The Framers Forum

'kin ell - I've never tried smirking a print!

But on a serious note - melinex won't bend like clingfilm and a ciggie is not hollow.

excuse my ignorance. what is melinex?

fionnuala wrote:excuse my ignorance. what is melinex?

Clear archival polyester film, bought in sheets, on rolls or in readymade envelopes etc - 'Mylar' is another name for the same sort of thing - all a bit confusing but 'clear archival polyester' from a supplier like PEL, is the right stuff.

You can cut strips from it to tie things with; you can cut 'spiders' from it to place over medals (the 'legs' pass through the mounting board) you can make your own photo corners from it, but unlike the self adhesive ones, they'll also pass through the mount and be secured from the back.

An extremely versatile product

Do an advanced search on The Grumble for 'encapsulate' or 'encapsulation'

But here's where I get it anyway.

Melinex or similar is a clear film which is principally used in the picture framing industry for mounting and encapsulation ….

James Miller (Jim) who is on the forum is one of the leading experts on how to use it…..

Mounting With Clear Film by James Miller (from 2001) is a starting point about Melinex http://www.pictureframingmagazine.com/p ... TCLEAR.pdf

Jim also has a book out on the subject now…

Before I’d try to twist the print into shape, you might check out a home made humidity chamber. It referred to a papyrus document but I use this “relaxation technique” most frequently for rolled up prints and posters.

Spit wrote: It works because the clingfilm acts as a support, preventing the ciggie from creasing and breaking. I'd guess that the same applies to a print wrapped in melinex.

Dunno. Next time I'll try lighting the poster and let you know.

On second thoughts, how about you carrying out that part of the experiment...

John (Robo) which weight (micron) do you use...!!!

Thanks

Dermot

I've only got the 75 micron, which is fine for up to about A4 - after that it can be a bit wavy - for overlays and encapsulation that is. It's fine on 'wrapped' things and for straps, but I still need the heavier weights, for heavier things!

Will be ordering the 100 and 125 micron soon - pity the 125 only comes in 50m lengths.

I suppose the lighter weights (below 75) may be fine for cigarette cards etc, but 75 seems pretty light to me.

John, I know you've posted this somewhere before, but who supplies Melinex?

The link's in a post above - but here you go ... (PEL - Preservation Equipment Limited)

'Conservation by design' may be worth a Google too.

Duh! What am I like...

I thought that you'd said that PEL supplied it, John. What prompted my question is that I searched their site for "melinex" the other night, and came up empty, hence the "second guessing."