Book nooks. You find them hanging out at the local library or frequenting most yard and garage sales seeking bargains on books. You might just be a book aficionado yourself but, every so often, your joy turns to despair thanks to identifying ink stamps on old auctioned-off library books. Unsightly as they are, these ink stamps can be a real killjoy when trying to remove them since most papers are easily damaged. Never to fear, let modern chemistry help you here.
Instructions
1. Mix a solution of oxalic acid, using a proportion of two parts water to one part of the acid, in one of the empty glass cups.
2. Mix a solution of cyanide of potassium, using a proportion of two parts water to one part of the chemical, in the second empty glass.
3. Place a folded piece of paper towel under the page, covering the area you will be dampening, to prevent fluids from being absorbed in the following pages.
4. Dip the camel's hair brush into the cyanide of potassium solution and dab the brush on the side of the cup to release any drops of water, making the brush only slightly damp with the solution. "Paint" the ink until the entire area is dampened and then do the same with the oxalic acid.
5. Coat the ink with each solution several times. When the ink has disappeared, place a new piece of folded paper towel under the page and "wash" the area---using the brush---with pure water several times to stop the action of the chemicals, thus preventing long-term damage to the paper fibers.
According to M. Piesse, contributing writer to the Scientific American Journal, an alternate washing of ink on "patent" check paper with oxalic acid and cyanide of potassium will erase inks. Check paper is the same as any other type of paper with the exception that it contains a patented fiber which heightens the permeability of inks. Should the technique work on patented check papers, it certainly works on papers with lower fibrous content.
6. Sandwich the page by placing a hard, flat object under the page and lay a piece of paper towel, folded in half, on top of the damp area. Set a flat, weighted object on top of the folded paper towel so that the water is absorbed from the paper. This step is important in preventing wrinkling of the paper. After about 1 hour, remove the paper towel and allow the paper to dry thoroughly.
