Bainbridge Speed Mount

Ron Eggers

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 6, 2001
Posts
16,932
Loc
Wisconsin
My favorite fomecore-with-dry-mount-tissue - Tru-Vue Thermacoat - has apparently been discontinued. I have been trying to warm up to Bainbridge Speed Mount, 'cause it's available everywhere and some people just love it.

I don't like the idea of a reversible mounting board. My experience has been that it reverses when you don't want it to. Also, applying weight when I remove the item from the press is a nuisance that offsets the convenience of the single-step board.

Today I accidentally used some Speed Mount (which I'd purchased for further evaluation) thinking it was some leftover Thermacoat. I used it at 195 degrees for four minutes in a Vacuseal 4466 combo press and I didn't weight the item down when I removed it.

It seemed to work like the Thermacoat - a permanent bond with no weight, using the higher temperature and longer dwell time. The only reason I discovered it was Speed Mount was because I am in the habit of labeling all boards when I receive them and the label was still on the back.

Was I just lucky? Do any of you do this? It would be nice to have one board I could use for permanent mounting at higher temperatures and for occasional use at lower temps for more sensitive materials.
 
Ron,

You could consider yourself lucky. I have found and also affirmed by Bainbridge that use of higher temperatures sometimes melts the adhesive and creates the bond before all of the trapped air escapes. This can show up days, weeks or even months after the mount job. My worst case is on personal pieces hanging at home where the bubbles come and go with changes in ambient temp and humidity. I have used it at higher temps, but have had re-dos when the prints were not porous. Lower temps and not weighting have also been the source for redos. Speedmount is marginal at temps below 155 deg, regardless of dwelltime... at least using my drymount press and calibrated digital thermometer.

An alternative to Speedmount is SingleStep PLUS which is not widely available. The bond is much more aggressive and will create a permanent bond at temperatures as low as 138 degrees with 60 sec dwell time, but advertised spec is 150 degrees.

Speedmount is still our default mounting board. I haven't caused any detectable damage due to temperature effects (yet) when temperatures are kept below 163 deg.
 
I should've know it was too good to be true.

I'll keep looking, or I'll make my own. I just tried some board that bonds well and quickly, but it makes a huge mess of the release paper. That's not acceptable.

Thanks, Rick. I'll check around for the SingleStep Plus.
 
Ron, I have had similar poor luck w/ Speedmount. At first all looks just fine, then when you turn your back a bubble appears - then another, then another. Big ones, small ones. The next day more come out. I'll never use it again - other than for packing.

Amy
Hickory Hollow Framery
 
Geez, they charge alot more for Speedmount, shouldn't it be better? I used one case when they discontinued the thermal board which name escapes me right now. I thought it was okay, I didn't have any problems, but we live in an arrid climate with no humidity. I don't remember the last time I had to weight a mount or got an air bubble. The thing I didn't like about the Speedmount is it didn't have a barrier paper between each sheet. Seems that makes it more susceptible to dust. I just preferred pulling the barrier paper off a fresh sheet.

I've given up on thermal boards. One of my distributors seems to be discontinuing the tissue faster than I can order it but recently I have been using Tech Mount2 for generic mounts. I have had no problems with it to date. I also have fusion and buffermount when necessary.
 
I know lots of framers that just love SpeedMount. I think the difference is expectations.

I don't ever dry mount something with the expectation that the mounting will be reversible. And I don't put something in the press that might be damaged at 190 degrees, even if I can use a product at a lower temperature.

In my mind, the whole idea of a thermal board is one of convenience and efficiency. If using it involves any extra steps, like weighting, I get cranky.

I don't think that SpeedMount is in any way defective - it's just not what I'm looking for.
 
Jerry, if I were starting out today, I would seriously consider the Pro-Spray system instead of my Vacuseal press.

I've moved this thing three times. Each time I had to have 240v service installed and devote a space the size of some back rooms. I only turn it on every 7-10 days and do all the dry mounting for that period. Sometimes, it's 6-8 pieces.

It's a fabulous piece of equipment and it does its job very, very well, but its job is being phased out due to the nature of the items I'm framing.
 
Reviving an old thread.

We mounted an ink jet print on Epson Premium Lusture Paper on Seedmount.

The print looks good but after trimming and peeling away the scrap the bond seems to be marginal.

I bought a case and would like to know its limitations.

Doug
 
On thin posters Speed Mount can leave a very slight texture We have also had trouble getting all the hidden dust off the poster, off the board, and off the release paper or board. Dust specs can be a problem. The release boards give an even worse orange peel effect. We use Speed Mount for almost all inexpensive posters because of the labor-time savings but I'm not all that impressed and I still won't mount anything of value.

Our attitude towards mounting is that if we mount, it won't be reversible. No fooling around with Restore. We mount for appearance on large posters/prints and photos and that's it. Jeff is taking the Pashke mounting class at WCAF to see if we are missing anything. The ink jet print world is getting SO confusing.
 
International Fome-Core brand has a much thicker adhesive coat and costs a lot less. I have mounted over 500 pieces in the last 2 months without any problems. I like a high temperature for shorter times so I cook at 190 with it. No need for weighting because when it comes out in 60 seconds it is stuck.

I also print all of my own art on an Epson 9800 and have had no problem with the prints even after being forgotten for a half hour.
 
International Fome-Core brand has a much thicker adhesive coat and costs a lot less. I have mounted over 500 pieces in the last 2 months without any problems. I like a high temperature for shorter times so I cook at 190 with it. No need for weighting because when it comes out in 60 seconds it is stuck.

I also print all of my own art on an Epson 9800 and have had no problem with the prints even after being forgotten for a half hour.

Who sells International Foam Core and is anyone else using it?
 
On thin posters Speed Mount can leave a very slight texture We have also had trouble getting all the hidden dust off the poster, off the board, and off the release paper or board. Dust specs can be a problem. The release boards give an even worse orange peel effect. We use Speed Mount for almost all inexpensive posters because of the labor-time savings but I'm not all that impressed and I still won't mount anything of value.

Our attitude towards mounting is that if we mount, it won't be reversible. No fooling around with Restore. We mount for appearance on large posters/prints and photos and that's it. Jeff is taking the Pashke mounting class at WCAF to see if we are missing anything. The ink jet print world is getting SO confusing.

I agree - I'm skeptical about restore and have not been happy with one step speedmount even though I am considering it for an upcoming project.

Just lost two signed limited editions value of $800 plus each because I would not dry mount them and someone at a Fast Frames store told the customer that they would look better if they were drymounted (we are about 45 miles closer to the customer - she called to say that she was sooooo glad that there was a framing store near by... she won't have to drive to GR anymore...until I told her that drymounting may not be reversible. She is going to get a third opinion ... I tried to say that I would get the restore and drymount the pieces if she would sign a release. I never heard from her... so I guess the third opinion said that drymounting is good for valuable pieces... sigh...

so do I need to rethink my position?
 
Nearly every major distributor carries International's Foam-Core brand. It is a lower profit margin item so many don't promote it. I pay 40% less than the Speed Mount 100 sheet price. Contact me privately for more information.
 
Back
Top