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How to Fix a Comic Staple With Rust

Comic books have provided generations with fantastic stories and spawned many iconic characters that remain popular today. Comics are also big business with a burgeoning market; numerous comic book lines have titles that are worth several thousand dollars. A bit of a controversy among die-hards is restoring aging comics to their original state. Regardless, a common sign of age is rusting staples along the book's binding, an easy fix if you have the patience.

Things You'll Need

Flat, stable work surface
Overhead lighting
Nail file
Clean cloths
Razorblade (optional)
New staples (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Thoroughly wash and dry your hands to free your skin of oils that can potentially damage the pages of the book. Lay the book out on a clean cloth on a flat, stable work surface with ample overhead lighting. Open the comic to the middle of the book to get access to the staples.
- 2
  Lay a clean cloth over the pages on either side of the book to prevent scratching. Place the nail file over the staples and lightly begin to file away the rust in long, even strokes. Take your time and file only one staple at a time. Gently blow away any rust debris as you go.
- 3
  Use the razor blade to remove the staples if you don't find the filing method satisfactory. Gently insert the tip of the blade under one of the staple's edges and turn upward to loosen. Repeat for all staple points, then turn the book over and insert the blade under the staple's body on the binding of the book. Slowly pull upward to remove the staple, then repeat for the remaining staples. Insert the new staples in the same holes and use the blunt of the blade to press down the points.

Comic Book Collecting