Mylar flip heat sealing?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Howard Ryan, Mar 4, 2021.

  1. Howard Ryan

    Howard Ryan Member

    I have a clean ski iron with square edges that has a temp gague from 85 F to over 160 F. Wondering if I could seal the mylar flips with this iron. I know they make sealers but the square edge of the iron I think would work fine, I just need to know the temperature to use. Or maybe I shouldn't do it.
     
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  3. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    why?
    I feel like it would cause more harm than anything.
     
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  4. potty dollar 1878

    potty dollar 1878 Well-Known Member

    I wouldn't do it as stated it Most likely wouldn't work and probably do harm to the coins and yourself.
     
  5. Evan Saltis

    Evan Saltis OWNER - EBS Numis LLC Supporter

    I wouldn't try it, better off using a cardboard 2x2 with scotch tape around the seams, IMO.
     
  6. Publius2

    Publius2 Well-Known Member

    Experiment first with empty flips and then with pocket change. And then report your findings back to us.
     
  7. tommyc03

    tommyc03 Senior Member

    Would the heat possibly set off gases that might get trapped inside? Heat sealing is lot different than electronic/sonic sealing.
     
  8. Evan Saltis

    Evan Saltis OWNER - EBS Numis LLC Supporter

    Doesn't sonic sealing create enough heat to release gases from the plastic? I mean, if its archival maybe it wouldn't be a big deal but I have sooo much anxiety from this thread! Lol!
     
  9. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

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  10. LRC-Tom

    LRC-Tom Been around the block...

    I use a similar one to what desertgem posted. Works very well.
     
  11. Howard Ryan

    Howard Ryan Member

    Might just buy one then. But for the sake of experiment, what temp. is used on your sealer to seal the mylar flips shut? I do want to try with the iron just to see. I have a temp gauge and the Iron, I wrongly wrote in the OP F when it should be C (Celsius). So, temp gauge on iron goes from 90C to 160C.
     
  12. John Burgess

    John Burgess Well-Known Member

    Mylar has a melting point of 482 degrees F (250 C) and you'd need to be sure the flip is infact mylar, and not a generic PET (PET has a melting point of 500 F/250C) as far as my understanding of this goes, and the 7 mil thickness of the mylar flips, the optimum temp setting needs to be somewhere between 375 F and 425 F depending on elevation/altitude, with PET needing another 18 F degrees added to these ranges for an optimal fusing. in this range is where the "dialing it in" happens to find the optimal temp for the result you want.
    I don't think 90C-160C gets you quite there (194F-320F) and it won't actually fuse.

    I'm sure I've gone way overboard here :)

    just saying you don't want melting, but you want hot enough to actually fuse strongly. and the material matters as well as the machine used to seal it.

    Another thing to keep in mind, TRUE mylar or PET "archival quality" with no additives or coatings like UV blocker, can't be conventionally heat sealed.
    The fusing won't stick well, and if you crank up the temp it will cut, melt or burn instead of seal. it requires an RF sealer to fuse it solidly and cleanly.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2021
  13. Mr.Q

    Mr.Q Well-Known Member

    Interesting topic let us know how it turns out, thanks.
     
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  14. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    Just staple it and flatten the staples. I wouldnt be wrapping them in tape
     
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  15. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    The TPG slabs are fine. They have it essentially perfected. Theres coins that have been in them for decades that are perfectly fine
     
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  16. John Burgess

    John Burgess Well-Known Member

    Yeah, there is that :) . A flat clinch stapler would get the job done without all the guess work on material composition, temperatures and testing, or even the 2nd step of manually flattening of staples if a person did go with a stapler.
     
  17. charley

    charley Well-Known Member

    I don't know why it would be necessary. Keeping the flips in the correct protective container is what I do.
    is the flip you are using double pocket?
    Yes, I understand that sellers do so, with a return privilege requirement that the flip be as sent to the buyer, to prevent shenanigans, bur other than this, I never found it particularly helpful.

    Besides, us old guys would burn our eye out getting to close to see that it is sealed, and/or waste 17 flips until we got it correct, or forget what we were doing and then open it after sealing to place in another album/holder/coffin. It happens....
     
  18. 1865King

    1865King Well-Known Member

    I'd be worried about heat sealing a flip. The heat causes the plastic to melt in order to make the seal. There are always gases released and if the gases are harmful to the coin metal you just sealed your coin in an environment that it's not suited for. I don't like flips myself. You're better off buying some snap together holders or capsules for your coins. I have have a nice red Lincoln cent in an old Whitman snap together holder that looks the same as it did when "I" put it in over 50 years ago.
     
  19. Evan Saltis

    Evan Saltis OWNER - EBS Numis LLC Supporter

    Yes, I understand that but doing the same for a different plastic...?

    As long as it’s not PVC I’m interested to learn more
     
  20. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    Mylar has been used for many years for long term storage . Any vapors that are released in sealing with approved equipment are considered safe for humans ( which are much more sensitive than coin metals). LTFS ( Long term food storage ) fans use the clear or aluminized mylar to seal food for long term ( usually max out at 50 years for beans rice, etc) with great success. If you use a blowtorch to seal them , you are on your own. Jim
     
  21. tommyc03

    tommyc03 Senior Member

    I can't be positive Evan. I used to do sonic sealing with specialty 10cc syringe parts, both the finger grip and the thumb grip. This happens so fast I don't ever recall a smell and never noticed any gassing. But that was a long time ago in the early 70's. Those parts were made of polypro as opposed to mylar or poly vinyl. If someone with more scientific know how could explain in this case, I'm certainly open to views.
     
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