Best adhesive for vacuum press

D & E

Grumbler in Training
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Jan 3, 2007
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I need to mount a large number of inexpensive posters with my vacuum press and see where Jim Miller said to use Vacuglue 300 or Suremount paste. Are these better than just white glue for this application? Anything better? Thanks for any input!
 
Are these better than just white glue for this application?
White glue is a different kind of adhesive. If you take care to thin it to a workable consistency, and if you don't mind paying more for it, white glue should work OK.

Most fabric glues are suitable for vacuum-wet-mounting, too, but the two you mentioned are made for the purpose and quite economical when purchased by the gallon.

If you are new to this process, I suggest you practice on scrap or disposable materials before working with customers' property. Do you have the specific instructions?
 
White glue is a different kind of adhesive. If you take care to thin it to a workable consistency, and if you don't mind paying more for it, white glue should work OK.

Most fabric glues are suitable for vacuum-wet-mounting, too, but the two you mentioned are made for the purpose and quite economical when purchased by the gallon.

If you are new to this process, I suggest you practice on scrap or disposable materials before working with customers' property. Do you have the specific instructions?
Thanks Jim! No I don't have specific instructions. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks Jim! No I don't have specific instructions. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
If you search the Grumble archives for "wet mounting", you should find plenty of good advice, but here's how I do it....

I suggest keeping about a cup of your chosen paste in a Tupperware marinating container or something similar - that is, an easy-open container about 10" x 12", which provides an air-tight seal when closed. Also, place an 8" standard paint rolled in the container. You'll need to trim a bit off the end of the handle, so that it fits snugly without falling into the paste. Leave the roller wet. Both SureMount and VacuGlue 300 have additives to prevent mold & mildew (not sure about YES! and other pastes), but I generally wash out the container every three months. Eventually the roller handle will begin to rust, so plan to replace that once a year or-so.

To wet-mount, pop the lid off the marinating container and, using the roller slightly wet with paste, roll it evenly onto the substrate board after trimming it larger than the frame to accommodate trimming. Be sure to cover the entire surface area needed for the mount, then use a piece of Kraft paper (interleaving sheets from boxes of glass, for example) to blot away most of the paste. You need only a thin film of paste. If you apply too much, it would increase warping of the board. Put the roller back in the paste and reseal the container to keep it fresh for future use.

The paste is already beginning to dry, so hasten to position the poster, make sure it is smooth, and then lay on an overlay of clean, smooth, absorbent paper, such as white butcher paper or good quality brown Kraft paper (no slubs or other surface imperfections). Make sure all of the pasted area on the board is covered, because any exposed adhesive would make a mess inside the lid of your press.

Place this stack of materials in the vacuum press and run it cold for 5-6 minutes under full vacuum. The vacuum extracts moisture, so it may be nearly dry when it comes out of the press. The paper overlay will be stuck to the substrate all around the poster. CAUTION: If you just peel off the overlay paper, you may also peel off the surface of your substrate board and rip the poster, so trim around the poster's edges carefully and peel that overlay paper away.

Trim to fit the frame with 1/8" allowance. When thoroughly dry, which make take an hour or more, proceed with fitting and finishing.
 
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If you search the Grumble archives for "wet mounting", you should find plenty of good advice, but here's how I do it....

I suggest keeping about a cup of your chosen paste in a Tupperware marinating container or something similar - that is, an easy-open container about 10" x 12", which provides an air-tight seal when closed. Also, place an 8" standard paint rolled in the container. You'll need to trim a bit off the end of the handle, so that it fits snugly without falling into the paste. Leave the roller wet. Both SureMount and VacuGlue 300 have additives to prevent mold & mildew (not sure about YES! and other pastes), but I generally wash out the container every three months. Eventually the roller handle will begin to rust, so plan to replace that once a year or-so.

To wet-mount, pop the lid off the marinating container and, using the roller slightly wet with paste, roll it evenly onto the substrate board after trimming it larger than the frame to accommodate trimming. Be sure to cover the entire surface area needed for the mount, then use a piece of Kraft paper (interleaving sheets from boxes of glass, for example) to blot away most of the paste. You need only a thin film of paste. If you apply too much, it would increase warping of the board. Put the roller back in the paste and reseal the container to keep it fresh for future use.

The paste is already beginning to dry, so hasten to position the poster, make sure it is smooth, and then lay on an overlay of clean, smooth, absorbent paper, such as white butcher paper or good quality brown Kraft paper (no slubs or other surface imperfections). Make sure all of the pasted area on the board is covered, because any exposed adhesive would make a mess inside the lid of your press.

Place this stack of materials in the vacuum press and run it cold for 5-6 minutes under full vacuum. The vacuum extracts moisture, so it may be nearly dry when it comes out of the press. The paper overlay will be stuck to the substrate all around the poster. CAUTION: If you just peel off the overlay paper, you may also peel off the surface of your substrate board and rip the poster, so trim around the poster's edges carefully and peel that overlay paper away.

Trim to fit the frame with 1/8" allowance. When thoroughly dry, which make take an hour or more, proceed with fitting and finishing.
Thanks again. Very much appreciated!
 
..... kool tac ot mountcor is really easy and less time consuming & messy
 
..... kool tac ot mountcor is really easy and less time consuming & messy
True enough, but wet mounting doesn't have to be messy, and it's not without benefits...
1. You can do it with a cold vacuum press. If your press has no heat, dry mounting is out of the question.
2. Wet mounting is more permanent; more durable and less likely to deteriorate over time than any heat-activated adhesive.
3. Wet mounting remains water-reversible over time, which may be less invasive than solvent-releasing a dry mount.
4. If chemical sensitivity is an issue, wet mounting would probably be less invasive than dry mounting.
5. Wet paste is cheaper than dry mounting materials.

That said, most framers - including me - agree with you and, when permanent mounting is appropriate, dry mount rather than wet mount.
 
The first 2 shops I worked at, mounted exclusively by wet mounting.
Both shops had spray booths set up for using a paint spray gun.
I have no idea what the adhesive was.
Every once in a while we'd get "boogers" out of the sprayer, that would have to be removes before mounting, or else we'd ruin the print.
The manager of the first shop ending up quitting the job after a year as she had an allergic reaction (or extreme sensitivity) to the sprayed glue.
If you want prints to hold long term, do not use Super 77 or other rattle can type spray adhesives.
The third shop, and fourth (the one I opened) both use dry mounting with a heat press.
I have no intention of going back to spray glue.
Brian
 
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