Question Animal Skin hinging

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Al in Tampa

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Tampa, Fl
Hello everyone,

I know there have been many threads on hinging and dealing with vellum and parchment (mainly because I have read most of them), but I was looking at Vivian Kistler's book on conservation framing (volume 4), and was wondering if hinges made from gummed linen tape as she suggested, is still an acceptable method for hinging a piece of parchment (or vellum?) approximately 29 x 33 that will be floated. If not, would the Nori pre mixed wheat starch hinging paste in single use packets be a good alternative?


Thanks, Al
 
No to the linen tape, and the pre-packaged Nori is no longer made.
How about using edge supports and overmatting?
:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick
 
If we hinge skin, we use a 50/50 mix of paste and Lascaux 498, which keeps the moisture level low, but is still easy to remove (with more moisture -avoid solvents on skin).

If/when the client really wants to keep the skin flat, we thread-mount it. This technique is not for the impatient or the frugal.

ParchmentMountedSheetPSForWeb.JPGParchmentMountedDetailPSForWeb.JPG
 
Thank you for the reply, Rick. The times we have framed vellum or parchment, we did it just that way, with edge supports and build up under the mat, but this customer had this piece previously framed, floated, with that what looked like gummed linen tape, and it held up for over 20 years (but also there was acrylic pressed against the piece). I had remembered in Kistler's book that is what she recommended (gummed linen tape), but knowing how standards change, I thought I would put the question out there. We want to float it as previously framed, but my concerns with mixing rice or wheat starch is adding too much moisture to the parchment. (Also, you are correct, the Nori pre packaged hinging paste has been discontinued for along time, but it is still in Larson's current supply catalog).

I had told the customer I preferred not to have the glazing touch the piece, so at this point I need to find the type of hinge that would support a piece of parchment that size, floated, and also not have any moisture adversely affect the parchment.
 
Thanks for the reply, 05, I did not see your post until after I sent Rick a reply. A 50/50 mix of what type of paste and is there special considerations when mixing the 2 ? Sorry about all the inquiries, but when we do something for the first time, we like to get as much info as possible!
 
I floated an ink drawing on reindeer skin by using edge strip hinges on all four sides to a slightly smaller 8 ply rag board. To adhere the heavy rice paper strips, I used a 50/50 mix of wheat paste and Lascaux 498 adhesive as per a suggestion from Hugh Phibbs. I think you could probably use Lascaux 360 instead in the mix if that is what you have on hand.

The reindeer skin was heavier than most vellums, more like a very lightweight leather. With a vellum you could probably use two top hinges only. The work I did was similar in size.

The eight ply rag was then adhered to the fabric wrapped backer board using Lascaux adhesive.
 
Around here, 'paste' is always wheat starch, but there's nothing wrong with rice starch.

Just mix the Lascaux and fairly stiff paste together, 50/50 more-or-less by volume. I'd not use the 360; it's more a contact adhesive, and even heated, it stays kinda sticky for a long time. We always weight hinges overnight.

Lascaux 360 was discontinued. It's been replaced with 303. We just got some, haven't tried it yet.
 
05 said:
If we hinge skin, we use a 50/50 mix of paste and Lascaux 498, which keeps the moisture level low, but is still easy to remove (with more moisture -avoid solvents on skin).

If/when the client really wants to keep the skin flat, we thread-mount it. This technique is not for the impatient or the frugal.

View attachment 19149View attachment 19150
Click to expand...

05, how are the attachments to the parchment made with the thread mount?
 
Our new favorite for float mounting parchment is to put a piece of needlepunched quilt batting behind it and use pressure from a sheet of acrylic (which acts as the glazing-DO NOT USE GLASS AS A SUBSTITUTE) to hold the parchment gently against the quilt bat, which is against a fabric covered mounting board. Works like a charm.
 
Both ends of size 32 linen thread are fanned out, as in the picture. Only the fanned-out part extends to the verso of the parchment; to attach it I use a 50/50 mix of paste and Lascaux 490 HV, the latter to keep the moisture (and therefore distortion) low, the former to give me enough working time. I let it dry overnight, under weight. When dry, this will remove as easily as paste.

Only the fanned-out part of the thread on the other end is attached to the board (you can use anything to do this, I tend to paste): the length in the middle floats. The thread is given an extra bit of twist as it is adhered to the board. Again, it will dry overnight under weight (just about everything here does).

How it works: Rising humidity expands the parchment, but shortens the threads by making them twist more tightly.
 
Thanks, everyone for the help. It is amazing that in our industry, there are so many ways of approaching things. (That is probably true of many different professions)! I appreciate all the replies.
 
EllenAtHowards said:
Our new favorite for float mounting parchment is to put a piece of needlepunched quilt batting behind it and use pressure from a sheet of acrylic (which acts as the glazing-DO NOT USE GLASS AS A SUBSTITUTE) to hold the parchment gently against the quilt bat, which is against a fabric covered mounting board. Works like a charm.
Click to expand...
That's one of my favorites, too. You can find more information and discussions of this method if you search the archives for DCO and Direct Contact Overlay. Or call me.
 
Since there is no way to really keep these things flat, other than in a robust book binding, pressure-mount or over lay give you good non-adhesive alternatives and if one wants an adhesive and is not using cooked starch, a combination of Lascaux and methyl cellulose could also work. You may need to increase the Lascaux protion, since MC is a weaker adhesive, but it does not require the labor that starch preparation does and it should make the acrylic less tenacious and more soluable.



Hugh
 
I didn't take picture of it, it's 1909 diploma I believe, but it needs to be humidified and I want to thread mount it to prevent from shrinking again.
 
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