The Framers Forum

Hello
I am framing an embroidered panel and need to attach some spacers to the frame, can anyone recommend the best adhesive to use from both a strength and conservation standard point of view? I have heard that silicone is inert when cured so would this be suitable?
Thanks, Lesley

What the spacer is made from is more important regards conservation, so whatever it is, it'll probably be better than the wood of the frame rebate .... unless it's a wooden spacer!

There's econospace http://www.lionpic.co.uk/product-search ... econospace which fixes to the glass; not the rebate, but I normally use foam board spacers fixed to the rebate with PVA, plus a few strips of double-sided tape just to hold while the PVA dries.

Silicone would probably be fine, it's not in contact with the artwork, but as far as being a conservation type adhesive anyway - it's not.

Even with a spacer, whatever it's made from, your embroidery will just be sitting on it and still in contact with the frame, so, if you want conservation, seal the rebate with something like Lineco foil tape first.

Thanks Roboframer.

I'm planning to use paper wrapped spacers (Rose and Hollis) made deeper with a strip of solidcore board attached behind, so it will be the mountboard bit that is attached to the rebate.

Bird wrote:I have heard that silicone is inert when cured

Hi Lesley,

Most common or garden varieties of silicone continue curing for a very long time and during this time they release acetic acid. Therefore they are not inert during this extended curing phase and continuing to release acetic acid.

Hi Mark

Yes I thought this might be the case, I have some silicone from Lion, do you know if this is any better?

Lesley

The FATG have published a document which outlines the recommended adhesives and glues for conservation and museum framing and nowhere do they mention silicone. For attaching slip & fillets, at conservation level, they recommend double sided polyester tape and/or EVA glue. That would be 3M 415 tape and Evacon-R glue.

Bird wrote:do you know if this is any better?

It will be the same. The only non-acetic acid curing silicones use a different curing process and those are very expensive indeed. All the normal affordable silicones use the acetic acid curing process.

Double sided tape and a few tiny little spots of PVA glue works well with foamboard spacers. Eventually the adhesive on the double sided tape will fail, but the PVA will still hold. If the glass ever needs replacing, you only need to scrape away any remaining PVA glue and make some new foam board spacers (that is assuming that you had the ruin the original spacers while removing them).

Most of the time, I manage to avoid needing to glue wood spacers in position and at times when I see the need to stick spacers in place I prefer to use Econospace or Framespace instead.

Thank you all so much for the great advice.
Lesley

Not your average framer wrote:Double sided tape and a few tiny little spots of PVA glue works well with foamboard spacers. Eventually the adhesive on the double sided tape will fail, but the PVA will still hold

So do it the other way around - small amounts of double sided tape and the PVA doing the work - the double sided tape just holding while the PVA dries.

PVA is certainly better than silicone. But a small dab of non-solvent type grab adhesive will do the job. (on wood-to-wood anyway) It's not runny or stringy and easy to apply from a pump dispenser. No need for d/s tape. Squeeze into place and it will stay put and set in minutes.
Sometimes it's not necessary to glue the thing it at all.
Remember, you (or some other peep) might need to take the thing apart again somewhere down the line.

Roboframer wrote:So do it the other way around - small amounts of double sided tape and the PVA doing the work - the double sided tape just holding while the PVA dries.

I think that we may be saying and thinking exactly the same thing. It only needs small amount of double sided tape and I just use small spots of PVA glue so that it does not get anywhere I don't want it and to avoid needing to try to get the PVA off of the glass afterwards.