Memorial plaque with tricky field commendation

[mikeysaling]

When we received these medals and plaque - they were absolutely black with age and found while relatives did a house clear! The commendation was stuck (and still is) to a piece of donkeys years old cardboard - so no chance of removing it.

We put the medals in the ultrasonic cleaner and did our 'secret' magic clean on the plaque! (the plaques are bronze and very flat looking when left for years) - per other posts we only do any of this when requested - same withnew ribbons.

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[mikeysaling]

ref above frame - forgot to mention (cannot seem to edit my posts at present) space at side of medals we are supplying cap badges to balance the display - the customer will be able to add these himself. Thats why i showed back which can be removed.

[Nigel Nobody]

You've done a nice job on this. It looks good.

A couple of things I would have done differently to reduce the possibility of damage to the items in the future:
I would have used a mylar spider to hold the medal because those plastic holders go brittle after a while and can fall to bits.
I would have used a different backing. That looks like mdf which is full of lignin and other chemicals that are invasive and harmful. It also absorbs moisture and can go mouldy in some climates.

[Roboframer]

Nicely balanced/presented. Is that in inner and outer frame with the glass between?

(cannot seem to edit my posts at present) .

You get 15 mins

[mikeysaling]

hi there robo! 15 mins! just a tad longer than doing a frame then - LOL !

All my frames are inner frame holding removable back then glass then outer frame - this givesme the space for medals etc - if i need more space i make a box to fit the inner frame.

all the jollies mike

[Roboframer]

For extra depth; rather than a box that pokes out the back of a frame, ever tried mitreing a flat profile on its side and capping it with something to match?

Also, how's about a removeable front rather than a removeable back - this is a slip-over frame, (using above method) far easier than a hinged front.

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[mikeysaling]

ooh - really like that idea - specially when we have large items - will pursue this with next 'tank' size object! seriously though it is a great idea and will use as an alternative to the back mounted box.

This really is a great forum - really usefull. thanks

[daisy]

Hi Robo,

Can you tell me how your outer frame / slip over frame stays attached (besides excellent mitering that is!).
Daisy.

[Roboframer]

The shelf unit, which could be just a box, is screwed to the wall and the outer frame just sldes snugly over it.

That's it, it's so deep and fits so snugly that it's never going to come off by accident - although if you wanted some insurance or if it was a shallower thing, you could simply drill through the outer frame, in to the inner box and put a screw, or something more decorative in the hole.

[mikeysaling]

That really is neat / elegant - the more i look at it the more i like it! could well be the solution to bulky items we frame - you know the sort of thing - m15 carbines - kalashnikovs etc (actually i have been asked to frame a few MP's - but i understand i lost that business , as they frame themselves these days).

[Roboframer]

Here's some examples of depth created by stacking.

http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 07&p=24964

[mikeysaling]

hi all,

Thanks for all your input - can i ask - if your customer had presented you with this how would you have tackled it - remember the medals have to be together not separated and the commendation is stuck to a piece of years old card. both the commenorative plaque (death penny) and the medals are black with age.

really would like to know how you would have proceeded.

I'm already starting to chang my thinking - oh BTW customer wants access to the display ie removable back or hinged front.

mikey

ps DARE i ask cost??

[Roboframer]

Just the commendation and the 'death penny' for now.

Commendation - I'd recommend scanning it, mounting the copy and putting the original somewhere dark, preferably in a small archival storage box made from, or lined with, atcare board.

Death Penny. Well as Ormond said - mighty mounts can yellow, craze and go brittle - UV glass may slow that down. If they did go yellow and craze though, how bad would that look on something like that anyway? Not very I suppose, and even if they failed, what's the worst that could happen if it dropped?

Other options.

1. A shaped mylar/melinex/clear archival polyester film mount or 'spider'. Pros - easy, cheap, very secure, totally uninvasive, won't discolour/weaken. Cons - It will make it very shiney, (which could be fine if it's a shiney medal, but this isn't) and also wavy as the design is in relief. However in the US there is a 'non-reflective' version which has had good reviews - look on The Grumble for 'invisimount'

2. Double reverse bevel mount that the penny just sits in. Pros - simple and effective and of course uninvasive. Cons - you've made it two-dimensional and lost detail from the edges - fine for a CD or a record.

3. Formed rods. Steel rods, in this case very slim ones, are formed to hook over the object, a bit like a spring plate hanger as in what you can see - the visible 'hook' part is covered with shrink tubing, heated and then, if necc, painted to match the object. The rod is passed through the board and fixed at the back so that it cannot turn - (very basic descriptions follow) one method is to make it in to a zig zag and another is to use fluted plastic board or 'Correx' - put the rod in one of the grooves - remove the top of that groove and fill it with something that dries rock hard like poxy resin.

Pros - slightly less visible than mighty mounts with no fear of failure. Cons, time consuming, extra materials to secure and conceal from the back, mount board needs to be covered while you are working as there's a good chance you'll scuff it.

[Roboframer]

(actually i have been asked to frame a few MP's - but i understand i lost that business , as they frame themselves these days).

That went past me first time around - COL ! (Chuckle Out Loud - one down from LOL and two down from LMAO)

[Not your average framer]

Hi Mickeysaling,

That's a very nicely executed job! I like the way you have stacked those two mouldings together. The overal effect is excellent.

May I ask which mouldings you used?

[mikeysaling]

robo - thanks for that - all good info i'll look at these possibilities and 'not your average' - thank you for the compliment - mouldings are Arqadia 786 706 200 (gold) and 267 499 246 (brown) FYI the gold has very narrow rebate only 5mm.

[Nigel Nobody]

However in the US there is a 'non-reflective' version which has had good reviews - look on The Grumble for 'invisimount'

'Invisimount' is not made from Mylar/Melinex. It's a completely different product. It apparently stretches slightly which may prove to be problematic in some applications!

[Roboframer]

..... if your customer had presented you with this how would you have tackled it - remember the medals have to be together not separated and the commendation is stuck to a piece of years old card. both the commenorative plaque (death penny) and the medals are black with age.

really would like to know how you would have proceeded.

How did you proceed, as in mounting the items? (Bar the penny)

[mikeysaling]

ok cannot go into too much background as this reply may 'time out' on me and i don't fancy redoing it all.

we are a two man band i do the frames preparation etc and tony does marketing/sales research etc we are both in our sixties and have been working together for best part of 20 years - this is a paying hobby for us tony is a retired milkman and i am a redundant/retired!! bank VP . The workshop is my original kitchen (prior to an extension) 12 x 6 !! not a lot of room. we almost exclusively work with medals and militaria - thats all we frame because we only need to keep 2 mouldings 2 backings (crimson and midnight blue) All the frames are the same basic design all are custom made for size there is no stock of ready made. all items framed can be accessed from the back allowing medals that need to be worn as well as fixed medals to be cleaned/removed whatever.

this frame - first all items were cleaned in the ultrasonic bath - the ribbons were inshreds so new ones were aattached (originals were ultimately put in a small folder and attached to the back) The commendation which was already stuck to card (which could not be removed) was attached to blue mountboard with d/sided tape - then attached to velveteen with velcro small coins. The medals were attached using our standard method

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/medals/page36.htm

hope the medal diagram is ok! The plaques are computer produced on heavy paper and fixed to reverse cut mountboard then fixed with the velcro coins. having a prob typing more on this post !! so will close now - more detail if you want it on anothe rpost


then

[mikeysaling]

this thing timed out on me before i decided what else to add

medal preparation

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/medals/page30.htm


any more info please ask me pm mail or post

mike