My first major recall

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nancyg

nancyg

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Posts
384
Loc
Warwick, NY
A year or so ago I mounted and framed 8 24 x 30 promotional posters for a third party. I was the 'vendor'. Now my client has gotten a complaint that they are "rippling". I assume my mounting failed. I used 3M pressure sensitive mounting adhesive, but I must admit that I probably didn't let them sit long enough under weight before I put the package together. Now what do I do.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Nancy :(
 
I'm crying with you!!!
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I have no idea how to help, just wanted you to know, I feel your pain!
 
I used and loved and had the same problem with PMA and now ProSpray. I'm a recently heat press convert.

You could try to put them back in the vacuum press and pray that they flatten. I had PMA give on 8 16 by 24 prints for a company in town. They were printed on a silicone imbedded laser printer paper. But the company just reprinted a new batch for me and I pressed them under heat!

Hopefully the company can replace the prints for you to redo, otherwise whip out the UnSeal, or buy replacements out of your own pocket. Your either gonna be out time or money, sorry.

BTW I complained to 3M and the fine print on the PMA says not to use with the aforementioned paper or for prints over 1 pound!
 
PMA is, I believe, slightly heat sensitive.

If the rippling isn’t too severe and you get lucky, you might try placing them in a heat press (at around 180°) and see what happens. Trying to remove the posters with adhesive release would be an awfully messy process.
 
*sheepish grin* I don't have a vacuum press. I have a manual forearm agitator. But I am coming down off the 'should I or shouldn't I get a combo press' fence.
nancyg
 
Nancy: "I have a manual forearm agitator."

Ha! Me too! Good one, Nancy! Oh how I wish I had a vacc. press, too.

Do you know a local framer who has one that will let you use theirs occasionally? I do, and it helps, especially for the bigger ones. I save several up at a time to do. My materials, all prepped before I get there.
 
Val
I have had a generous offer of use of a nearby vacuum press.
you all are great!!

nancy
 
You could also weight it down with 3-4 cases of 2430 of glass!

Glad you got an offer from a aneighor framer, the grumble does help foster mutually helpful relationships between framers!
 
Nancy,

Little confused about "sit long enough under weight" not sure what you mean.

Did you burnish the PMA to the print and then position and burnish this to the mount board? - using the little blue squeegee that comes in the box.

Your best fix is to run these through a cold roller press.

By the way the product is 3M Positionable Mounting Adhesive - Product 568
 
Bandsaw
What I meant was that after burnishing the print, I usually weight it overnight under a few layers of glass to let the adhesive cure...I didn't do that this time with these. I just went ahead added the glass (with spacers) and finished up the frames.Add that to the fact that the prints were on super-smooth paper, and here I am.
I guess I hope that I can re-burnish, or put them in a vacuum press or roller and they will be as good as new...but I suspect that they will release again over time....
But, maybe not
Nancy
 
The main problem is that the PMA isn't meant for pieces as big as your posters. It will not hold against the shearing effect of the paper expanding and contracting. 3m will tell you that there is a limit to the size of print it will hold and yours isn't on the list.

Heat pressing them or whatever you want will not permanently solve the problem as the adhesive will still let go as it is doing now. Get the print off the substrate and dry mount. End of problem.

Bite the bullet and either pay someone to dry mount them after you spend alot of time removing the posters or buy new posters and THEN have someone dry mount them. By the way... the adhesive doesn't come off cleanly and there will be islands of adhesive all over the place on the back of the poster.

Yep... better to just buy replacements if possible.
 
There may be one, but I've never seen a pressure sensitive adhesive that wouldn't eventually fail. When they come back, it is usually within five years. Solvent-based sprays are the worst. Their composition changes over time. The tendency of a paper to wrinkle might speed up the releasing/bubbling process.

Dry mount adhesives will fail, too, especially if any of the Four Fickle Factors is not exactly right: Time, Temperature, Pressure and Moisture.

The most secure, long-term stable, and trouble-free mounting I've seen is wet mounting under vacuum, using a good quality paste, such as Sure Mount, YES! Paste, or VacuGlue 300.

When in doubt, or if it has any value at all, I would hinge it.
 
In the fine print on page 2 of the 3M PMA Instructions it says:

To release the adhesive bond use: 1)a heat gun or 2) a solvent - Lighter fluid or rubber cement thinner. Lift the mounted item rather than peeling back.
 
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