I was wondering if somebody could help me. A few weeks ago, I decided to rescan my Angel’s Egg cel, but when I opened the bag I realized that the paint had adhered (only slightly, thank goodness) to the sheet of microchamber paper. Luckily, I was able to separate them with no damage to the cel, but a smudge of paint was left behind on the paper. My other cels are completely fine, with no sticking to the paper whatsoever.
Could this could be a sign of vinegar syndrome? The cel does have a slight smell to it, though I wouldn’t call it vinegary. The bags are sealed, I should mention. Should I be airing them? They were bagged only recently, about two months ago.
Any insight would be welcome. And I’m sorry if this question is a retread of what’s been reiterated in the past. Thanks guys!
I was wondering if somebody could help me. A few weeks ago, I decided to rescan my Angel’s Egg cel, but when I opened the bag I realized that the paint had adhered (only slightly, thank goodness) to the sheet of microchamber paper. Luckily, I was able to separate them with no damage to the cel, but a smudge of paint was left behind on the paper. My other cels are completely fine, with no sticking to the paper whatsoever.
Could this could be a sign of vinegar syndrome? The cel does have a slight smell to it, though I wouldn’t call it vinegary. The bags are sealed, I should mention. Should I be airing them? They were bagged only recently, about two months ago.
Any insight would be welcome. And I’m sorry if this question is a retread of what’s been reiterated in the past. Thanks guys!
Hi Kino ^^
I have found that some paint colours (usually proper red and some green variants) stick to their surroundings no matter their age. There are definitely other colours that do that too, but red is just the colour that stands out to me, because its the colour I always seem to fight with lol. It's just the nature of the paint mixture to hold the pigment (like how some paints are more lightfast than others, the mixture to obtain/hold the colour affects the grade). I don't think it's a sign of vinegar syndrome though (I think it's just the odour/deformation that're the keys, but I could be wrong *not the expert *)
And I keep my bags slit open along an edge, so they can breathe.
Thank you Yuuki! This is very reassuring, especially since red was the color that I was having trouble with. The deep red paint on the cel is what stuck slightly to the paper. I'll keep an eye on things (and make slits in my bags), but I think it's fine.
It might be a good idea to put the microchamber paper in front of the cel. Yes, that makes it impossible to view as you browse through your cel books, but it would eliminate the sticking issue and still pick up fumes being vented in the bag. I do this for my older cels (1980 and earlier) that do have strong chemical smells. (It's a good idea to physically inspect all your cels at least once a year, but for casual viewing I'm more apt to browse through scans or my own RS gallery.)
And yes, cel bags should be slit all along one edge (the one closest to the open side of the page where you store it) so that fumes can vent easily. Clipping a corner (the old wisdom) isn't enough. And flip through your cel books often to stir up the fumes.
Yuuki is right that the real danger signs of vinegar syndrome are a strong sock-you-in-the-face vinegary smell and dramatic deformation of the plastic sheet. This usually causes puckering round the affected part, with a rippling (or washboard) effect under or around the middle registration hole, which is for me a sure sign and warning to isolate the cel from others to keep the condition from spreading.
Ditto! To Sensei, I also keep my Microchamber paper on top. It does make it difficult to look at my lovelies, but I would love to extend their life as long as possible. I store the Microchamber for every cel on the top from a 1/4 to a half sheet of paper depending on the age/damage of the cel. I also do a massive "rebagging" of my cels once every two years, to check for vinegar syndrome, "bag buckling", and moisture (as I am in FL)
This does get harder the larger my collection gets but it is necessary maintenance.
PS sorry! I've been AWOL con season has been eating my soul!!! @_@
sensei wrote:It might be a good idea to put the microchamber paper in front of the cel. Yes, that makes it impossible to view as you browse through your cel books, but it would eliminate the sticking issue and still pick up fumes being vented in the bag. I do this for my older cels (1980 and earlier) that do have strong chemical smells. (It's a good idea to physically inspect all your cels at least once a year, but for casual viewing I'm more apt to browse through scans or my own RS gallery.)
And yes, cel bags should be slit all along one edge (the one closest to the open side of the page where you store it) so that fumes can vent easily. Clipping a corner (the old wisdom) isn't enough. And flip through your cel books often to stir up the fumes.
Yuuki is right that the real danger signs of vinegar syndrome are a strong sock-you-in-the-face vinegary smell and dramatic deformation of the plastic sheet. This usually causes puckering round the affected part, with a rippling (or washboard) effect under or around the middle registration hole, which is for me a sure sign and warning to isolate the cel from others to keep the condition from spreading.
Jadeduo wrote:Ditto! To Sensei, I also keep my Microchamber paper on top. It does make it difficult to look at my lovelies, but I would love to extend their life as long as possible. I store the Microchamber for every cel on the top from a 1/4 to a half sheet of paper depending on the age/damage of the cel. I also do a massive "rebagging" of my cels once every two years, to check for vinegar syndrome, "bag buckling", and moisture (as I am in FL)
This does get harder the larger my collection gets but it is necessary maintenance.
PS sorry! I've been AWOL con season has been eating my soul!!! @_@
Jadeduo
Thank you Sensei and Jadeduo! Upon the discovery I immediately transferred the microchamber paper to the top of the cel. The chemical smell is faint at worst, and the plastic is pristine. It's one of my favorite cels, and I was devastated at the thought of having to quarantine and watch it deteriorate. I'm glad you guys were here to ease my worries.
*)
