The Framers Forum

Using HOTPRESS 2mm display board in a Dry Mounting Press at 90 degrees, the boards curl dramatically when cooling on a flat surface.

I have checked the temperature is correct with the manufacturers for the DMT used. Does anyone have any tips on how to stops this occuring?

Thanks in advance!

Probably the only way is to remove from the press and quickly place the item under a heavy board while it cools.

weight the boards down while they cool - preferably on a cool surface - they need to be kept flat until you are ready to put them in the frame as they will always have that tendency to curl. Using a thinner board can help.

Whenever you laminate two materials together you will invariably set up a tension on one side of the board = curl. In theory, if you laminated on both sides you would have no problems.

markw wrote:In theory, if you laminated on both sides you would have no problems.

Hi Mark,

As an ex-bookbinder, I can tell you it ain't quite that simple. You also have to take into account the direction on grain in any paper used for the artwork you are mounting and the direction of grain of any other papers used in the same package. There is also a warp and weft direction in woven fabrics, such as canvas.

The direction of grain in paper is easily found be cutting a thin strip, wetting it and seeing which way it wants to curl. The warp direction in fabric is the same as the direction it was rolled when it came on a roll.

It's not that relevant, but in bookbinding the grain of end-papers on hardcovers runs along the longest length and it's the same for the warp of the bookcloth. Otherwise you get bent boards on your books. Some boards can have a grain too, and if you are dry-mounting paper to the reverse side to compensate the paper weight may be relevant also.

The theory sounds O.K., but my experience tells me that what may work in bookbinding using starch paste and what happens in a dry-mounting press are somewhat different.

NYAF - Thats why I said in theory - as I know from experience if you want things to go dreadfully wrong use a vacuum hot press.