Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

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Bagpuss
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Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by Bagpuss »

I can't believe this is the first time this has been an issue for me but a customer came in last week and left a variety of prints and small posters, minimum size A3 , maximum size A1. All she wanted me to do was drymount them onto MDF board, I said I've never done that before but could drymount onto White Display Board, I tend to use this or Foamcore board. She is going to tape a cord onto the back of the drymounted prints and hang them without a frame.

I haven't drymounted them yet but as you can see from the photo below, this is what happens to prints on White Display Board, it naturally bows : ( If I put them under weights afterwards this might flatten them a bit but only a little I guess.

If I had a cold roller, would the prints be any flatter ? Any suggestion to get round this ? advice gratefully received.
2016-04-22 08.50.27.jpg
2016-04-22 08.50.27.jpg (1.28 MiB) Viewed 9693 times
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by JFeig »

You can counter mount the other side of the board to even out the curl. This is due to humidity. Next time, pre-heat the board to remove excess moisture in the board.
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by Bagpuss »

I'll certainly try and reheat the board first and then try drymounting the print, thanks for the tip : )

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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by Graysalchemy »

When you take gh out of the hot press put them undefined sone weight until they cool that should help but dry mounting will always result in some curvature of some sort
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by prospero »

Whatever you do I will help if you whip them out the press and straight under a weight while they cool.
That not to say they will stay flat, but they won't bow as much afterwards. Counter-mounting will also help.
I often use two layers of thinner board but that does mean twice as much tissue.

Years ago I used to laminate big prints onto hardboard. I still have some kicking about and they are as flat as a pancake.
You need to be very picky when selecting your hardboard though. It's not all created equal and some of it is carp. Also
takes more prep. Smooth edges and the face needs a light sand for good results.
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by Bagpuss »

Funny you should mention hardboard, the customer said she had had prints drymounted onto hardboard previously and I had never heard of that, she said they were fine, I think I might get in touch and suggest I try drymounting them onto hardboard instead of white display board, because of the bending.

I do drymount canvas prints onto hardboard but I use drymounting film instead of tissue, would I need to use drymount film instead of tissue for prints or can I get away with tissue ? Incidentally, these prints are not of any value.

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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by prospero »

If I remember back I used to do the entire process in one go - tissue under, laminating film over and cook them for 20 mins at 95c in a hardbed press.

If I do drymounting now I always use film. It's more expensive but easier to use. No tacking needed.
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by IFGL »

To answer the second part of your original question, I have never had that issue with our cold rollers, if it's flat going in, it's flat coming out.
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by Not your average framer »

Why the requirement to dry mount onto MDF? When the image is going behind glazing, I've been using pre-coated dry mount board for years, it's just so much easier and such a simple operation, when doing this sort of job. The boacking board is a separate item which easily counters any bow created when dry mounting the image.

If the image is not going behind glazing, then double sided adhesive mounting film and a jet mounter solves that too! It's not that it is not possible to dry mount the image onto MDF and get it flat, if you know what you are doing, but why would you bother about all the face techniques, when you can do it with the cold roller method and it's easy and flat everytime you do it. No brainer for me, quick, easy, job done!

No heat = No bowing.
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Re: Bending board when drymounting anyone ?

Post by Bagpuss »

I forgot to thank you all for the advice about the drymounting, I dont have a cold roller anymore so I had to drymount. I did put the white display board in the hotpress first, to dry it out a bit, I then drymounted them and placed them under glass to flatten them out. I was quite pleased with the result : )
My real name is Adam Laver aka "Adam The Picture Framer", just in case you were unsure ; )
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