X-Tenders

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:28 pm

Anyone use any of these Life-X-Tenders or Life-X-Tenders Plus for their paper collectibles?:

http://www.bcemylar.com/xtenders.cfm#lifexplus

I know they're not large enough for sketches. Some sketches are a little narrower than 8 1/2 inches, but they're about 12 inches long. Most are larger than that though. At any rate if you had them in a mylar bag and stuck either one or both in the bag I wonder how much they would help keep the paper from aging?

I would think that sketches are several grades less acidic than comic books. Judging from the comic books I own, I get the impression that the older the comic books are the more likely they are to be higher acidic. Those fifties and early sixties comic books seemed really acidic and not just because they turned brown. The comic books in the 1990's til now are printed on better paper although I heard they dyed the newer paper a little too.

At any rate, spending a little now might be a good idea considering how much the artwork costs by itself. I might regret not having them fifteen or twenty years from now when the paper is starting to show it's age.

What are your thoughts?

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:51 am

Wow! Thanks Keropi! Definitely a must have!

It's like desicant for paper! You can't see humidity or acidic gases, so for 45cents a sheet it looks perfect!

I'm sure if you just put 1 per 50 sketches it would work! Are you buying some?

I've never scene these before!

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:52 am

One more question! Is there non acidic tape?

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:10 pm

RoboFlonne wrote:Are you buying some?

I was thinking about it, but I'd have to think about the other things too such as archival boxes and mylar bags that are the proper size to go with them. I'd also have to work out a cataloging system so that when I put a few things into my Itoya Folders I can remember what set they original came from.

It's a grand scheme that requires a lot of planning and forethought. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

RoboFlonne wrote:One more question! Is there non acidic tape?

I've seen archival tape from an archival merchandise seller before, but that was so many years ago I don't remember where it was. They sold a lot of archival things such as archival photo albums, etc. I recall once I was thinking of using that tape to tape in online Video Girl Ai English translations into the Japanese manga.

wELCOME cONSUMER · Post by **wELCOME cONSUMER** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:20 pm

The title of this thread made me think, "chicken strips for X-Men."

vapalla · Post by **vapalla** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:49 am

http://www.dickblick.com/zz230/28/

This is the closest to regular adhesive tape I could find. Most archival tape is opaque and made of material like linen. I have not tried this stuff, so I don't know what it is like. Anybody here use this?

safetygirl · Post by **safetygirl** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:23 am

Also check out scrapbooker sections - at the art store I go to, I've seen acid free tissue paper and tape, along with other items (most scrapbooking paper is acid-free, some of the very basic ones, like clouds against a blue sky, work nicely as substitute backgrounds). It may be cheaper than the "professional" archival stuff.

vapalla · Post by **vapalla** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:01 pm

I looked on scrapbooking websites and all the tape I found so far is double sided sticky tape. Is there any sticky on just one side?

RoboFlonne · Post by **RoboFlonne** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:10 pm

Wow Great Stuff.... Because in 10 years I don't want Tape burns!!! /wah