Float hinge large piece

Lotta

Grumbler
Joined
May 3, 2022
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23
Location
Sweden
Business
Hobbyist
My mother have this 30”x42” drawing on rag board/thick cotton paper with lovely rough edges. Some time ago the whole thing fell from the wall, glass broke and the art slided of the backboard. It revealed looped painters tape as hinges and a backboard with strong yellowing edges…

I have already cried and saved a few original artworks that the local framer had tortured in various ways for my mother (how about taping an 2000$ drawing from a well known artist directly on to the passepartout and leaving a printed and heavily colored “readymade-frame-paper” in direct contact underneath, and charging her 150$ for this!). I’m not going there.

I have Bainbridge archive mount board, 335779, 100% cotton museum quality. I have acid free “Japan paper tape” (don’t remember the correct name) and I have been practicing hinging floating artwork. I do realize that as a hobbyist I shouldn’t do this, but I trust myself more than the local professionals here. I will try to learn as much as possible and practice on other large things before starting.

But how would I float-mount such a huge thing? My thoughts are t-hinges through slots in the mountboard, but I would have to use at least 4? How close to the top edge do I dare to put them, is there risk that the weight may tear the paper? But surely the Japan paper would tear before a thick cotton paper?

I can use my photo clubs help to order museum glass, but because of the weight in a private home I was pondering museum acrylic/plexiglass. Is that something to avoid or a great choice to lessen the weight?
 
Search the forum for 'hedgehog' mounting.
It is my preferred method to float mount art. I then use a second mat to float above the art, to keep the glass away from the art. I float that mat, using either 8-ply or foam strips
 
Check out the free articles on hinging on the FrameTek web site at FrameTek.com Email me if you have questions.

Wow, what a resource! I will read, practice and hopefully learn from all the articles.

About the Hedgehog I will be trying it out. The many bridges would at least be extra safety, even if I think it looks constricted. It will be clearer when I tried it myself.
 
Thank you! Finally I found the information that I have felt in my gut but never read: the hinges paper have to be weaker than the art paper. https://frametek.com/articles/float-framing-a-watercolor/ Float Framing a Watercolor
...and Greg is the author of the articles. A wonderful gift to the framing industry.

Learning how to hinge with starch and mulberry paper, have been a great help to my framing, and a godsend for projects like this. (Or should that be 'a gregsend'?) :)
 
Thank you Greg, excellent articles, I’m reading them all. This is such a warm, knowledgeable, friendly, helpful place. Thank you all!

I do respect your work and the need for licensed framers, but it is so great when knowledge can be shared instead of keeping the trade a mystery. To me knowing how many details matters only makes it more obvious why I should pay for it normally. In my case it is mainly an interest in hand crafts, nerdiness and the access to a great workplace at the photo club that make me want to learn. I will frame a silly lot of my own photo prints, and rescue some family art, but I would never do commercial work.
 
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