Opinions Wanted Any thoughts on the best way to bond a paperweight to a suede mat?

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palette

Grumbler in Training
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Mar 21, 2008
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Chicago, IL
I have a shadowbox project that involves adhering a paperweight to a suede mat. I'm curious to find out if anyone has suggestions on how to make the paperweight bond to the mat as securely as possible. I'm considering using silicone but am also thinking about dual-lock. The paperweight never needs to be removed so I'm looking for the most permanent solution. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Welcome to The Grumble Palette. I would go with the 2 part epoxy.

Also if you fill in your profile you will find more people will respond to your questions since it makes you more legitimate.
 
Hi Palette! Welcome to the Grumble!

This sounds like an interesting project. Is the paperweight going to be resting on a horizontal part of the shadowbox, such as the bottom inside ledge of matboard, or will it be hanging off of the vertical backing?
 
If you are absolutely set on using an adhesive I would at least score and remove the suede layer behind the paper weight. No matter how well that adhesive might hold to the suede, the weight might cause the suede to pull from the backing board.

There are other methods of mounting that would work with out the need of adhesive though.
 
Since conservation seems to be a non-issue here, just mount the suede onto a thin plywood and screw the paperweight thru the board from the backside ...use fender washers for added support....you may have to predrill the paperweight and use the proper screws for the material.
 
I once saw a paperweight that was made out of a 4-barrel Holley carburetor. it was big and heavy. Other paperweights I've seen were made out of glass, wood, acrylic, ceramic, and fabric-covered something-or-other. And I've noticed they come in lots of sizes and shapes.

Whatever the size, shape, or composition of your paperweight, there's probably a more secure way to mount it than using glue. Trouble is, anyone who might make suggestions would be guessing everything about your paperweight.

Care to elaborate?
 
We do not have to use an adhesive but have a turn around. Unfortunately, screwing into the paperweight is not an option. We have not had a ton of success with 2-part epoxy in the past but maybe there's a good product that someone could recommend. The paperweight is about one pound. Dual-lock is also something we're considering....Thanks for your help!
 
palette said:
Dual-lock is also something we're considering....Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, which is the adhesive holding the dual-lock to whatever. Same issue as the bond holding the flocking to the core of the matboard. Something's gotta give. Gravity wins.
:cool: Rick
 
Hmmmm...maybe the dual-lock could be attached to the suede board with wire as a failsafe backup? Dual lock sticks my transponder onto my front windshield and it holds up to extremes of heat and light - so hopefully a shadowbox wouldn't be sitting in a parking lot with 120 degree heat under the noonday sun!
 
What's the paperweight made of?
 
What the....? Well, hi Johnny. The reason I wrote that is that it could made from any number of materials and in a wide variety of shapes. What if it can't be screwed into as has been suggested? Having a clearer idea of what's being used can only be a good thing. Thanks for the urging, but there are a lot of other people on here who have better ideas for how to attach this than I can come up with. I'm reading this thread mostly to see what the experts suggest. But if I can ask a helpful question or two, I will.

Have a good day. :icon21:
 
In only 14 posts we've learned that it weighs about 1 pound, will hang from a vertical mounting board, and can't be screwed.

We're making wonderful progress here, but it might still help to know what it is made of, and its shape. You know...wood vs glass vs ceramic vs metal vs something else; flat vs pointy, square vs round, textured vs smooth...stuff like that.

It would also help to know whether it is a piece of pretty junk or a very valuable family heirloom that came over on the Mayflower.

All of these pesky details could affect the mounting options.
 
If its a 1 pound duck doodoo then you can let it dry out in the sun for a few days, then wrap a piece of acid-free duck tape around it !

Seriously though, keep the ideas comming, coz I love to read the huge variety of ways to get the same job done !!

Oh - and a few more clues to the type, shape, opacity, material etc.. would be nice :)
 
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