Greetings John, I was thinking after I posted; if the newspapers are folded up, you may want to put them in a trash bag with a mildly damp sponge for a day before starting the full flattening process. This will soften the folds and lessen the chance of cracking. Make sure the sponge does not come in contact with the paper -- I put mine in a tupperware storage container with lots of slips cut in the lid. If you don't have a sponge, use several dozen lightly moistened paper towels (careful, they hold a lot of water). The trick is not to rush - it's all about achieving stability. Let me know how it works out. Wm Voss ----------------------------------------------