That’s how I felt at first as well. I was intimated because everyone said things like “you are going to ruin some books while you learn” etc, but it is actually super easy if you just use the right temps and times. I have never actually damaged a book while pressing.
Dry cleaning on the other hand, that requires a lot more practice and patience. If you learn on dollar bin books though, you learn pretty quick what not to do.
I press and clean my own
I am also going to start pressing and cleaning my own books soon
Let me know if you guys think it would be beneficial if I put together a blog post with a list of all the equipment/tools/materials that I have found to be best for pressing and cleaning. I have spent a lot of time testing various products and I know it can be daunting at first to know what is needed. A lot of people do not realize just how many things are used in the process.
That would be a good idea 
Ok, I will put something together today and post it here.
That sounds good! I’d love to learn more.
I’m definitely interested in learning more about dry cleaning/cleaning methods!
I ordered a press today and a bunch of supplies like gloves, teflon sheets, 65lb card stock paper, gum kneaded erasers, Absorene, and some other stuff. I am not ready for using a humidity chamber. Not sure if I ever will go that advanced.
The humidity chamber may seem scary, but it is a game changer. Never put a modern comic in a humidity chamber though.
Don’t forget the 110 Lb card stock as well. It is very important for Modern Marvel comics.
I personally do not like gum kneaded erasers. I find them too tough on the paper. Mars erasers are a lot softer and less risky imo.
Here is my list of materials with some basic notes…
Your link doesn’t seem to be working. It says page not found
For the press you use, is there a list somewhere of recommended settings based on cover type? I’m only looking at maybe pressing modern stuff that has some small ticks or marks on the front, so no need to worry about like older paper and stuff.
Sorry about that! should be fixed now.
I actually press almost all comics on the same temperature and time for their first run through. I press at 165 degrees for 300 seconds. Let sit for 2 hours, flip, and repeat on the other side. spine always facing the back of the machine. If I am pressing a book that has no damage and appears to be about a 9.8 already (i press every book i submit no matter what), I preheat the bottom plate for 3 minutes than put the stack and top plate on and press for 300 seconds. With this method you do not need to flip.
Just make sure you NEVER go above 165 for moderns and you have all the layers I describe in my list. Foil and square bound books are also different. Square bound books use glue and not staples and glue melts, so that one is 140 degrees for up to 10 min at very low pressure. Foils are easily damaged by high heat as well and can very, but the general rule for non standard books is start low and work your way up. You can press a book as many times as you want if you start low and go up a few degrees as needed each time. But pressing once too high will ruin it. Embossed books require additional buffer. I usually use an additional 110 lb cardstock on each side of the cover and very low pressure.
The other stuff I’ve read has always talked about how you need to build a super clean area with barriers and plastic sheets and stuff. Do you also do all those steps? My main problem has been the only space I’d be able to place it would be in the workshop half of my garage since A) I have little kids who I can’t risk messing with it, and B) now that everyone is working from home and schooling from home, what USED to be my office that was 100% mine is now shared and filled with other desks…
I do not do that. I have a fold out table with a work mat and that’s it. I think all that is overkill. All you need to do is make sure there is nothing foreign on the cover (hair, dust, etc.). Before I put anything on the press I just give a light wipe on both covers with a Swiffer dry pad. Which you would want to do even with all those precautions because you never know what was on it in the bag. I have pressed well over 100 comics and never once had damage caused by an “unclean” workspace. As long as you dont have one of those garages where you can see dust etc floating in the air, you should be fine.
I tend to be a little more reserved with my temp. I go 135 for moderns let them bake for 5 min then turn off the press. I will then take the book out 6-8 hours later.
Silverage books and newsprint books handle the heat better and I’ll crank it up to 165 for those. Thanks for sharing. I literally had to learn through trial and error. When I started people acted like these techniques were trade secrets.
Do you just do it the one time, then, or flip it after you’ve taken it out?
Nothing wrong with being safe! Same with cleaning, if you are not sure about what you are dong it is always best to start with the least abrasive methods. When I first started I never went above 145 for moderns, but as I got more comfortable I slowly worked my way up. Now I do not change the temp at all unless its a special book. But ya, the older the book the more heat they can take.
I had the same experience when I was trying to learn, no one wants to tell you anything. That is why I am happy to help.
For most books I do: 5 minutes with press on, turn off and wait 2 hours, flip and turn on 5 more minutes, wait 2 hours more and you are done.
If it is a book already in pristine condition and I use the bottom preheat method, I do not flip it.
The reason you wait 2 hours is because that is how long it takes to fully cool (approx). When using a steel plate, the heat causes the plate to expand while applying pressure to the comic. When you let it cool it contracts. These forces actually improve the overall press. It also gives the paper time to “set” in its new configuration. If you take it out of the press to fast, there is a higher chance of the book reverting back to the way it was before pressed. This is why sometimes you see high grade books that look like they should not be high at all. Over time they reverted in the slab.
Sorry if these responses are overly long hah, there is a lot of info to know and I just want to make sure I am not leaving anything important out.