Removing Hinges from Mint Stamps

Remove Hinges from Mint Stamps so they look like Very light to light hinged stamps.
First get 2 sheets of good quality paper towel ( Bounty ) fold in 4. Soak paper towel in clean water and ring out excess water. Leave paper towel quite damp that if you lift it water will not drip. You need 2 of these flatten them out to take most rinkels out and lay flat. Place your stamp on 1 paper towel and then place the other paper towel on top a sandwich. Do not apply any presure or weight to the paper towel. After 1 1/2 to 2 minutes with tongs remove 1 only stamp this is done 1 at a time. Place stamp where you have good lighting and with an Alpha kinfe . Use the very tip of the knife and go ever so lightly to the corner of the hinge. With the sharp tip try to go under the hinge and lift ever so ligtly.The corner of the hinge will lift and take your tongs and peel back very very lightly. If one corner does not work try another corner. Sometimes there are more than one hinge if so remove 1 and put stamp in sanwich again. Don't try to lift both you will tear your stamp. After hinge is removed place stamp in a WaxPaper sandwich with a heavy weight on top. The glue on the stamp will not stick on the wax paper there may be a little resistance but with your tongs just lift up ever so lightly. Sometimes there is glue resedue from the hinge that stays on the stamp. Take the opposite side of the Olfa knife the straight edge and ever so lightly scrap some of this glue off. Sometimes this glue forms little balls remove this ball don't try to drag it out to the side . Rub the knife against your T shirt if your wife is not looking in order to keep all parts of the knife clean. I like to extend the blade far out it seems to work better with a long blade. After you have done 1 stamp go and get another one and do the same thing. I would suggest no to put more than 6 stamps in the papertowel sandwich at a time.If you do put moreyour stamps begee to wet and easyer to damage. This works for me and it can work for you . Remember go very very very slow take your time until you get the hang of it. Good luck Len. USE YOUR TONGS