Hinging floats for shipping

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superdon

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Sep 18, 2009
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I've tried everything. I am floating large watercolors on heavy watercolor paper. I've used top and side hinging methods, with mulberry paper and methyl cellulose. The hinges have broken when being shipped. Is there an alternate paste I can use that is also archival but strong enough to withstand shipment?

Thank you.
 
Sounds like the hinges are performing the way they are supposed to, when the boxes are being tossed around. Maybe the better solution would be movers who specialize in fine art transport?
 
The hinges are only doing their job. An important attribute of hinging with Japenese paper and starch paste is that the hinges fail before the art paper would be torn by any sort of impact. You might think of a hinge as a mechanical fuse.

If you want a stronger hinge, use a stronger material. If you hinge using a fabric such as muslin or linen with Lascaux 360 adhesive, you would have no more failed hinges. On the other hand, your art paper may be torn by a severe impact suffered in transit.

Transit is hard on float-mounted papers, since their edges are not retained under a window mat. If stronger hinges are not your ultimate answer, wet-mount the art paper to a slightly-undersized 4-ply alpha cellulose board and glue that to the background board. Of course, that represents a permanent change to the art and would reduce its collectible value.
 
Ship in tubes, and frame when they get there.

Sorry for the smart alecky answer :) Welcome to the Grumble. I have had customers that had their watercolors mounted to restore boards, the fome cut at a bevel to hide under the paper. Then the mount board was more securely attached to the backing boards.
 
Do not ship in tubes. If you have to ship the art unframed, ship it flat. I've just instituted a new rule -- I won't float mount anything that comes in to the shop in a tube, unless when I take it out of the tube, it lays perfectly flat. You want your art floated, keep it flat.
 
Welcome to the "G", superdon!
 
PaulSF said:
Do not ship in tubes. If you have to ship the art unframed, ship it flat. I've just instituted a new rule -- I won't float mount anything that comes in to the shop in a tube, unless when I take it out of the tube, it lays perfectly flat. You want your art floated, keep it flat.
Click to expand...
Good point Paul! I was being flip, but I too hate to float mount curled prints ;)
 
Welcome to the "G", superdon!
 
Only because Hugh Phibbs is very busy right now......

Perimeter hinges.... if the paper is in the 32x48 Arches 180lb category then I would say do the four continuous. IF you're closer to the 80 or 100lb 26x38 then you can do it with 1-1/2" wide mulberry every 4". But either way I would be folding over to an 8-play rag back.

MC is nice for light weight tissues and up to onion skins 11x14..... but over that the bond just isn't what you would get out of rice paste.

Buffering shock is another thing that will get a lot of bang for your buck.
Box your package securely, then provide a 2" frame shell of Modulated Medium Density Foam Rubber leaving an air void in the center front and back. The outer shell should be at least quad wall 120lb impact corrugated 50lb Kraft.

Welcome to the Nerd side of framing.
 
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