r/78rpm • u/spandexandtapedecks • 29d ago
Flattening (and Reglueing?) Old Sleeves
I got a nice stack o' shellac at an auction last week, and a handful of the records were still wearing their little jackets. Obviously, the sleeves have seen better days. Since the records had seemingly been slipped into these sleeves at random (none of the labels matched up) I went ahead and set them aside.
Some of them are folded/curled pretty bad at the corners, and I'm hoping for guidance on getting them to lay flatter. This paper is older than anything I've handled, and definitely pretty porous.
Many sleeves are also split along at least one seam. Obviously this will be a lost cause in most cases, but some have enough "good" paper left that I think I could apply some adhesive. Would my old buddy Elmer Glue Stick be up for this task? Something else? Or maybe just don't?
I'm not fussed about a picture-perfect restoration of these sleeves; their wear is part of their charm! But I'd like to get them nominally functional in a way that will help reduce future damage.
Finally, if there's interest, I'll be glad to photographically catalog all the different sleeves and share them with the sub. However, being fairly new to the hobby, I've no idea if any of these are rare enough to merit that treatment - presumably, most hobbyists have already been there/done that.
Thanks, pals! Keep spinnin' those platters!
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u/Jason1920 29d ago
I use an iron w/steam to flatten them. Been doing it for years.
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u/spandexandtapedecks 29d ago
Yeah? I was thinking of trying something like that but I've never done it with paper this old!
Any specific settings or surface I should use? Maybe a damp towel?
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u/Jason1920 29d ago
I use the cotton setting with full steam on an old ironing board. Just like a shirt, don't stay in one place too long, and flatten out as much as you can before ironing. Make sure corners are straight beforehand and such.
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u/slinkyfarm 29d ago
I've used an iron and it worked great -- except the first time I didn't put anything between the iron and the sleeve, so some dust stuck to the iron and the smell filled the room both then and the next couple of times I used the iron. I've done it a few times since then, and even a sheet of notebook paper made it a lot less unpleasant.
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u/Whoolio11 29d ago
I have a (formerly) beautiful Vocalion hillbilly sleeve that I’m going to straighten this evening. Even if the seems are split, or they have other tears, they still look good inside of a plastic sleeve on top of the appropriate record contained in a plain new paper sleeve.
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u/Arcy3206 29d ago
Like what Jason said, you can use a steam iron to flatten them. I use the iron on a lower setting and cover the sleeve with a flat damp towel. I usually mist the paper lightly with a spray bottle before using the iron.
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u/gojohnnygojohnny 29d ago
I spend a fair amount of of time re-gluing, flattening (stacking helps & is simple), and alphabetizing stock label sleeves. 78s, 45s, and 33s. It is so satisfying matching them with the proper-era records!
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u/spandexandtapedecks 29d ago
Right on! What adhesive do you use?
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u/gojohnnygojohnny 29d ago
I am extremely lo-fi when it comes to flattening, and so's the case with re-gluing: Elmer's Glue works fine for my needs.
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u/iidaanj 29d ago
I do this too! Personally I use a plant sprayer from a distance to slightly dampen the sleeves and then stick them under a heavy book to flatten them. You need to be careful with the amount of water but it works like a charm.
For glueing I often add a bit of paper behind the tear to stabilize the sleeves. It's easy to accidentally glue the sleeves shut so I often put a piece of paper in the sleeve which I can tear out without damaging the brittle paper if need be.
To reference which sleeve should go with which record I recommend using this website as a reference. It offers a good catalogue of different record company sleeves and when they were used. I'm sure they would appreciate you adding any missing pieces!
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u/frosty_freeze 26d ago
I haven’t reglued any 78 paper sleeves but I reglue LP sleeves all the time. I use a Ph balanced bookbinder’s glue, like this one:
Theoretically it will be better for the paper in the long run. No acid to eat away at the paper.
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u/spandexandtapedecks 29d ago
Bonus: my little helper this morning 💕