Drymount Photos

Stephen Enggass

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Posts
185
Location
Maine
Just picked up a used Seal 210M drymount press. Could someone outline the steps to mounting a photo onto some heat activated board? I searched but most videos online using heat paper. Do I cut the board to size first or mount then trim? Any info appreciated. Thanks.
 
A release board or paper is needed. With the Gilman product, it comes with the board. Others, you have to supply it.
Check Larry Peterson's web site for a manual for the press. There is a learning curve to a mechanical press, but it's not a great one. If you are going to be mounting larger pieces in bites, there are some tricks to learn so you don't dent the finish with the press.
I normally use Gilman's Mount Cor and mount to full sized boards. This allows for a little wiggle room with registration and whether or not mats are going to be used. The cut-offs can be reused, though I find that I end up pitching most of them.
Before using it, I would get some heat test strips to see if the thermostat is accurate.
If the boards don't come with a tech sheet, check the web sites of the manufacturers for suggested temperatures and dwell times.
 
Thanks. Looking more for info on the process of mounting photos to heat activated foam board. I know how to use the press. Do I cut to size then mount, tack? Or mount then trim?
Thanks.
 
I almost always use an over sized mount and trim as needed regardless of whether or not it is being matted.
Some pieces can be tacked through the surface to a coated board using a piece of release paper to guard the art, but I try to avoid doing that. Some finishes will blister from the heat.
 
A release board or paper is needed. With the Gilman product, it comes with the board.

I think what Wally meant to say is "A release board or paper is NOT needed. With the Gilman product, it comes with the Release Paper and board" but I may be mis-interpreting what Wally said/meant because there are a couple of other products that you only get the board with.
 
I use oversized pieces. Sometimes I trim them out of a full sheet just to make them easier to handle, but most of the time I have leftovers that will do the job. Using a board that is the exact size of the print leaves open the possibility of the print moving when placed into the press. I would rather have a little more waste. A few inches rarely makes a significant difference in the size of the remainder.

I avoid using a tacking iron to hold the print. It is rarely really necessary and I am never mounting more than a few prints at a time, so speed isn't an issue for me.

I often use small pieces of artists' tape on one side covering about 1/16 inch to hold the print to the board until it is mounted. This only works if there are areas of the print that will be trimmed off or covered by a mat. It almost always peels right off with no visible residue, but counting on that is another invitation to trouble.

When I was using film that required a higher temperature, I used a silicone release board that was about the thickness of a 4 ply mat board. Once I started using low-temperature mounting boards, I started using a Kool Tack Permalon board and release paper and have been really impressed at the improvements to the quality of the mounts. Orange peel is pretty much a thing of the past.

One other consideration when using a press is to build up your sandwich so that it is the same thickness each time you use it. This prevents the need to make pressure adjustments to the press to keep from compressing the pad.

Chris Paschke has a pretty good book on using a press. The Mounting and Laminating Handbook. It was a lot of help to me. (I don't have any financial interest in her books). https://www.designsinkart.com/book.shtml
 
Thanks all, is there any substitute for release paper or a release board I can make myself?
 
I make my own release boards using single sided release paper and a mat board. I use Colormount or a generic equivalent to dry mount the release paper to the mat board.
For a smaller press it might be more cost effective to buy ready made release boards than to stock up on all the ingredients to make them.
I use release boards in both my Masterpiece 500T-X and my Vacuseal 4366M-HS, as well as two sided release paper on the top and bottom of the dry mount package.
 
Stephen, you must use a release material, either release paper or release board, to prevent sticking the exposed area of the pre-adhesive board to the lid of your press.

MountCor by Gilman Brothers is a popular choice, which has a thermosetting adhesive. That is, the application of heat activates the bond and it is permanent. If the item ever needs to be removed, such as when a mounting mistake happens, solvent removal is the only choice.

Kool Tack is another popular product, which has a thermoplastic adhesive. The application of heat activates the bond, but it can be reactivated with subsequent application of heat. So, if the item ever needs to be removed, you can do it using heat, which is less messy, less invasive, and less costly in time and materials than using solvent.
 
I find it better to use a board as your release sheet because it's easier to wipe down between mountings than the paper. Just because the adhesive won't permanently adhere the board to the substrate doesn't mean adhesive residue can't stick to the board and be transferred onto the next mounting. I advise wiping the release sheet with a cloth between mounting.
 
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