Yo Doug! What's this "Silent" stuff!?! Love your boxes and carvings, by
the way. One additional "anti-babywipes" comment: over time they WILL
gum-up stamps. The last few boxes we've found have had stamps in fairly
"nasty" condition, primarily due to pigment ink use. We carry wet paper
towels with us and clean all stamps before and after use - and we've been
wiping out stamp bags pretty regularly now, too. Dye inks clean up much
easier - the best way to clean up after pigment ink is with a toothbrush,
dish detergent and running water, especially with intricate stamps. We're
considering carrying an old tooth brush loaded with a little detergent,
then using our drinking water bottle to rinse stamps off. I know folks
really like the look of pigment ink pads, and perhaps they haven't had any
trouble cleaning up after their use, but over time it really builds
up. Adding baby-wipe residue can just make matters worse. Maybe most
people don't really care if their stamped image has ink from other's stamp
pads, but our "team" is completely obsessed with having our images look
EXACTLY like we want them (I've mentioned before we carry 6 different
Kaleidacolor dye ink pads so we can pick just the right color combinations
for each stamp we find) - also, as rabid rubber stampers, we can't STAND
dirty stamps. Yes, we should get some therapy.

Debbie T., "the Bee"

At 06:09 PM 06/05/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>This is one of my pet peeves, so I have to add my own two cents on the
>issue of cleaning stamps.
>
>Yes, of course you should *always* clean the ink off a stamp before you
>replace it in a letterbox. But NOT with a baby wipe....
>
>The most significant risk to the longevity of a letterbox in the wild
>(IMHO) does not come from intentional vandals, or careless, sloppy
>letterboxers (though they may be from closely related genuses and we can
>only hope that they'll breed themselves out into extinction sooner rather
>than later), but from nature itself. Letterboxes have been destroyed by
>rain, snow, ice, flooding, fire, falling trees, rockslides, humorless parks
>officials (and so on). Most letterboxers are conscious of doing what we can
>to protect our letterboxes from these hazards, by packing them in
>watertight containers, avoiding hollows in rotting trees, not planting
>boxes streamside when water levels are low, avoiding national parks, etc.
>
>But the single biggest risk comes from the critters that live in the great
>outdoors. Racoons, bears, otters, mice, squirrels, chipmunks and other
>four-legged varmints spend their days foraging through forests and parks,
>sniffing out interesting smells and potential food sources. With their
>extra-sensitive noses, they can find a letterbox with no trouble at all --
>and then chew through it or get the lid off without any problem at all.
>(Over the winter, squirrels chewed holes in the lid of my Rubbermaid
>Toughneck 30-gallon trash can, so some puny plastic letterbox container is
>no problem for them. Bears have made off with my trash cans twice now, too.)
>
>These critters don't read clues to find letterboxes, and they don't find
>them by sight -- they find them by smell. Anyone who camps in bear country
>knows about bear bags -- putting all of your food and scented items
>(including deodorant, detergent, hand lotion, soap) in a duffel bag, and
>then hoisting the bag 15 or 20 feet into the air using ropes strung over a
>tree branches at some distance from your campsite. The idea is not only to
>protect your food from the bears, but to keep the bears from getting
>curious about interesting smells in and around your tent.
>
>As a result, letterboxers should be careful to keep letterboxes as
>odor-free as possible. Don't use containers that once held food unless
>you've carefully cleaned, sterilized, disinfected, aired out and
>decontaminated them to remove trace odors. Don't use scented inks. Never
>leave food or candy in a letterbox. (If anyone ever finds food in a
>letterbox and even thinks about consuming it, didn't your mother ever teach
>you about taking candy from strangers?)
>
>Baby wipes are usually heavily scented -- after all, their intended use is
>to clean up a stinky mess! But even the "unscented" variety baby wipes
>still may have a smell -- it's just that the manufacturer doesn't add any
>perfume to the soap on the wipes. Using any baby wipe to clean a letterbox
>stamp leaves a smell that's not much better than leaving a bag of Purina
>Grizzly Chow next to the letterbox, inviting all creatures in the area to
>come have a bedtime snack.
>
>I think that a better alternative is to simply to put some damp paper
>towels in a baggie and use them instead. Or just use a paper towel and some
>water from the bottle you carry with you for drinking.
>
>Sorry for the rant, but I've seen too many letterboxes mangled by animals
>and I think we should all be extra careful in our letterboxing practices.
>
>
>|-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-|
>Silent Doug, P22 F156 X05
>silentdoug@douglasgerlach.com
>http://www.letterboxing.info
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups
>Sponsor
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
>Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Okay, I just wrote this out, but I don't think it posted... so here
goes again. Sorry if it posted twice.

I couldn't agree more on not using baby wipes or any kind of soaped
or scented towelette on stamps, both in terms of being bad for stamps
and attracting animals. Having had a couple of boxes ripped to
shreds by curious critters within the past few weeks, any precaution
that can be taken to prevent it, is worthwhile. I like the idea of
carrying both wet and dry, unsoaped toweling in baggies.

And I am not a fan of pigment ink because it tends to be goopy and
messier than dye ink if not properly cleaned from the stamp..

But, as far as the toothbrush goes... I'm sure there might be
validity to this being a great way to clean the tiny little crevices
of rubber stamps -- store bought stamps cut from hard rubber. But
please don't use a toothbrush, or any other rubbing cleaning method,
to clean delicate hand-carved stamps. Most of the carving material
that we use for stamps is not the same composition as store-bought
rubber stamps; it is much softer. Just normal use can cause these to
deteriorate and tear over time, the abrasiveness of a toothbrush
would only be helping that along.

Deb (SpringChick)





--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Debbie Teeter
wrote:
> Yo Doug! What's this "Silent" stuff!?! Love your boxes and
carvings, by
> the way. One additional "anti-babywipes" comment: over time they
WILL
> gum-up stamps. The last few boxes we've found have had stamps in
fairly
> "nasty" condition, primarily due to pigment ink use. We carry wet
paper
> towels with us and clean all stamps before and after use - and
we've been
> wiping out stamp bags pretty regularly now, too. Dye inks clean up
much
> easier - the best way to clean up after pigment ink is with a
toothbrush,
> dish detergent and running water, especially with intricate
stamps. We're
> considering carrying an old tooth brush loaded with a little
detergent,
> then using our drinking water bottle to rinse stamps off. I know
folks
> really like the look of pigment ink pads, and perhaps they haven't
had any
> trouble cleaning up after their use, but over time it really builds
> up. Adding baby-wipe residue can just make matters worse. Maybe
most
> people don't really care if their stamped image has ink from
other's stamp
> pads, but our "team" is completely obsessed with having our images
look
> EXACTLY like we want them (I've mentioned before we carry 6
different
> Kaleidacolor dye ink pads so we can pick just the right color
combinations
> for each stamp we find) - also, as rabid rubber stampers, we can't
STAND
> dirty stamps. Yes, we should get some therapy.
>
> Debbie T., "the Bee"
>
> At 06:09 PM 06/05/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >This is one of my pet peeves, so I have to add my own two cents on
the
> >issue of cleaning stamps.
> >
> >Yes, of course you should *always* clean the ink off a stamp
before you
> >replace it in a letterbox. But NOT with a baby wipe....
> >
> >The most significant risk to the longevity of a letterbox in the
wild
> >(IMHO) does not come from intentional vandals, or careless, sloppy
> >letterboxers (though they may be from closely related genuses and
we can
> >only hope that they'll breed themselves out into extinction sooner
rather
> >than later), but from nature itself. Letterboxes have been
destroyed by
> >rain, snow, ice, flooding, fire, falling trees, rockslides,
humorless parks
> >officials (and so on). Most letterboxers are conscious of doing
what we can
> >to protect our letterboxes from these hazards, by packing them in
> >watertight containers, avoiding hollows in rotting trees, not
planting
> >boxes streamside when water levels are low, avoiding national
parks, etc.
> >
> >But the single biggest risk comes from the critters that live in
the great
> >outdoors. Racoons, bears, otters, mice, squirrels, chipmunks and
other
> >four-legged varmints spend their days foraging through forests and
parks,
> >sniffing out interesting smells and potential food sources. With
their
> >extra-sensitive noses, they can find a letterbox with no trouble
at all --
> >and then chew through it or get the lid off without any problem at
all.
> >(Over the winter, squirrels chewed holes in the lid of my
Rubbermaid
> >Toughneck 30-gallon trash can, so some puny plastic letterbox
container is
> >no problem for them. Bears have made off with my trash cans twice
now, too.)
> >
> >These critters don't read clues to find letterboxes, and they
don't find
> >them by sight -- they find them by smell. Anyone who camps in bear
country
> >knows about bear bags -- putting all of your food and scented items
> >(including deodorant, detergent, hand lotion, soap) in a duffel
bag, and
> >then hoisting the bag 15 or 20 feet into the air using ropes
strung over a
> >tree branches at some distance from your campsite. The idea is not
only to
> >protect your food from the bears, but to keep the bears from
getting
> >curious about interesting smells in and around your tent.
> >
> >As a result, letterboxers should be careful to keep letterboxes as
> >odor-free as possible. Don't use containers that once held food
unless
> >you've carefully cleaned, sterilized, disinfected, aired out and
> >decontaminated them to remove trace odors. Don't use scented inks.
Never
> >leave food or candy in a letterbox. (If anyone ever finds food in a
> >letterbox and even thinks about consuming it, didn't your mother
ever teach
> >you about taking candy from strangers?)
> >
> >Baby wipes are usually heavily scented -- after all, their
intended use is
> >to clean up a stinky mess! But even the "unscented" variety baby
wipes
> >still may have a smell -- it's just that the manufacturer doesn't
add any
> >perfume to the soap on the wipes. Using any baby wipe to clean a
letterbox
> >stamp leaves a smell that's not much better than leaving a bag of
Purina
> >Grizzly Chow next to the letterbox, inviting all creatures in the
area to
> >come have a bedtime snack.
> >
> >I think that a better alternative is to simply to put some damp
paper
> >towels in a baggie and use them instead. Or just use a paper towel
and some
> >water from the bottle you carry with you for drinking.
> >
> >Sorry for the rant, but I've seen too many letterboxes mangled by
animals
> >and I think we should all be extra careful in our letterboxing
practices.
> >

> >Silent Doug, P22 F156 X05

...hmmm, hadn't thought of that... guess the "gunkiest" stamps, which have
been the most intricate, we've run into are either store bought or
commissioned and molded into the harder stuff. In any case, like most
letterboxers, we use common sense and are guided by respect and courtesy,
and wouldn't damage a stamp just for the sake cleaning it. Thanks for the
perspective; we've picked up lots of helpful suggestions from this list,
which have really enhanced our experience.

Debbie T., "the Bee"


At 01:05 PM 06/06/2003 +0000, you wrote:
>But, as far as the toothbrush goes... I'm sure there might be
>validity to this being a great way to clean the tiny little crevices
>of rubber stamps -- store bought stamps cut from hard rubber. But
>please don't use a toothbrush, or any other rubbing cleaning method,
>to clean delicate hand-carved stamps. Most of the carving material
>that we use for stamps is not the same composition as store-bought
>rubber stamps; it is much softer. Just normal use can cause these to
>deteriorate and tear over time, the abrasiveness of a toothbrush
>would only be helping that along.
>
>Deb (SpringChick)

There are stamp scrubbers out there that have a surface a lot like a baby hairbrush cut short. They do a great job of getting ink out of crevices. It also helps to carry a piece of scrap paper and to stamp multiple times to get as much ink off as possible before you begin actually cleaning up the stamp. Hope this is helpful.
Memlili

Debbie Teeter wrote:
Yo Doug! What's this "Silent" stuff!?! Love your boxes and carvings, by
the way. One additional "anti-babywipes" comment: over time they WILL
gum-up stamps. The last few boxes we've found have had stamps in fairly
"nasty" condition, primarily due to pigment ink use. We carry wet paper
towels with us and clean all stamps before and after use - and we've been
wiping out stamp bags pretty regularly now, too. Dye inks clean up much
easier - the best way to clean up after pigment ink is with a toothbrush,
dish detergent and running water, especially with intricate stamps. We're
considering carrying an old tooth brush loaded with a little detergent,
then using our drinking water bottle to rinse stamps off. I know folks
really like the look of pigment ink pads, and perhaps they haven't had any
trouble cleaning up after their use, but over time it really builds
up. Adding baby-wipe residue can just make matters worse. Maybe most
people don't really care if their stamped image has ink from other's stamp
pads, but our "team" is completely obsessed with having our images look
EXACTLY like we want them (I've mentioned before we carry 6 different
Kaleidacolor dye ink pads so we can pick just the right color combinations
for each stamp we find) - also, as rabid rubber stampers, we can't STAND
dirty stamps. Yes, we should get some therapy.

Debbie T., "the Bee"

At 06:09 PM 06/05/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>This is one of my pet peeves, so I have to add my own two cents on the
>issue of cleaning stamps.
>
>Yes, of course you should *always* clean the ink off a stamp before you
>replace it in a letterbox. But NOT with a baby wipe....
>
>The most significant risk to the longevity of a letterbox in the wild
>(IMHO) does not come from intentional vandals, or careless, sloppy
>letterboxers (though they may be from closely related genuses and we can
>only hope that they'll breed themselves out into extinction sooner rather
>than later), but from nature itself. Letterboxes have been destroyed by
>rain, snow, ice, flooding, fire, falling trees, rockslides, humorless parks
>officials (and so on). Most letterboxers are conscious of doing what we can
>to protect our letterboxes from these hazards, by packing them in
>watertight containers, avoiding hollows in rotting trees, not planting
>boxes streamside when water levels are low, avoiding national parks, etc.
>
>But the single biggest risk comes from the critters that live in the great
>outdoors. Racoons, bears, otters, mice, squirrels, chipmunks and other
>four-legged varmints spend their days foraging through forests and parks,
>sniffing out interesting smells and potential food sources. With their
>extra-sensitive noses, they can find a letterbox with no trouble at all --
>and then chew through it or get the lid off without any problem at all.
>(Over the winter, squirrels chewed holes in the lid of my Rubbermaid
>Toughneck 30-gallon trash can, so some puny plastic letterbox container is
>no problem for them. Bears have made off with my trash cans twice now, too.)
>
>These critters don't read clues to find letterboxes, and they don't find
>them by sight -- they find them by smell. Anyone who camps in bear country
>knows about bear bags -- putting all of your food and scented items
>(including deodorant, detergent, hand lotion, soap) in a duffel bag, and
>then hoisting the bag 15 or 20 feet into the air using ropes strung over a
>tree branches at some distance from your campsite. The idea is not only to
>protect your food from the bears, but to keep the bears from getting
>curious about interesting smells in and around your tent.
>
>As a result, letterboxers should be careful to keep letterboxes as
>odor-free as possible. Don't use containers that once held food unless
>you've carefully cleaned, sterilized, disinfected, aired out and
>decontaminated them to remove trace odors. Don't use scented inks. Never
>leave food or candy in a letterbox. (If anyone ever finds food in a
>letterbox and even thinks about consuming it, didn't your mother ever teach
>you about taking candy from strangers?)
>
>Baby wipes are usually heavily scented -- after all, their intended use is
>to clean up a stinky mess! But even the "unscented" variety baby wipes
>still may have a smell -- it's just that the manufacturer doesn't add any
>perfume to the soap on the wipes. Using any baby wipe to clean a letterbox
>stamp leaves a smell that's not much better than leaving a bag of Purina
>Grizzly Chow next to the letterbox, inviting all creatures in the area to
>come have a bedtime snack.
>
>I think that a better alternative is to simply to put some damp paper
>towels in a baggie and use them instead. Or just use a paper towel and some
>water from the bottle you carry with you for drinking.
>
>Sorry for the rant, but I've seen too many letterboxes mangled by animals
>and I think we should all be extra careful in our letterboxing practices.
>
>
>|-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-|
>Silent Doug, P22 F156 X05
>silentdoug@douglasgerlach.com
>http://www.letterboxing.info
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups
>Sponsor
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
>Yahoo! Terms of Service.


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