Fusion 4000 and an oil on canvas

[OE]

I had an oil painting on canvas mounted to acid-free foam core because it was too "fragile" to stretch in the conventional manner- (poor canvas-
factory painting type work, so it wasn't worth
re-canvassing.) A dry mount press and Fusion 4000
was used.Guess what? A huge crease developed in the canvas, as the person operating the smallish press didn't feed the work properly. According to the manufacturer Fusion 4000 is "reversible".
I'm contemplating using a fairly warm hand iron to re-heat the canvas, and gently coax it off the foam board. Any other ideas?

[jframe]

If you try to pull the painting off of the foam board, you may crack the paint or it may flake off. Adhesive release or undo is probably an option also, test first, but you'll probably have the same problem of flaking or cracking when you try to remove it.

Good Luck!

[Rebecca]

I'd be interested to hear how this turns out as I have found Fusion 4000 to be very difficlt/impossible to get off. This doesn't mean it can't be done, just that I haven't found the method.

I have found that the best way to get access to the adhesive layer is to split and peel the foam layer off the reverse, leaving just the foamboard facing paper. That's a very tedious job. Good Luck, and if you have success, please post your method!

Rebecca

[Maryann]

I have found fusion 4000 to be reversible, but not easy.
We would only use fusion 4000 on a poster that can be replaced...and I can't even remember why we had to unmount the poster but we managed to do it successfully.
First of all we reheated it in the heat press. Quickly pulled up a corner. As soon as we met resistance, we stopped. Put a piece of release paper between the foamboard and the loose corner of the poster, reheat, quickly pull more of the poster loose, stop when you meet resistance, move release paper to separate the poster and foamboard, repeat, repeat, repeat. Be careful that you don't pull the poster up at too steep an angle or it will crease the poster. Not easy, not recommeded, but it can be done. Probably more cost effective to replace the poster. I really wouldn't want to be tugging at a photograph or anything other than a poster with the above method.

[Rebecca]

Thanks Maryann -

Then I'd suggest CanWest thin down the foamboard as much as possible, leaving only the facing paper, and use your method to peel the facing paper off of the canvas back. Trying to peel the canvas from the foamboard would flex the canvas/paint too much.

Rebecca

[fttom]

Whenever I've had to remove something that had fusion 4000, I've used Maryann's method, but thinned it down like Rebecca says, first. It heats much better, and easier. Plus, it's much safer to tug on the foamcore paper than it is the artwork. You can also sometimes get in between the layers with a very thin spatula after it's heated and get it loose. I bought a Wilton spatula just for this purpose. It's almost 10" long, almost 2" wide, and very, very thin. Works like a charm. Peal off the bottom layers of foamcore, down to the top layer of paper, then heat what's left in the press. Soon as it comes out peal up a corner just enough to slide in that spatula. If you meet resistance, heat again, and repeat. It takes patience, and perserverance, but it can be done. This is why I truly hate drymounts. I've had to do this to far too many over the years.

[Ron Eggers]

If there is a "huge crease" in the painting now, doesn't it seem likely that it'll still be there if/when the painting is removed from the board?

I guess I'd still try it, but you may be wasting your time if you're really talking about a crease.