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Gluing masonite to a mat

Larry Peterson

Larry Peterson

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Resource Provider
Joined
Apr 8, 2003
Posts
10,918
From
Wilkes-Barre, PA
A customer brought in a a child's painting done on a piece of masonite and is about 6"x8". It's shape isn't quite square. The top and bottom are somewhat parallel but the sides are rough and not parallel. It looks like her child got a piece of scrap masonite in class and used it for this. She doesn't want any of it covered and wants to put it in a frame glued to a piece of mat with about a 2" border on each side. When she brought this in she knew exactly what she wanted.

My only real question is gluing the masonite to the mat. This is the type of masonite that doesn't have a smooth back side. It's a rough textured surface. I'm thinking that I should sand the back side so the the texture is smooth (the cutomer has no problem with this and it would take me about 1 minute with my 24" Delta Belt Sanding Station), but I don't know what kind of glue to use for this. The piece is seems too heavy for ATG and I don't know about using epoxy or other glue to bond these two disparate surfaces.

Any suggestions; either on the glue to use or on sanding the back smooth? Thanks.
 
I wouldn't sand the back smooth because to get glue to bond they always tell you to "rough up" the surface. For something that small - I would use white glue - dry under weights - no mess no smell - just glob a bunch in the middle of the piece so it doesn't squirt out the sides and ruin the matboard.

Yeah, I know - NOT ARCHIVAL - but it works!!!

I would use UV glass however because school art is always done with the absolute cheapest art materials and they fade FAST!
 
ok a compromise with framar idea of white glue. so the piece is removeable you could use linen hinges that has dabs of white glue on the surface that would touch the back of the masonite? and dont smooth it out.

this is of course they want it pretty and not archival

d
 
I would sand it only slightly to knock down the extreme highs and lows of Masonite but not really all the way smooth. Then use 3M ProSpray for a couple of reasons. 1) Its what I use for most everything and have been amazed at how versatile it really is. 2)It doesn't smell up the store with chemical smells. 3)I like Ron's contact cement idea but I don't keep it around for reason number 2.
 
Some of us enjoy the chemical smells (right Less?)

I still like chlorine 'cause it reminds me of my swim team days. Contact cement reminds me of banding a store-full of work benches.
 
I'm gonna go off on this one and say this, the project is a little kid's art project on masonite that is <U>highly</u> acidic, and the lady doesn't want "archival". So leave the waffle pattern on the back of the board, glue it down with clear GE 100%

(those of you who are under the age of 18, please leave your computer at this time and get a note from your parents to read the next word!)


<font color=red><Font size=3>SILICONE!!</FONT></FONT>
fire.gif
:mad: :eek:
faintthud.gif



There, I said it! And I am still happy and at peace with myself, no lightening bolt from out of the blue, no etheral voices condemning my soul to eternal damnation, I am still here at my computer munching on a Famous Amos cookie and a cup of Earle Grey and all is still right with the world.

C'mon, guys, let's get real about this. How many of you would do the same thing and not admit it to anyone who may know the in's and out's of framing?? But, ........... you'd do it anyway and close up the frame and take the money and be grateful for the work! And that lady would go home with her little angel's art work to display for a year or so until she tires of it and puts something else up in its place.

OK, a compromise, you could load the back of that masonite with "Tacky Glue" and put weight on it 'till it's dry.

And that's all I have to say about that!

Framerguy

Edit:

Let the (dreaded) S-glue dry thoroughly before buttoning up the frame package. That will minimize whatever outgassing that may (or may not) occur and ease your conscience somewhat that you helped out a little kid and his mom to enjoy their relationship with each other.

(Now, THAT'S all I have to say about that!!)
 
BTW, here is the front and back of the "art"

<img src=http://www.otsystems.com/images/art.jpg>

<img src=http://www.otsystems.com/images/art1.jpg>
 
If you sand, it will get very "loose".

The waffle is a good glue surface.

Don't use a glue with water content(bad for the mat, makes ripples.

Also if it's gotta be reversed (and it will be in a few years when the mat fades), and it's a water based glue, water ain't so good for masonite either.

So it's gotta be solvent based adhesive.

Sorry folks, but don't use silicone. Not for acid reasons however. Contrary to popular belief, silicone is not an adhesive, it is a sealant. It is a sealant.

Contact cement.

Rubber cement.

PL or polyurethane based glue (gorilla), but watch out it can expand/foam).

Truth be told, as I think about it, 3M High Strength 90 spray will do the trick.

Pretty much it's spray on contact cement.

Also called carpet spray.

Non misting. comes out in a web, and looks like what comes out fo Spiderman's wrist. Easy to control area of application.

Yout regular vendors have it. But so does the local harware store.
 
Less uses SILICONE II. The tube says GE. Less is starting to hear voices.

He likes the idea of being able to remove it someday.

Sorry folks, but don't use silicone. Not for acid reasons however. Contrary to popular belief, silicone is not an adhesive, it is a sealant. It is a sealant.
Click to expand...
Yeah, so? What are you trying to say? It won't work as an Adhesive?
 
Have you ever had anything fall off in a frame job using silicone? Do you think it makes a difference whether it's GE I or II?
 
Hi all,
Having seen silicone used over many years (in lots of old timber frame glazing etc) I have noticed it will let go of timber surfaces after some time, like years.

I get the feeling it's when the timber gets moisture absorbed into it for whatever reason, it just lets go in a short time.

I also feel that sealing the timber frist with a laquer or grain sealer will assist in stopping this from happening somewhat. Like a buffer.
I've seen some pretty heavy items glued with silicone by framers, straight to mat, and I worry about how long it would take to come off the mat surface. I know this would happen long before it comes of the plate !


Silicone is a sealer, and an excellent adhesive for non porous surfaces (glass, china, anything smooth really). Always use neutral cure on metals ! Acid is ok for glass etc, watch out if using it on china etc, if going over printing on the back, it might eat into it, maybe.

My instinct here is contact adhesive, let dry very well.
 
Liquid Nails construction adhesive. It's available in squeeze tubes now. Small dobs of glue (whatever you choose to use) are much easier to pop loose later if needed and are still more than strong enough to hold the artwork. Large globs of glue not recommended.
 
A million years ago (okay, maybe ten) I silicone'd a beautiful artsy ceramic plate to a mat in a frame. The first time the foster cat ran behind it as it was leaning against the counter base and it gently fell three inches to the next counter base, the silicone let go and the plate slipped right down and nestled against the bottom mat.

The plate was fine.

We just remounted this using the bent brass rod with matte black shrink tubing method and does it ever look smart.

I would mount this masonite using this method. It will make the piece look like an 'artifact' (which should tickle any young'un) and is ridiculously easy to do. It helps to have a sample on hand to show Ms. Customer exactly what you mean. (Right, Ron? *blows kiss*)

What a lovely painting, btw!

There are many threads that describe this process. I think.

edie the itseasytofigureitoutasyougo goddess
 
Jerry,

Yes I do love this place, this place, this place, this place; deja vu all over again I guess.

Actually, the one solution that I didn't see is the one that my parner suggested. We are partners in an antiques/vintage lighting/framing store (He's the Vintage Lighting part). He's the reason that I put this post up in the first place. His suggestion was to dry mount it. I didn't want to because 1) I didn't think the paint would survive the heat and 2) because I didn't know if it would hold.

I put the post up to see what other would suggest. I didn't believe that anyone else would suggest dry mounting and wasn't surprised when I saw that no one did.

I have pretty much decided that I will use contact cement.

Thanks boys and girls.
 
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