact with the comic and don’t over tighten the press you will be fine. Parchment paper also has a down side as it absorbs the moisture from the comic and gets wavy which can imprint onto the comic.
@@RegieCollects thanks. I guess I bought the wrong Teflon sheets from Amazon, as both sides are textured the same. I will try parchment paper. Keep up the great videos! Take care!
What is that Ron Lim Silver Surfer plastic thing you got back there, just under the Hulk torso figure...?
Watercolor painting from a subscriber.
@@RegieCollects Very Cool! :-)
Love the video!!! But isn't, the lower the grit the rougher the paper?
oooops i didnt know i was logged into my sisters account
I recorded that video several months ago. Can’t recall the details. Sorry.
I would like to know if foxing/brown spots can be removed at the cleaning stage???
Not in my experience.
I think I can see you ur beard growing in real-time as you speak. Crazy
What brand of tephlon sheets do you use and can I get them on amazon lol.
Yes, they come from Amazon. No clue the brand but I show everything at the very start of this video. We are without power or else I’d try to fond the brand on the box.
@@RegieCollects ok thanks regie
Never realized what went into pressing
Can you clarify if you're heating the press up first and then pressing for 25 seconds, or is it heating up as you're pressing.
Heated to temp first
Dang 1G not only can you press weights but you can also press comics 😱 Congrats on 4K as well. I am happy to say I knew you before you blow up like Kevin Smith and Joe Rogan. As always your videos are top notch my friend.
😂🤣 You’re awesome. Thanks for making me laugh brother. I really do appreciate you sticking with me. You never fail to bring a smile to my face. 👊🏾👊🏾
One question. The water should be room temperature or warmer?
I use room temperature water.
I literally had the same water in my tubs for weeks. 🤷🏾♂️
distilled water I'm guessing it's the same thing as my cigars don't want any mold?
Yes
Do u ever get staple impressions? Can extra backing boards fix this? Is there ever too many boards?
No, I never get staple impressions because I use backing boards. Yes, you can use too many boards. Be sure to watch the other parts of this series including the Q&A.
@@RegieCollects oh i have rewatched you vids a few times. I think this particular book had high arching staples. Maybe a board on each side of the staple om books such as these. Been pressing with just boards, finally made the jump to plates so I can stop flipping.
What if you're not an avid collector of comics and only want to press 1 or 2 that are part of an ongoing collection of a franchise that isnt really about comics? (I have a comic based on a video game that's in crappy condition and wanna press it but dont need to go and buy a press and all that for 1 book)
Find a third party presser that can do it for you.
Hello reggie, do you know how to remove water stains? I have heard that you can remove them by adding pure water, that the water stain is not actually water but the dirt that was in the water and by adding pure water you may remove the dirt, wait to dry and good as new? I dont know what pure water is? Filtered?
That’s an advanced technique that I have zero experience with. Sorry bro.
Thank you for the reply , my local presser also says same, i make them my two books to some sort of museum book restoration place
I have literally heard one person say that it’s possible but I have never seen it done. I tend to avoid books with water damage but it appears that you have have some pretty expensive books on your hands warrants exploration of removal. Good luck bro.
Great video Regie. You and Caleb the comic book smurph should do a pressing collab. Since he’s moving to a new cheese factory.
New cheese factor?!?!
I have to ask ....is it as nerve racking as I think it is to press these books?
Nope. Part two is actually pretty boring.
Regie Simmons IFBB Pro I highly doubt it dude. You have a great voice for this. Very soothing. Lol. The quiet storm by Regie Simmons’s. I can’t catch a lot of videos live so I always replay them during my work commute. Keep up the stellar work brother
Reggie you make great videos! I recommend you put your face on some of your thumbnails because I passed over this video multiple times because I didnt know it was you 😅 definitely subscribing tho so I don’t miss your other stuff
Glad you enjoyed the video. 👊🏾
Great video! Whats the name of the plastic grid and in what section of home depot did you find it in? Thanks in advance.
It came from the lighting section. It’s basically the grate used with ceiling lights.
@@RegieCollects Thanks Regie!
Alright Reggie thanks for everything thus far. I have all my supplies / press and I'm ready to go. But I noticed that with YOUR press you can SEE the metal plate. My press, which is a HP23OB model (with no real instructions sadly) has some time of cover over the plate. I would say it's some type of polyester fabric (like the loose one in your video). Should I try to remove this and be using the PLATE ONLY (uncovered) for pressing my books? After checking it for imperfections of course. Plus the bottom has these FOAM pads (removable) in place to use. Should I take those out / off as well. Of course I have dollar bin trash books for test runs, but I want to make sure I'm setting this up the right way. I didn't notice these things until I unpacked the press and set it up. Thanks for the help Sir.
My ability to help will be somewhat limited because I’m not familiar with the various models that are out there. To this end, I have no experience with the padding presses per se. I placed an aluminum plate on the bottom to cover my pad and the top was already exploded metal. I would suggest, putting aluminum on bottom and trying to press the book with the top pad to see what happens. It might work nicely.
@@RegieCollects Thanks for the reply back. I did buy and cut the aluminum as you suggested. I'll leave the plate alone to start then. Obviously this is a trial run, but you think I should take out the pads from the bottom and just go with the aluminum after setting up the book with the backing board and teflon out of the humidity bath?
My aluminum plate sits on top of a pad. I wouldn’t worry about the bottom pad.
It’s the top pad on your press that I’m concerned about.
@@RegieCollects Well I'm going to give it a go next weekend when break kicks in. I'll be sure to let you know after the holidays how it goes. Thanks so much for your feedback and time dedicated to this conversation and to the comic community. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Have you ever had an issue with putting in the comics dry and after the pressing, they come out with water spots all over. I am guessing i have too much humidity in my home?
No. I have never encountered that. Are you using distilled water or tap water? How long are you living the book in the bath and how long in the press?
@@RegieCollects filtered water out of our fridge. But I tried no moisture and they were coming out wet, I tried 4 hours and today I tried 30 minutes, but still wet. I am thinking of buying a dehumidifier. Just seems weird as I'm in the prairies not on the coast
I’ve heard that filtered water can cause water rings. I’ve never seen it using filtered water but you might want switch to distilled. I only put 4-5 cups of water in my moisture bath and depending upon the age of the book I will leave it in the press for 6 hours. All books get the same 25 seconds cook time at 175.
@@RegieCollects I'll try some distilled water, and a dehumidifier, thanks for the tips 👍
Boy, think I might have figured out my issue, celsius vs farenheit 😵😵😵 I'm Canadian , forgive me. Lol😜🤣
Ive tried the magic eraser but it removed some of the ink. I tried it on a free comic day book so no big deal i just wondered if I did it wrong. Any tips would be appreciated.
ruclips.net/video/DZTYS2G3UJo/видео.html
Comic Fam..Make sure you ALWAYS clean your book first before pressing and bathing or at the very least wipe it down with a fragrance free cotton round (people use for make up removal) or fragrance and lotion free Kleenex or a 1"x1" DRY Swiffer pad. Pressing before cleaning or wiping down can push dirt, grime, foxing (bacterial growth seen on covers) oil and grime from your hands into the books fibers, and will come up if graded.. Please be careful if you are putting multiple sheet of Parchment or SRP (Silicone Release Paper) in Buffered Modern Books(that are not square bound or prestige style spines)! Let me tell you why.. Depending on the type of Card stock you are using(60-65LB Card stock Recommended or your going heavy like a 110LB or Golden age Backing board), under your covers or splash pages **Should ONLY be used if getting rid of spine ticks or non colorbreaking creases that go through the entire book. IF you do not have spine ticks then a Magazine or Golden age Backer Board At the center fold with srp or parchment under both covers and a sheet on top and bottom of outside of book is good enough** If you put in multiple Srp or parchment paper between every other page or every page so they do not stick, you are running the risk of completely ruining the book due to it buffering the book fatter or wider than the spine side and can actually split or STRETCH your spine with modern centerfold stapled inner binding and staple exterior binding type books, this is very dangerous.** I highly suggest using Parchment or SRP under both covers (with or w/o cardstock or backing boards under cover) So if you press, the ink from the last page or splash page does not run or transfer to the front or back cover (RED ORANGE AND PURPLE ESPECIALLY). The way to avoid pages sticking together with modern books with that glossy cover and glossy pages (or cheap marvel card stock) is just use LOW heat or less time or both .. I use 2 1/8" steel plates (sometimes 1 and aluminum is cool, like Reggie is using) so I never have to flip my book. Also with a DIY Humidity Chamber 1 only use 1 cup at the most 3 cups of DISTILLED WATER ONLY (DO NOT USE TAP OR BOTTLE WATER!!!This can leave spots on your book from minerals). Remember the goal here is to make the book humid not wet. Also, please practice on every ind of book (Golden age, silver age, bronze, copper, modern(Gloss cover New paper inner pages), New Modern, Glossy Cover/Glossy Pages Filler cheap books first for trial and error before you press your babies/valued treasures.. Good Luck
Thanks for adding to the dialogue.
Not responding for Browny points or holding a “Look at me i cook with books”Sign.. I am just adding due to many many many hours and books of trial and error.. Its going to happen (error) to everyone, I just had to learn the hard way unfortunately.. Good luck
You may have said, but I missed it.. what thickness of aluminum plate did you use?
Not sure. It was the only option available at Home Depot. It is about the thickness of a backing board.
Hi Regie what is the brand and model of the press u using
Transfer Crafts 15x15
What do you use to whiten your teeth?
Finally!!!!!!
LOL. I know...I know. :-)
since its 2021, have you updated your method or items you use for pressing
No.
@@RegieCollects what is the best way you dealt with brittle covers
When’s part 2 coming out
Soon. I also have part 3 ready to rock as well.
Part 2 dropped yesterday.
Do you use room temperature water?
Yes, be sure to check out all parts of the series including the Q&A. Just about every question is answered.
@@RegieCollects Sorry about that ill make sure to watch all of the video before I ask any questions. My Apologies if I'm being annoying. Marry Christmas.
Thx cuz
Just room temperature water not super hot?
Room temperature unless you are looking to speed up the process which means you will have to adjust other variables
Thanks for fast reply. I’m not into comics I don’t know where to start. but this looks therapeutic. Like the videos
This video series is a great start. Be sure to watch all three parts and the Q&A. If you look for the blog post on my website you can find links to all the resources needed.
Dope
i love it . but i dont have the time, 3 yr old girl 2 care for, but very descriptive, high level content
This is odd. I just bought the same press after looking at every single one on the market.
It’s a solid press
@@RegieCollects I literally still have it on the little cart that I brought it home on. I haven't even plugged it in yet. I bought it from a graphics artist that used it for a special project and didn't need it anymore.
Pressing heat to comic books will brown the pages, and discolor it. Not a good ideal.
That is fundamentally and factually untrue. Please provide me with a reference for this things. I am a huge fan of facts based evidence. You can message me on IG or email me at Regie@RegieCollects.com. Thanks.
@@RegieCollects heat and moisture will discolor paper, that is a scientific fact.
I'm here to tell you how some bubble gum, gorilla glue and an old pair a sneakers can help you press a comic book. 😛. Just messing. Enjoyed the video.
Container not tote
According to the manufacturer’s label it’s a tote but thanks. Glad your enjoying this super old video. 👊🏾
So any comics with water damage or whatever damage after trying this, you can throw in the garbage. Saves time and money then keep dragging these comics from place to place.
Not sure that I understand your comment.
All my comics are 1st print, Very few if any 2nd or 3rd print. I many that are not as expensive that I may or may not want to try pressing myself. Heat acts different for many comics. The results are not the same.
I already damaged a $94 dollar comic thinking it wouldn't do that kind of damage.
I will keep trying but this time with a presser. It's hard to find the right settings so as not to damage the comic not too badly.
You have only watched part one of a 4 part series on pressing. My technique has results in about 45 9.8s in two shipments.