Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Get help and framing advice from the framing community
Post Reply
thecreative
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon 01 Oct, 2018 4:51 pm
Location: wigan
Organisation: The Creative Art Company
Interests: art
photography
renovation

Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by thecreative »

Hi all,
I'm currently pva mounting canvas prints onto 6mm/9mm mdf ready for painting over with acrylics,
having the odd issue with slight warping on the 6mm - 9mm seems better but I'm wondering if there
is a cheap enough alternative to swap to eg, dibond or similar sort of core material I could buy cut to
standard frame sizes and that will firstly alleviate bowing and ssecondly allow me to use frames with
a more shallow rebate??
User avatar
GeoSpectrum
Posts: 2151
Joined: Fri 01 Oct, 2010 11:49 am
Location: Lincolnshire
Organisation: Ashcraft Framing
Interests: Family, x-country skiing, wine, art, Jazz
Location: Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by GeoSpectrum »

birch plywood.
Alan Huntley
Ashcraft Framing
Bespoke Easels and Self-assembly tray frames
http://www.ashcraftframing.co.uk
User avatar
prospero
Posts: 11492
Joined: Tue 05 Jun, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by prospero »

Have you tried sealing the backs of the panels with PVA?

What size are the panels?

I would tend to go with 2.5 MDF. If it does bow you can flatten it more easily.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
thecreative
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon 01 Oct, 2018 4:51 pm
Location: wigan
Organisation: The Creative Art Company
Interests: art
photography
renovation

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by thecreative »

pva mounted onto 9mm mdf then painted over and sealed with matt medium. Wanted to leave the back clean to avoid needing a backboard as it wont fit the rebate otherwise. Are you saying use thinner material then use a backboard to pull it back into the frame flat as I hadn't considered that?

At the moment my largest size is 20 x 26 aperture (want to go larger on occasion but for the moment this is enough of a problem)

Thanks
Not your average framer
Posts: 11013
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by Not your average framer »

Strictly speaking the backing board is now part of the artwork after the canvas has been glued on to it and if the backing board latdr get wrecked, that's now part of the artwork. Condition can be very important to the future value of the artwork. I think that a separate backing board has some merit, in many cases.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Justintime
Posts: 1868
Joined: Sat 26 Sep, 2015 8:48 am
Location: West Wales
Organisation: George The Framer LLP
Interests: Gardening, design, electronic music, good food and beverages.
Contact:

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by Justintime »

The board will bow if you only seal one side. It is shrinking as it dries on the sealed side. I think that is what Prospero was inferring.
Rather than fixing your work to an acidic substrate, having you considered learning how to stretch canvas onto stretcher bars?? Alternatively you could paint directly onto Dibond. This would give you many contemporary framing options, both hand finished and prefinished.
Assuming that you are an artist not a picture framer, have you had a look at Alan's (Geospectrum) website? He can supply ready made frames at a very reasonable price, bearing in mind that you would be buying from an experienced bespoke framer rather than supporting a mass production overseas factory.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
thecreative
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon 01 Oct, 2018 4:51 pm
Location: wigan
Organisation: The Creative Art Company
Interests: art
photography
renovation

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by thecreative »

Yes I get that the board will bow if only one side is sealed but is it not the canvas mounted to it that's pulling it in a certain direction?

Stretched canvas not an option I don't like working on a flimsy surface and I've spent a long time perfecting my technique.

Its not bowing to the point that its much of an issue, question would be would it be better on 3mm mdf, pva coating both sides then using the backing board to push it into shape?
Justintime
Posts: 1868
Joined: Sat 26 Sep, 2015 8:48 am
Location: West Wales
Organisation: George The Framer LLP
Interests: Gardening, design, electronic music, good food and beverages.
Contact:

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by Justintime »

Yes. Why put unnecessary pressure on the frame by forcing the backboard to serve as a lever? That pressure will probably reappear as gaps in your corners eventually.
I would look at Dibond, like i said there any some great new options for float mounting dibond using high bond tapes onto metal subframes, st ives style frames or very slim prefinished mouldings from Lions.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
Justintime
Posts: 1868
Joined: Sat 26 Sep, 2015 8:48 am
Location: West Wales
Organisation: George The Framer LLP
Interests: Gardening, design, electronic music, good food and beverages.
Contact:

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by Justintime »

Like this
Attachments
Screenshot_20201024-165656_Chrome.jpg
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
thecreative
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon 01 Oct, 2018 4:51 pm
Location: wigan
Organisation: The Creative Art Company
Interests: art
photography
renovation

Re: Alternative to mdf for pva mounting artwork

Post by thecreative »

Thanks
Post Reply