Sketch Collectors Warning: Cold, Silent Inferno

For the n00bs of cel collecting and production art . . . and for some of us old-timers, too. Post your questions on anything that puzzles you.
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Kero
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Post by Kero »

Thank you for all the info, Sensei! I can tell you all that not even fire, heat and water will get rid of tape. I had sketches that were mostly burnt but the tape was still there and holding on.

When I start restoring my cels and sketches I will cetainly keep this in mind.

BTW, I have "bonus" cels and sketches (lightly toasted) that if any of you are dying to do experiments on, you are certainly welcome to it. I can't send them until I get settled in my new chibi apartment in the next couple of weeks, but I will be happy to share. Just PM me! :)
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sensei
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Post by sensei »

I certainly would not want to try to remove tape by subjecting the sketch to intense heat or water! Image I once read a downright terrifying description of how someone tried to separate stuck cel layers using one of those infrared heat torches they use to strip old paint. (It did separate the layers, but, IIRC, the top layer sprang straight up into the air and had to be caught before it landed or it would stick again but in a different place.)

I'm planning my next "Quirky Gallery Tour" to focus on "Anime Art Pain," with some images of damage that occurred before I obtained my items and now (sigh!) some examples that happened subsequently.

I'm still digging through boxes looking for tape, and overall I'm finding Studio Pierrot the most conspicuous user of high-acid celotape, with E.G. Films (Slayers) and Toei (KKJ) also implicated. In many cases I did manage to get the tape off just as the damage began but before it became immediately obvious to the casual eye.

A good sign is to hold the sketch up to light. A stable sketch will be opaque from corner to corner, but the first sign that tape adhesive is reacting with paper is that it will start to go translucent. So if the sketch seems a little more transparent where the tape is, get it off ASAP.
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miz ducky
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Post by miz ducky »

I found that the "Chemistry" store in my local mall does have eucalyptus oil. They sell it for $15/one ounce or 2 for $25. It comes in a very small bottle with a roller top (like something you might apply perfume with or a small version of a deodorant).

So what I would like to know is, is that a good price? Can I expect to see those prices at other locations?
What exactly are the steps and procedures recommended for removing the tape? Do you then have to remove the oil?
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sensei
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Post by sensei »

That sounds like a bad deal, miz ducky. I get mine in big whacking jugs from Lucky Vitamin, a decent online site for all kinds of aromatherapy and homoeopathic supplies. When I checked their website this morning, they were offering 16 oz bottles for $14.39, about 15 times cheaper than your little bottle. Shipping is additional but as I recall pretty reasonable and the stuff comes very well packed.

(But keep in mind that, like most essential oils, the stuff is lethal if a child drinks it and can cause serious dermatitis if you dump it over on your clothes, which is why it's normally sold in teeny bottles. So if you get a jug this size, you'd want to keep it locked up and take a small bottle -- glass, as it eats most types of plastic -- to refill regularly for your work.)

I should work up a little description of my practice in using it (I've gotten very familiar with it these last weeks), but I'm getting ready for my Cephiro to Campus run. I'll try a new thread sometime later this week. But to answer your immediate question, no, the oil evaporates naturally, so once it's used you only need to air the sketches thoroughly (overnight is sufficient).

It is, however, essential that you get as much of the adhesive off the paper after removing the tape, as this (not the tape itself) is what will continue to damage the paper. A good hint is to use a paper tissue to soak up the softened adhesive until the paper no longer looks shiny or feels sticky.
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kira
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Post by kira »

most of my smaller saiyuki sketches, i've removed the tape from them. i did that yesterday, removing the tape from sketch and background.

now if it's tape attached to sketch hole part that's taped to the paper, forget me removing that. i did it yesterday, and took a small chunck out of a sketch. no, that does not mean i'll get rid of it. it's to nice and i still like it despite my stupidity.

i think i'm just gonna have to check perodically. if i remember.
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lcatino
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Post by lcatino »

sensei wrote:
I should work up a little description of my practice in using it (I've gotten very familiar with it these last weeks)
A tape removal tutorial would be really helpful for me, as I just discovered a set loaded with tape, that is turning dark yellow. :hurt:

I'd like to try and get it off safely. The sketches look pretty old.

I have no experience removing anything yet. Tape, stuck sketches from cels, stuck cels from backgrounds...so I'm not sure what to do. Do you swab the eucalyptus oil directly onto the tape, or dilute it with water?
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Belldandy16
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Post by Belldandy16 »

lcatino wrote:
sensei wrote:
I should work up a little description of my practice in using it (I've gotten very familiar with it these last weeks)
A tape removal tutorial would be really helpful for me,
me too!
i have some that are taped directly ounto the background with this really stickey nasty tape (WORSE than scotch tape, its really really stickey ). :hurt:

thank you very much Sensei! :D
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moonrabitt
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Post by moonrabitt »

What happened to Jen?
I have not been on lately...
and RB is not working, so I can't check her "inferno" section.....


I always wondered why the tape made the sketches brown now I know, and hopefully I can take the tape off some of my pieces, thanks for the info....
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moonrabitt
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Post by moonrabitt »

Ahh...
thanks for the link
Can't see the poor cels and sketches that suffered the fire fate since Rb is down...but even so...this has made me re-think where I keep my cels and sketches..... 8O

To inferno...sorry for your loss....
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