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I just purchased a stamp that is wood mounted and would like to take it off to use with my Misti.
I did this YEARS ago with older Stampin Up sets but I can't for the life of me remember if I had to do anything to the back side of the stamp so that it would "stick" to the Misti or is it ready to go once I take it off of the wood block?
Not sure if it matters but it's a PSX stamp, not an SU one.
__________________
Life is NOT a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely BUT...to skid in sideways, chocolate in hand and screamingWOOHOO-WHAT A RIDE!
I'm one who goes the bare rubber route - no foam on the back of the rubber. I want less bulk in the storage and I don't want the expense of all that foam. Also, over time the foam can break down or "cup" so the stamp gets distorted or whatever and you have to replace it. It just seems like a lot of bother to me. That said, there are a lot of people who LOVE the foam, so whatever suits you. My issue has been finding an adhesive to put on the backs that I love over the long haul. I've been using Aleene's Tack It over and over (as many others do), but think I'm going to bite the bullet and try some Mount It, as was suggested by another SCSer some time ago...
Be prepared for a few people to be appalled that you would take an heirloom (which many consider PSX stamps to be) and strip it off the wood. I'm not one of those - all of my PSX got stripped along with the others...
All my wood block stamps are bare rubber now (10 seconds in the microwave). I use them in my MISTI by applying a school glue stick over ALL of the rubber. Place it in MISTI in the approximate position, then slide it (don't lift it up) into the correct position. I have stamped dozens of sentiment, images, etc and the bare rubber won't move until you are ready to take it off.
Simply wipe MISTI with a baby wipe and use another baby wipe to clean both sides of the stamp. Hope this helps.
__________________ Susie
Please don't take your organs to heaven - heaven knows we need them here.
I do the same technique as susieaustralia. This has worked out great for me.
Cling sheets- I don't use them. I store mine in sandwich bags. Stamping beauties don't shoot me the great Carol Duvall did it. She is the queen so I am listening to her, lol.
For cling sheets I have seen ladies use transparency sheets. I know some ladies use the Dollar Tree cutting mats to store their stamps.
I've just been doing the easiest way I could find as of late. I just run my ATG over the back of the rubber and then attach it to the Misti. When I want to remove the tape from the back of the stamp, I just rub it with my finger, and it rolls off. I did a bunch of mine with the Aleene's in the past, and some of them did great, and some did not. Probably had a lot to do with how thinly or thickly I used it, etc.. But I am just going with easy now.
I also struggled getting Aileenes just right. Some people seem to get it right first time, others, not so so much. Everyone seems to use different amounts or methods. Many years ago I added all my bare rubber to cling foam, but really wish I'd never bothered. As Sue says, over time it can 'cup' making stamps almost impossible to attach to blocks/storage sheets, plus it pretty much doubles storage space, so thats a consideration depending how many stamps you have. All my bare rubber stamps are stored in Currency/trading card/ postcard storage sheets available on Amazon in lots of combos, so you can store any sized stamp that way.
To attach I have a couple of acrylic blocks that have Tack'n'Peel on, or for my stamping platform I just use plain old glue stick on the back, which holds fine.
I'm another PSX unmounter, lol. You are not alone.
Thanks so much for your suggestions. Where do I find the cling sheets?
I found a few different sources. You can google "ez mount static cling foam sheets," and get ideas for where to buy. I bought a bulk pack (I think it may have been 10 sheets?) quite some time ago--maybe a couple of years, I forget exactly. I don't think it was that much, but prices seem to have gone up from what I could tell. You can get it on Amazon.com, but 1 sheet is $7.99. I found a 10-sheet pack at ebay.com for $37.02 and free shipping. Simon Says Stamp also sells a thin (1/16") version. I've used that on a mirror stamping stamp that was red rubber, so I could use it in my MISTI to pick up ink from a clear stamp without having too thick a layer. (I did have to remove the foam pad.) It kind of depends on how much you think you might need. Like I said, just google, and you'll find multiple sources with different numbers of sheets & various price points. Hope this helps!
Yes, I am one of 'those" people. I love my stamps that are mounted on wood. Each block is a little piece of art. I am lucky, I have a craft studio and a handy dandy Husband. I have lighted cabnetswith step shelves to place my 'woodies". From 8 x 8, to 1/2 x 1/2 each one has it's place. These days I am able to purchase lots off of E-Bay, at reasonable prices. Now, I'm not all wack a do, I have drawers and drawers of cling stamps, that I use almost daily.
Stamping......it's not just a print, it's a way of life.
I see comments stating use with your MISTI. I AM A “newbie”.... WHAT is a misti?
Welcome Newbie! How fun for you to be starting outt in this great hobby (obsession) of ours🤗 MISTI stands for Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented. It is basically a hinged stamp platform that lets you precisely stamp (except wood mounted) in the same place everytime. You can check youtube to see it in action. Stampin Up has a version too as do a few others still I think. They really are indispensible and worth the investment it you do layered stamping or make multiples of the same card at once. Have fun!
I bought some of the foam mounting, which I haven't used yet. But someone let me know that they use Scotch poster tape, so I tried it and it worked really well. Instead of taking the tape off the stamp when done, I put the backing strip back on it.
I buy "E-Z mount" sheets. You should be able to order them through any big online store, or if you have a good craft supply store in your area. There are two kinds - grey foam (thicker) and black foam (thin). The instructions are on the sheets. If you take the stamp off the foam, you use the grey foam E-Z mount, or if you peel it off the wood, and the foam comes with it, use the black (thin) E-Z mount. I tend to use the grey. If you have lots of wood block stamps, it is an expensive thing to change them all to cling, but I did mine over time, so it easies the pain! I think you can also get it from Amazon.
I use those thin foam sheets that you get out of the children's dept. in the hobby stores. The one with sticky on one side. I add it to the back of my rubber and then paint a thin coating of Aleene's Tack & Tack It Over and Over on the non-sticky side of the foam. I tried using the double face tape and it gunked up the acrylic mount, so I had to take the time to unstick it with Undo or Goo-Be-Gone. Then I laminate my own cling storage sheets with white shirt-board and attach a sheet of sticky back magnet on the back side to hold dies. I put the storage sheets into a portable filing box with a plastic placemat between them so that the dies don't cut into my rubber stamps. I get those from the dollar store.
I love cling (EZ Mount) for small to medium stamps. But I removed it from my background stamps to save space and to prevent cupping. But I’ve never noticed cupping with anything less than about 3ish” square. Now I have some with stubborn cling. I hope I can get it off. I don’t think the microwave would be good because I assume the foam is a plastic? Anyone know?
I see comments stating use with your MISTI. I AM A “newbie”.... WHAT is a misti?
A MISTI is a stamp positioning tool. Helps you rest amp in the same position if your stamp was not inked properly or if you are making multiple cards. Lots of videos available to help explain.
What is the best way to get any remaining stickiness off of the wood blocks? I have sold some wood mount sets that actually were shipped unmounted - I get to keep the wood blocks and hope to re-purpose them.
I haven’t removed a ton of stamps from blocks, but with the ones I’ve done, I have found just taking my time is usually enough. Once I get an edge of a stamp loosened, i can usually slowly peel it off the block. Usually the foam stays on fine. If parts of the foam come off, i take the rest off, usually gently peeling again, or scraping gently with my thumb nail. If you have stamp cleaner for stazon, that has a very nice solvent init that helps loosen glues, too.
As for holding stamps to blocks, I haven’t had great success with tack it over and over, either. It gobs up on my stamps like boogers and didn’t really adhere all fhat wellto the rubber. I need to try again. In the meantime, I usually use a glue stick. Tacky (ha) I know. But it works really well, and I’m going to clean my stamps anyway. When I’m done stamping, I throw all my dirty stamps in a tub and let them collect up, until I can’t stand it, and then I go wash them all in the sink. The bare rubber works great this way, and the glue and ink all wash off at the same time.
I have used green Tombow glue smeared lightly on the back of my unmounted rubber stamp and let it dry for approximately 24 hours. They have worked great for several years.
I went through process a couple of years ago...quite a project but sure worth the effort. Someone suggested "tack it over" and I found it a mess...UNTIL someone else suggested watering it down just a touch & using the thinness coat on the back of your stamp and then let dry. THAT works well and doesn't seem to leave any residue in MISTI. I store my stamps in CD cases.
I store my cling and clear stamps in storage pockets - you can get them in various sizes on Amazon and some online craft stores. I put a sheet of white paper/card stock in the storage pocket and store my stamps in drawers with dividers that have the subject typed on - animals, flowers, etc. I have over 1,000 stamp pockets! so it became just too time consuming to stamp on a sheet in a binder because that didn't tell me where the stamp was actually stored.
If you are just asking how to get the rubber and foam off of the wood, it may depend on just how "stuck" it is. I have had some that I have been able to carefully lift up the corner and just pull it off. If it isn't that easy, then putting it in the microwave for 15-25 seconds will make the adhesive soft and pliable for a minute.
I don't know if you just used something like Stick It Over and Again or Tombow Mono to stick the rubber to your block or MISTI. They make a foam that you can cut yourself that is like the back of a cling stamp (I am in the middle of a huge furniture change over in my craft room, or I could pull it right out from the shelf it USED to be on, to my upper left to t you the name=) ). But since you're only doing one stamp, if you can message me your information and the size of the stamp, I would be happy to share a piece with you.
I've found that the freezer works as well (maybe better) than the microwave. The glue sort of "solidifies" and comes off more cleanly - most of the time. You do have to leave them in the freezer for a few minutes as opposed to the few seconds in the microwave that others have suggested.
I was happy to see this thread. I've been in the process of removing the stamps from the wood blocks. Some of them are so old, the foams cracks and sticks to the stamp when it comes off the block. I appreciate reading the tips on putting the block and/or stamp in the microwave or freezer. I am remounting the ones that need it with new mounting foam. There is a special scissors made for cutting this adhesive foam. It is so much easier, but still messy.
I need to have my stamps indexed —- the picture/sentiment on the stamp. What is a good way to do this when you unmount the stamp?
If the index is printed on a plastic label, you can carefully take it off the block and replace it onto the back side of the rubber or mounting material. I'm not sure (because I'm probably the only stamper left that does not only leave the rubber mounted on the block, but puts stamps that come unmounted on blocks. I'm not a Misty user, so I make sure the index is exactly matched to the rubber either with the printed sticker or with the image I've stamped onto the block myself.), but, if not, maybe some of the processes others have suggested could be used on the index to make it stick to the Misti. The label itself may be adhesive enough. I don't know, as have never needed to try.
I've watched the videos and am totally impressed. It just doesn't solve how to store raw rubber, but for stamping it is the cat's pajamas! Sandy Allnock has a great video here:
I've watched the videos and am totally impressed. It just doesn't solve how to store raw rubber, but for stamping it is the cat's pajamas! Sandy Allnock has a great video here:
I, too, got excited and bought the small one....VERY disappointed. Seems they work well with NEW unmounted stamps...NOT the ones we unmount...which is why I bought the product! It will not work if there's ANY residual glue on the stamp as they simply will not adhere. At least that's my experience.
Taking rubber stamp off of wood block?
Index uncounted stamps
