Organize It: Unmounting Rubber Stamps

As my rubber stamp collection grew, I made the decision to unmount my wooden stamps in order to save space.  Splitcoast Stampers’ forums were especially helpful with this.  There are several ways to proceed when unmounting rubber stamps: ez-mount, tack and peel, aileen’s tack it over and over, etc and each option having it’s pros and cons.  I’ll review each of them briefly in this post.

When I first unmounted my stamps, I chose to use EZ mount as my method for adding cling to the back of my stamps.  EZ mount comes in two options, regular and thin, with each 8 ½ x 11 sheet costing anywhere from 3-6 dollars.  The benefits of EZ mount is that it’s permanent, there’s no sticky residue to contend with, and it works very well with acrylic blocks.  However, if you have a large collection of stamps, the cost can add up quickly.  In addition to this, the best way to cut the foam mount is with a hot knife, which can cost around 10-20 dollars and has quite a limited use in the scrapbooking hobby.  The entire process of mounting on EZ mount can also be time consuming depending on the amount of stamps you have.

Tack and Peel is a clear sheet that you add to your acrylic block that allows you to attach bare rubber stamps.  Each package of Tack and Peel by Tsukineko averages $8-10 and contains one 4” x 6 ½” sheet.  I have personally not used this method so I cannot attest to its pros and cons.  

Aleene’s Tack It Over and Over is a flexible adhesive that creates a temporary bond.  A thin coat of the liquid glue is brushed onto the back of bare rubber stamps and allowed to dry.  Once dry, the glue becomes tacky and the stamps can then be adhered to the acrylic block.  TIO&O can be readily found at local hobby stores; averages 3-6 dollars for a 4 oz bottle and one bottle can last forever as a little goes a long way.  This has become my method of choice for my rubber stamps since it’s easy to use, easy to find, and very economical.  However, I have noticed that on certain types of rubbers, the glue will peel off.  Also, if there’s any residue on your stamps can cause the glue to not adhere properly.  So it’s important to apply to very clean stamps. 

Links to products discussed on this post:

EZ Mount

Hot Knife

Tack and Peel

Aleene’s Tack It Over and Over

Links to tutorials on each method:

EZ Mount using scissors

EZ Mount using hot knife

Tack and Peel

Aleene’s Tack It Over and Over

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