Old Hinges?

[Phoneguy]

Last night I took apart a LE edition print (The Salmon, Sue Coleman) that my wife and I bought on our honeymoon ('87) and had framed shortly after.
Paper mats, regular glass, metal frame. The mats were faded, the glass had a small crack in the bottom. There is also a bit of acid / UV burn showing on the white border that was left exposed to show the signature / numbering.
The first thing I noticed was masking tape, but fortunately it was not in contact with the print. There is some kind of white paper hinge attached to the print. I would think it was a kind of "tape", the masking tape helped secure the hinge to the backer board.

So on to my question. Should I try and remove the old hinge before I redo the job? I cut away the loose pieces of hinge. I tried a little heat but it did not move. It occurs to me that the mat package will cover the remanents anyway so why take a chance of doing more damage? I have not tried water yet, but that would be next.

{My wife and I really struggled with new mat colours too. She definately did not want to go with the muddy blues that were originally used. The print cries for those colours. I think we have settled on blue grey and silver tones. Man, she is probably my toughest customer, and she expects it for free!}

What do you think?

Thanks
James

 

[Dave]

I've always used a heat gun to release tape adhesives and it seems to never fail if used patiently. How did you apply heat?

I would remove the hinges if possible since you are unsure of the origin and judging by the rest of the frame package it could be questionable.

Dave Makielski

 

[Jerry Ervin]

I start off trying a tacking iron. I had one of those even when I didn't have a heat press.
Dave is right about using a heat gun. It works most of the time unless it is a wheat starch adhesive. Then a little bit of water will do the trick.

Either way you go. Go very very slowly.

 

[FramerDave]

If they're attached with a water-based adhesive, just leave them alone. They aren't doing any harm and you run the risk of damage if you try to remove them. If you must remove them, use just as little water as possible and give it a minute or two to soak in before trying to remove the hinges. Then be sure to blot very well, and then use a fresh blotter and weight for about an hour or more to make sure you don't get any cockling where the hinges were.

If it's a self-adhesive product, then try applying gentle heat with a tacking iron and take your time; don't force it. If it doesn't start to come off easily, then just trim off the excess and leave it alone. You could easily end up causing more damage to the art than just leaving the adhesive where it is.

 

[preservator]

Dave's advice about the water-based hinges and
tapes is right on. As long as they are dry, they
are not likely to do more harm. If you see staining from such a hinge, then it is time to
call in a conservator.
Since this is an item you own, you might work
on a pressure sensitive tape, yourself. You can
take a microspatula or palette knife and heat its
tip on a tacking iron and very gently try inserting that under the edge of the tape. This
minimizes the heating of the print and keeps it
from becoming locally desiccated, which can lead
to cockling.

Hugh

 

[Phoneguy]

Thanks for the replies.

There is no discolouration around the tape. I used a heat gun and razor blade. There was no success in lifting an edge, the paper carrier just tore a bit (not the print, the tape). I think I will leave it alone, and hide the sins!

Thanks for the advice!
James