Mounting Silk WWII Map

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K

kevinr

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Jan 26, 2007
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Hi All
Long time since last post . I am looking for some suggestions for Mounting a 24" X 24" silk map printed on both sides leaving both side
visible. Understood that It would be suspended between 2 pieces of CC spaced glass maybe one side Op3. Cut down on the Weight. No matting, fabric is uneven and should not be stretched or pulled after years of Storage. Question is how do I suspend or mount? Looking for some ideas. Thank in advance . K
 
Why not mat? You could sew the top edge of the fabric to a board that is hidden behind the mats, which can be used to mask the unevenness of the map, and also keep the glass off it.
 
I would not sew mount silk, it's too fragile, pulls and tears too easily. I would mat on both sides, maybe sandwich behind tulle.
 
Most of those are quite fragile, having been stored (often carelessly) for half a century. If the fabric is weak, like the ones I have seen, please do not try to lace, baste, or otherwise stitch it. That might shatter the weave, and the fabric may not be able to support itself. A mount that provides good support over the entire surface would probably be better than suspending it or tensioning it.

I suggest framing to expose only the primary side. An acrylic overlay mount might be a good choice, using UV-filtering, abrasion-resistant acrylic (AR-OP-3). For the best view, use Museum Optium Acrylic, which has those attributes plus optical coatings. Do not use glass for direct contact overlay mounting, due to its poor thermal properties.

Or, perhaps a fine mesh fabric mount would be appropriate using Crepeline, a transparent silk organdy, with a generous spacer under glass or acrylic glazing. Nylon tulle is thicker and has a more open weave, which could abrade the aged silk.

Either way, use a fabric-covered mounting board padded by a few layers of polyester needle-punch batting. The batting imposes slight pressure between the mounting board and the overlay (acrylic or Crepeline), to hold the silk gently in place.

You could obtain a reproduction of the secondary side, and place it under a sheet of clear film on the back of the frame. That way, a copy of the image would still be visible on the back.
 
I could not find the link but Jim posted a link a while back for the overlay method. I used it for a large silk scarf and it came out beautiful.

Thanks for the help Jim.

Bob
 
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