Best way to flatten curved cardback?

adampbooth

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Hi gang,
Anyone got any tips on what's the best way to flatten out a warped/curved cardback?
Anyone tried ironing them under a tea towel? Or would that ruin them?
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks! :D
 

ScruffyLookingNH

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I wouldn't advise that. You're likely to get an impression of the tea towel on the litho and also you're cardback may end up smelling of baked beans and who's going to take Darth Vader seriously when he has the whiff of Heinz about him?

If you don't mind the wait, just place some heavy books across the entirety of the card (perhaps not on top of the bubble itself) and leave it. For weeks. You'll have a perfectly flat card when you come back.

Some say that placing in an acrylic case works. I find it doesn't and it's also going to end in tears unless you wrap the card edge in paper as you insert it. Reason being the case will only bend it as far as it absolutely has to in order to fit the edges of the card under the acrylic rails. Placing a cardback in, and subsequently removing it, it likely to drag the litho across the sharp edge of these acrylic rails and cause damage. I learnt the hard way :cry: Now I just wrap a piece of a4 paper around the edge of the card when I insert it, almost regardless of how flat it lies. In actual fact, a Star case is more likely to flatten a card properly than an acrylic case, IMO. That all said: go with the books idea. Can't fault the results.
 

adampbooth

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ScruffyLookingNH said:
I wouldn't advise that. You're likely to get an impression of the tea towel on the litho and also you're cardback may end up smelling of baked beans and who's going to take Darth Vader seriously when he has the whiff of Heinz about him?

If you don't mind the wait, just place some heavy books across the entirety of the card (perhaps not on top of the bubble itself) and leave it. For weeks. You'll have a perfectly flat card when you come back.

Some say that placing in an acrylic case works. I find it doesn't and it's also going to end in tears unless you wrap the card edge in paper as you insert it. Reason being the case will only bend it as far as it absolutely has to in order to fit the edges of the card under the acrylic rails. Placing a cardback in, and subsequently removing it, it likely to drag the litho across the sharp edge of these acrylic rails and cause damage. I learnt the hard way :cry: Now I just wrap a piece of a4 paper around the edge of the card when I insert it, almost regardless of how flat it lies. In actual fact, a Star case is more likely to flatten a card properly than an acrylic case, IMO. That all said: go with the books idea. Can't fault the results.


thanks for the advice! its just cardback without bubble (not a MOC) so i'll give the book a go...
 

edd_jedi

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http://starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36669&start=15#p481009
 

subzero

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Yeah straight into an acrylic case for me, just watch out when you slide it in because the tabs inside can rub against the card edges, and scrape the black litho off because the warped card is trying to push back against the tabs.
 

peekaygee73

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subzero said:
Yeah straight into an acrylic case for me, just watch out when you slide it in because the tabs inside can rub against the card edges, and scrape the black litho off because the warped card is trying to push back against the tabs.
The best way to combat this is a strip of paper folded lengthways across the long edges of the cardback. The paper only need be a couple of centimetres wide, so long as it's wider than the tabs inside the acrylic case. Slide the MOC into the case with the paper protecting each edge, then once the MOC is in place inside the case just pull the paper out.
 

subzero

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peekaygee73 said:
subzero said:
Yeah straight into an acrylic case for me, just watch out when you slide it in because the tabs inside can rub against the card edges, and scrape the black litho off because the warped card is trying to push back against the tabs.
The best way to combat this is a strip of paper folded lengthways across the long edges of the cardback. The paper only need be a couple of centimetres wide, so long as it's wider than the tabs inside the acrylic case. Slide the MOC into the case with the paper protecting each edge, then once the MOC is in place inside the case just pull the paper out.

Simple but effective, thanks i'll remember that one, after scraping the edges a little on my last curled MOC. :eek:
 

peekaygee73

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subzero said:
peekaygee73 said:
subzero said:
Yeah straight into an acrylic case for me, just watch out when you slide it in because the tabs inside can rub against the card edges, and scrape the black litho off because the warped card is trying to push back against the tabs.
The best way to combat this is a strip of paper folded lengthways across the long edges of the cardback. The paper only need be a couple of centimetres wide, so long as it's wider than the tabs inside the acrylic case. Slide the MOC into the case with the paper protecting each edge, then once the MOC is in place inside the case just pull the paper out.

Simple but effective, thanks i'll remember that one, after scraping the edges a little on my last curled MOC. :eek:
No problem :) That tip came from someone on here, I just can't remember who! :oops:
 

Mini99

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I too have removed litho when removing a MOC from a case. :cry:
I always use two pieces of thin plastic cut from the joined egde of a document wallet to put MOCs in, but removeing them it can be difficult to get the protective sleeve to pass up beyond the bubble on that side, if you follow :?
That's the only thing that I wish was changed on GW acrylic cases, if only that sharp edges where the card enters and exits was "bull nose" instead of a right angle.
 

jared007

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adampbooth said:
thanks for the advice! its just cardback without bubble (not a MOC) so i'll give the book a go...

If this is the case, perhaps just put it in a toploader? You will need to make sure the size is right, but here's an example if you've not heard of them before: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultra-Pro-Toploaders-Clear-Regular/dp/B004KHV24W

I keep all my cardbacks in them to keep them safe and to display them nicely

topLoaders.JPG
 

Palifan

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jared007 said:
adampbooth said:
thanks for the advice! its just cardback without bubble (not a MOC) so i'll give the book a go...

If this is the case, perhaps just put it in a toploader? You will need to make sure the size is right, but here's an example if you've not heard of them before: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultra-Pro-Toploaders-Clear-Regular/dp/B004KHV24W

I keep all my cardbacks in them to keep them safe and to display them nicely

topLoaders.JPG


Out of interest do you have a link for the correct card back size? I've tried to get these before and ended up getting the wrong ones.

Ian
 

adampbooth

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Palifan said:
jared007 said:
adampbooth said:
thanks for the advice! its just cardback without bubble (not a MOC) so i'll give the book a go...

If this is the case, perhaps just put it in a toploader? You will need to make sure the size is right, but here's an example if you've not heard of them before: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultra-Pro-Toploaders-Clear-Regular/dp/B004KHV24W

I keep all my cardbacks in them to keep them safe and to display them nicely

topLoaders.JPG


Out of interest do you have a link for the correct card back size? I've tried to get these before and ended up getting the wrong ones.

Ian

I just got a pack of top loaders and they work perfect. 6x9" are spot on!
 
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