Gluing Down a Canvas Transfer

[MerpsMom]

Somewhere, I know, I asked this question but I can find no record of it on this forum. So...I have several canvas transfers I wish to frame and sell. I don't want to stretch them as they're weird sizes, and it's easier to mount them on something. There's the problem. I've tried drymounting, but it took the "glaze" off. I tried Spray77 on the foamcore, then burnish like crazy: it bubbled despite my best efforts at burnishing
heavily. Next I wetmounted with MightyMuk, ala fabric mat technique: the moisture bowed the foamcore.

Anyone have any ideas?

The question is a shill: I just wanted to see if I could do the JumpySmiley. (Just kidding.) Thanx, Kit

[This message has been edited by MerpsMom (edited December 10, 2000).]

P.S. I do not have a vacuum press: only heatpress. (That smiley will drive you nuts after awhile, won't he?)

[This message has been edited by MerpsMom (edited December 10, 2000).]

 

[Skoogdaddy CPF]

I've found using MT5 at 190 degrees for 5-10 minutes in my vac/heat press does the trick. I bonded the transfer to the canvas and the canvas to foamboard both in the same step.(all under a 1" heat resistant foam pad) It aint archivial but but it sure works. I imagine most heat activated films would do about the same because the adheasive needs to work its way into the fibers of the fabric for a good bond, I'm not so sure tissues would allow such, I know spray dosen't. I don't really see the purpose of stretching transfers anyway, it's not like they "need to breath". It does make for some pretty thin foamboard though if you leave it in there real long.

[This message has been edited by Skoogdaddy CPF (edited December 10, 2000).]

 

[Alan Sturgess]

I would suggest that you use a "fabric glue." We sell a product called Photo and Fabric glue, manufactured by Spraytex Industries in Ontario. It is used for gluing linen to the frame when making seamless linen liners. You should be able to find it at any full service wholesale distributor.

In this use it is used cold or wet. The glue is left for a few minutes to "tack up" and then the fabric is laid down and pressed firmly to the prepared wooden frame.

It is also used by those who do canvas transfers as the glue to glue the laminated and stripped print to the canvas. They will usually roll the glue on the canvas with a 4" to 6" foam paint roller, let it "tack up" and then put it into the heat press and leave it for 4 to 6 minutes. I have also seen it used to glue a competed canvas transfer print to hardboard such as 1/8" masonite or to foamboard. To prevent the board from bowing in a heat press you might want to switch to one of the more rigid boards such as Bienfang ¼" Mightcore or Gatorboard by one of the other board makers.
Masonite can be easily cut in a Fletcher 3100 wall cutter or on a table saw. A 4 x 8 sheet of 1/8" masonite should cost no more than about $20.00 and any good lumber yard would cut it on their panel saw for you if you cannot do it yourself.

The glue is also a "heat activated" glue meaning that if it dries, it can simply be thrown into the heat press and the glue activates just like drymount tissue. We sell the glue to commercial accounts doing plaque (plak) mounting and they will precoat the board with the glue and then cut it up to the various required sizes with the glue already applied.

In your case the glue could be rolled onto the substrate (foamboard or masonite), and the print rolled out. Then leave the print overnight with weight on it. You said you had a mechanical heat press so you could turn the heat off and clamp down the press to get the required pressure you need.

If you want to do it in your heat press simply take a piece of raw canvas and lay it on top of the laminate and it will help leave a more "canvas" texture on the print. One of my OEM customers that does thousands of these has taken a piece of primed canvas and left it in the press (a Seal 4366 Vacuum Press) with heat and pressure with the primed side up. There is enough "adhesion" in the gesso that it sticks to the heated platen. If you need to remove it you just pull it off when the press is hot. Otherwise it is left there to give the laminate on the transferred print a "better" canvas texture when it is being glued.

Alan Sturgess
Accent Art Distrbutors Ltd
Vancouver, Canada eh!

"The Retailer's Wholesaler, Not the Retailing Wholesaler"


[This message has been edited by Alan Sturgess (edited December 11, 2000).]

 

[JRB]

Glue it down with Yes paste. If the board bows, counter mount on the other side. Mount a sheet of damp Kraft paper to the back with Yes paste.
Your board should not be bowing all that much though with canvas being mounted. Is your board flat to start with?
When you use Yes paste, lay it on with a short Knapp paint touch up roller in an even layer of glue.
Put a wad of glue on a piece of cardboard, not on the mounting surface. Saturate your roller with glue and completely cover the mounting surface, go in both directions to insure an even coat, do this as rapidly as you can. Lay your canvas into the glue starting at one end. Hold the other end up out of the glue. Lay it down slowly while working the air out of it with your free hand as you lay it into the glue. Cover the whole thing with Kraft paper and with a rag rub it out from the center towards the edges.
Let it dry and trim off the excess foam core.
This should not bow, if it does, counter-mount.
John

 

[MerpsMom]

You guys are great, as always. I knew there was a valid method. Thanx to all of you both publicly posted and privately.

Now......what happened to my JumpySmiley? Did a Grinch/Gremlin change him to the GreenGrinner? I suspect framer, but I won't name names.

[This message has been edited by MerpsMom (edited December 11, 2000).]

 

[JPete]

after all that, seems to me cutting down a stretcher bar would be almost as easy and maybe cheaper if you don't have all that other goooooo.