Removing "White out" from an award document

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

I have looked at two medals, one Czech and the other Polish for several weeks, c/w award documents, without buying them because both documents have the name obscured using "white out". The secretaries friend. Does anyone have any successful experience in removing white out from an award document. If so, how did you do it? Here are photos of the two documents.

[Gordon Craig]

And the Polish document.

[Ulsterman]

nail polish remover? ...it used to work on ink used on Eurail passes :rolleyes:

[Naxos]

Without using chemicals first, try gently scratching the white-out off the document with a scalpel.

[Ulsterman]

Without using chemicals first, try gently scratching the white-out off the document with a scalpel.

...would heating it gently help?

[leigh kitchen]

With a blow torch?

Edited May 12, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Naxos]

...would heating it gently help?

? .. don't know - there are different ways of revealing writing under white-out, most involve chemicals and in most cases the intent is to find out was is written underneath without regard for the paper it was written on - chemicals will almost always stain the paper.

?

? In this case I believe the intent is to preserve the paper and (perhaps) restore it to it's original state. I would try to see how much of the name can be revealed by carefully scratching the white-out off, then leave it.

?

[Carol I]

nail polish remover?

I do not think it would work on the water-based variety.

[leigh kitchen]

Sorry, I'd go for the pick it off, flake t off if t's not seeped nto the paper.

There's got to be a way of getting it out without damaging the print I would think.

If it's a thin coat, perhaps judicious use of a pencil rubber?

Sometimes you get a transparent layer of fluid on top of the tippex in a bottle - would putting just the transparent fluid on the dried tippex work towards dissolving?

If the tippex is thin enough you may be able to make out mprint the type under the white layer.

Get them & experiment with tippex & type on scrap paper?

Edited May 12, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Gordon Craig]

Leigh,

I was going to try and find paper stock of a similar weight to that used in the award documents, type on it, cover the printing with white out, let it set for a day or two and then try a few different methods of removal. Your idea of the fluid from the top of the bottle is nothing short of brilliant! That is definitely something I will try along with gentle scrapping. The object, as was mentioned earlier is to reveal the name without damaging the documents.

One problem is that I have no idea how long the white out has been on the paper and that could make a big difference when, and if, I try and remove it.

My thanks for everyone one who made suggestions. Even the "humorous" ones". Something has to brighten up my day!

Regards,

Gordon

[leigh kitchen]

Is it possible to read the name by holding the paper to the light? Paper or tippex to thick?

[Guest Rick Research]

The last group of award documents that I got out of The Island Paradise? via Our Man In Havana had all been blobbed over with white out and then scraped off.

There WAS damage to the paper and ink-- though TYPED papers came out better since the ink from that is below the surface of the paper itself.

My first thought on receiving the group (and a very nice one it was to a Clandestine/Revolutionary female) was that it had been renamed-- from the appearance at first glance that names had been scraped off and re-written. Not the case. Covered and uncovered.

So THAT is what scratching off is likely to result in. Here are two examples, with the first name left as actually is now. When we post these, because TIP? is still a tyrannical dictatorship, we obscure names to protect people trapped there anyway.

I'd just

1) pay less for damaged documents and

2) leave well enough alone rather than risk losing more data entirely

It might be possible to read through the blobbery either back lit or by some future technology. Short of having a buddy at a forensic crime lab....

[leigh kitchen]

Now there's a thought - send me the docs & I'll pass them to a friendly SOCO .......'course, you may not get them back for a while. A long while...........

[Gordon Craig]

Thanks for the additional comments guys. I did some experimenting last night and had some success. The Polish order document was on fairly stiff card type paper and the white out was applied rather thickly. Scraping it gently revealed the typed name clearly enough to read. The Czech document was on much thinner paper and the white out had been applied much thinner hence I was only about to get enough of it off to reveal the given name, and then only with a magnifying glass. Since the given name was the same on both documents it confirms my thoughts that both documents were probably given to the same person.

I've been able to do some research on the person named on the douments and will be starting a thread on him and the awards on the HUPR forum shortly.

Regards,

Gordon

[Bryan]

Hahaha ... I didn't try this during my first Eurotrip years ago!

nail polish remover? ...it used to work on ink used on Eurail passes

[SasaYU]

Maybe writing to the manufacturer of the white-out will give some better results.

They may give us information on chemicals that can work better in ramoving the white-out.