Are "acid-free" backing boards truly acid-free? Time to pH test & find out! 13 13

[ItsJustRyan]

Well I definitely know which boards I will and will not be using from now on...

 

I like E.Gerber mylar Mylite 2's with the full backs (thumbs u

[Dr. Balls]

Well I definitely know which boards I will and will not be using from now on...

 

I like E.Gerber mylar Mylite 2's with the full backs (thumbs u

 

+1

 

I have all Mylite2s, but most of my collection has BCW boards. I'm going to reboard everything with E. Gerber fullbacks. Thankfully, my personal collection is only 500 books or so.

[jaybuck43]

I'm a gerber baby myself (thumbs u

[DavidTheDavid]

I'm a gerber baby myself (thumbs u

:ha: I like that, gerber baby. Yeah, I got turned on to those, and it's what I use exclusively for all non-moderns and any valuable moderns.

[newshane]

Well I definitely know which boards I will and will not be using from now on...

 

I like E.Gerber mylar Mylite 2's with the full backs (thumbs u

 

Absolutely.

[Psithyrus]

I'm glad this thread got bumped.

 

 

FYI- I'm another person with a biology/chemistry background.

[ttfitz]

There definitely are standards, such as the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate Specification Number 300-300 – 09 Specifications for Board Stock, Buffered For the Storage of Artifacts, which you can find here;

 

http://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/supply/specs/300-300_09.pdf

 

 

[MediumLover]

Here

 

http://www.loc.gov/search/?q=Preservation+Directorate+Specification+Number+300-300+%E2%80%93+09

[Felix1977]

Extremely informative for those of us who where unaware of the damage we could be causing our books, thanks for the info

[Dr. Balls]

Here's a question:

 

I use two sheets of microchamber paper (front and back of the book) and then use a BCW board in a Mylite2 - should I be concerned, or will the microchamber paper absorb the acid enough so that I don't have to worry about the type of board I am using?

[lizards2]

Here's a question:

 

I use two sheets of microchamber paper (front and back of the book) and then use a BCW board in a Mylite2 - should I be concerned, or will the microchamber paper absorb the acid enough so that I don't have to worry about the type of board I am using?

 

When the oil from the cheap backing board leaks through to the back of the book, and the microchamber is between the interior and the covers, come back and tell us what you have discovered.

[Conan_Aficionado]

Here's a question:

 

I use two sheets of microchamber paper (front and back of the book) and then use a BCW board in a Mylite2 - should I be concerned, or will the microchamber paper absorb the acid enough so that I don't have to worry about the type of board I am using?

 

When the oil from the cheap backing board leaks.

 

I'm rich person_without_enough_empathy!!!!

[Dr. Balls]

When the oil from the cheap backing board leaks through to the back of the book, and the microchamber is between the interior and the covers, come back and tell us what you have discovered.

 

I've never seen "backer board oil". Sounds intriguing. I found my answer earlier in the thread:

 

Will microchamber paper mitigate the acidity of various backings?

 

It will, to some extent. But the point is, it is best to remove additional sources of acidity (ALL unbuffered backboards) to minimize the acid load on the microchamber paper and allow it to do its thing removing by-products of deterioration and pollutants. If you use Gerber or Cole boards you have the structural support of the board and the chemical support of the buffering.

[spatafore]

amazing! post! top!! thank you

[90sChild]

Just took two books out of the bag, found these full ghost images of the back cover. Pretty interesting.

[s14roller]

Really interesting findings (even if it's a few years ago). I need to make a determination on which comics I had collected when I was much younger should be slabbed, and the rest I should re-look at the backing boards and plastic covers on them. I have no doubt majority of them are just the normal backing boards from the LCS back in the day, which may or may not have been acid free.

[VegasJeff]

Does anyone know how bad "homemade" backing boards made from corrugated cardboard could be?

I was recently going through some comic magazines I acquired a number of years ago and inside the poly bags was corrugated cardboard cut from boxes to fit the size of the bag. These comic magazines were printed in the '70's so who knows how long those boards were in there. 

 I've personally never been completely satisfied with backing boards for magazines as they generally don't seem rigid enough for the weight of the magazines. However, despite their unarchivalness, the homemade backing boards made from corrugated cardboard seemed very rigid and did a good job in that regards. 

[lizards2]

3 hours ago, VegasJeff said:

Does anyone know how bad "homemade" backing boards made from corrugated cardboard could be?

I was recently going through some comic magazines I acquired a number of years ago and inside the poly bags was corrugated cardboard cut from boxes to fit the size of the bag. These comic magazines were printed in the '70's so who knows how long those boards were in there. 

 I've personally never been completely satisfied with backing boards for magazines as they generally don't seem rigid enough for the weight of the magazines. However, despite their unarchivalness, the homemade backing boards made from corrugated cardboard seemed very rigid and did a good job in that regards. 

I would think they would be terrible as cardboard is typically highly acidic.  However, the degree of damage is tied to storage conditions, so the proof is probably in the pudding.  Take the books out and see what damage has been done.

[grayzr]

This is a very useful thread.

Thanks for all the info and to everyone who has contributed 

[alleycat_tn]

WOW! Such a great post. I've always been wary of the single coated backing boards. Kudos to the OP!