Nowadays every time I get a new Stampin’ Up! set, I take one extra step and seal the wood first. It is so easy and, to me, it is worth it to help repel ink from soaking in. I have not experimented with how well it does its job but I do feel that my stamps are easier to clean with this added layer. All it takes is a brown paper grocery bag, a lid to put it all in and a can of spray sealer.
My favorite sealers are by Krylon. I’ve tried a bunch. What I like about the one I’m showing in the photo is that it’s thick so I only use one coat per side. Also, years ago I tried spraying with newspaper as my protective bottom and the blocks stuck. They still do now and then but only a little and if they do, I simply sand off the paper and spray that spot again.
I have been spraying in my garage yet bringing them in to dry in my laundry room. With the cold weather, I don’t think they can dry as well in the garage. I set them out, do some stuff, come back in an hour, flip them over, spray again and when that side is dry, I do the next set. I discourage mixing sets and doing several at a time unless you can separate them so they won’t blend together. All it takes is one time not doing that to realize you are not sure which block goes with which set. Guess who did that?
One more thing: if you are ever re-selling your sets, to say that your woods are sealed seems to fetch a little more for them.
Happy spraying! cough, cough, sputter…
