The Framers Forum

I am having a real problem, with re-mounting, a largish, limited edition mono print, on light weight, hand made organic paper.
It was brought in last year with the print having moved and on taking it apart, found that the print had been attached to the undermount, by a continuous strip of
self adhesive crepe tape. The glue had partially failed, allowing the print to move.
I then re-attached the print, using conservation quality undermount and two "T" hinges and it looked fine.
Some months later when the customer was visiting the gallery again, she mentioned in passing that the print had started to wave and cockle.
I asked where it was hung and she said in the Kitchen. I advised that this was not an appropriate location and suggested that she move it to a warmer, drier location, in the hope that it might flatten, which she did.
Cockling still evident, so she returned it to me to correct.
I carefully removed the two archival "T",s and fitted a continuous hinge of Hayaku gummed hinging tape across the top. In view of my previous experience, I decided to wait and see if there was any further movement, before re-assembling everything. Just as well that I did, Signs of the dreaded cockling once again.
The one thing that both of these methods have in common, is the application of something wet, or damp to the paper. It is almost as if the paper has a one way memory or reaction to moisture
The customer states that she has owned the print for many years, attached via the brown crepe tape method, with no movement.
I have looked at other alternatives and was wondering if archival corners, loosely fitted to allow movement, might help.
Have any other forum members experienced anything similar. This is a really nice print and I want to return it flat and in good order, so really interested to hear of other peoples method of overcoming this type of problem
Colin

Is it cockling just at, or around the attachment point(s) or elsewhere as well?

Could be that the hinges were too wet and had not properly dried until after the frame was sealed up and that drying process cockled the paper as it took in the moisture. Flimsy papers and wet hinges are v difficult, you have to leave the adhesive dry until it's not shiney anymore ... and then maybe even longer for some papers.

Were the 'T' hinges done with one close and one loose, as shown here http://frametek.com/HTML/Articles/Hinging2.html ?

Hello and thank you for your response.
The "T" hinges I applied, would both probably fall into the tight category
The print size is some 610mm x 480mm
What are your thoughts on the conservation corner idea, where I am not attaching anything to the print, merely loosely restraining it?
Colin

Corner pockets require the item to stand on its bottom corners, so thin or supple papers can collapse downwards. They are also difficult to fit properly, too tight will restrict expansion/contraction; too loose will allow too much movement. The adhesive is also cheap and uncertain and if it fails the item can slip on to the adhesive residue left behind.

I think, especially as it is claimed that there was no cockling before moisture was added (your hinges), that 'T' hinges are probably still the best way, but If you are using a pre-gummed tape like Hayaku it is difficult to control the area of adhesion because the whole tape is impregnated with it.

Lightweight, wet-torn Japanese paper hinges and freshly cooked starch paste would be the best way, (plenty of tips on that in the link I provided) you can apply as little paste as you need, made as wet or as stiff as you like, to just the very 'feathers' of the edges of the hinge if you want, and it can be left to dry out so much that you'd have to breathe on it to re-activate it, but it all needs practice, especially on something flimsy, so, although it is not the best conservation advice, your safest bet may be to use a pressure sensitive/self adhesive tape such as filmoplast P90 - at least it's better than what was used originally and you'll probably be sticking it on to adhesive residue left by that anyway.

Hello Robo,
Thanks for the tip regarding the Filmoplast P90 tape, also the link re. the "T" hingeing method.
P90 tape is on order, and hopefully the problem will be solved
Colin