Kool Tack... Am I doing something wrong?

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shewhorn

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I'm new to Kool Tack. It seems to be well regarded but I just can't seem to get it to work right. I have a Bienfang 4468 and I'm mounting various inkjet prints... most papers are around 300 to 350 g/sm so a lot heavier than your standard RA-4 Kodak Endura/Fuji Crystal Archive paper so I wouldn't be surprised if it needed a little more time than normal but no matter what I've tried, I can't get a solid mount. The instructions say 150 to 160 degrees for 15 to 20 seconds. The 4468 takes about 40 seconds to reach full vacuum so I set the timer to 50 seconds at a temp of 150 degrees (between the print and the heat plate was a piece of release paper).

My litmus test is that after cooling down, it should be impossible to remove the print from the board yet with the Kool Tack, I can peel it off quite easily. I increased the amount of time, then I increased the temp to 160º at 2 minutes. Nothing I did worked. In each case I am always able to peel the print right off the board.

I've been using Bainbridge ArtCare Archival and Bienfang RagMount cooking @ 180º for 3 minutes and after a few seconds out of the press, there's no way that print is ever coming off the board. The paper will delaminate before your can peel it off the board.

I did a test where I mounted a print with 1/2 Kool Tack and 1/2 RagMount. I could relatively easily pull up the Kool Tack side of the print and peel it right off. When I hit the spot where the RagMount was... the print ripped right there. The RagMount was solid and wasn't moving.

Any suggestions? I figure I've got to be doing something wrong but given the number of tests I've done at different temps and times I think I've kind of ruled everything out.

Cheers, Joe
 
If you are using Kool Tack Preserve, which is comparable to Bainbridge ArtCare Restore, the mounted print should lift off the board after mounting.

If you are using the standard Kool Tack boards, I suggest a little more dwell time. I generally set the press for 160 degrees and run it for 80 seconds, which provides about 30 seconds under full vacuum, then cool under weight for about 30 seconds. That produces tight mounts every time, but still removable with reapplication of heat.

Determining the lowest temperature and shortest dwell time that will produce a tight mount may require some experimentation with your press. It seems that you need more heat or dwell time, but too much heat or dwell time could damage the surface of your prints, and the adhesive's reversibility could be reduced.
 
"If you are using Kool Tack Preserve, which is comparable to Bainbridge ArtCare Restore, the mounted print should lift off the board after mounting."

Perhaps they sent me the wrong thing. I specifically requested the non-preserve version which is listed as "Archival Drymount Foamboard". I absolutely do not want to be able to lift that print off the surface. I've pretty much tried everything in terms of dwell time and temperature and based on what I've seen this adhesive cannot withstand a trip in the back of a hot UPS truck (I'm thinking Arizona or Texas heat wave).

Cheers, Joe
 
I use 155 and allow 20 sec under full vac set to min about 10in/hg

It has been working great. I hit the stop button after 20 sec. 25sec for thickest papers.

It stays put but you can remove the photo or part of it to remove a no see um and remount if needed.

framer

Great product.
 
Just talked to the folks at Tack 1. Fantastic customer service. They said that even with the Preserve, I shouldn't be able to peel off a print that easily (only when heat is applied). They're taking care of me.

Cheers, Joe
 
shewhorn said:
Perhaps they sent me the wrong thing. I specifically requested the non-preserve version which is listed as "Archival Drymount Foamboard".
Click to expand...

If you got "Archival Drymount Foamboard", it probably is Kool Tack Preserve. The reversibility is what makes it "archival", although preservationists generally claim there's no such thing as archival dry mounting.

The surface texture of standard dry mounting boards is fairly smooth and consistently covers the board. Preserve (and also ArtCare Restore) dry mounting boards feel more bumpy and are not completely covered by the small beads of removable adhesive.
 
Jim Miller said:
If you got "Archival Drymount Foamboard", it probably is Kool Tack Preserve.
Click to expand...

There are two products on the website, one is "Archival Drymount Foamboard" and "Preserve Drymount Foamboard"... two different products.


The reversibility is what makes it "archival", although preservationists generally claim there's no such thing as archival dry mounting.
Click to expand...

Hehe.... Canon vs. Nikon, Mac vs. PC, Chevy vs. Ford, Pepsi vs. Coke. :) I actually respect the arguments from both sides.

The surface texture of standard dry mounting boards is fairly smooth and consistently covers the board. Preserve (and also ArtCare Restore) dry mounting boards feel more bumpy and are not completely covered by the small beads of removable adhesive.
Click to expand...

I have no frame of reference for comparison re: the various Kool Tack products but... the surface feels tacky but it does appear to be completely covered. They're having me next day air a few pieces to them for inspection so I'm sure we'll figure it out.

Although I would have preferred to have no problems at all, I think the mark of a great company is how they respond when something does go wrong and so far so good.

Cheers, Joe
 
shewhorn said:
Just talked to the folks at Tack 1. Fantastic customer service. They said that even with the Preserve, I shouldn't be able to peel off a print that easily (only when heat is applied). They're taking care of me.

Cheers, Joe
Click to expand...

I just started using the Preserve and am using a mechanical press. After my initial test at their recommended time/temp settings I needed to extend the time about 25% more to get it to stay in place after cooling.
 
Kevin from Tack 1 just gave me a ring. He had me next day air him a sample from the cart I bought. He was able to confirm what I found. Nothing really wrong with the product per se, just one of those things where the spray gun for coating the glue wasn't set to the proper settings for the boards I ordered (human error, something I'm personally quite proficient in :) ).

As far as I'm concerned it's a non-issue at this point. Their customer service is absolutely fantastic and they're taking good care of me. A new box will be on its way shortly. I had a 40"x60" that I had to mount last night so I just laid down some RagMount (they said it wouldn't be a problem) and got the job done. Lookin' forward to switching over to the KoolTack though, this will be such a time saver, especially with large prints. With the RagMount I go absolutely nuts making sure nothing has managed to attach itself to the adhesive tissue. Regardless of how clean I keep my work area and how careful I am, I always find a little piece of something that needs to be cleaned up before it goes into the press.

Thanks for the help everyone (and thanks to Kevin and the folks at Tack 1 as well for being so extremely responsive).

Cheers, Joe
 
If you do a lot of dry mounting, you should try the Perma-Lon Release Board, also from Kool Tack. It is a sheet of something-or-other (silicone?) attached to a sheet of clear polycarbonate, so you can see through the release board. It's durable, too. So long as you avoid scratching/gouging the soft release surface, and limit the temperature exposure to about 180 degrees F, it will last indefinitely.

Here is a previous thread on this topic.
 
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