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Uncle Eli

Uncle Eli

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Posts
554
Loc
Sunny Malibu CA.
So a customer just brought in a deer hide (full fur) that had been drawn/painted on the inside. When she hung it orriginally she just nailed it to the wall. As we all know the moisture content in her room adversely affected the hide, and cause the holes around the nails to loosen significantly. To compound matters, we just had a fire here, so the hide is now very dry. She brought it to me for framing suggestions.

What I need some ideas on is mounting the hide. My first inclination is to sew it to the backer. However I'm worried about the hide being too dry, and the thread cutting into the hide, and it falling again. Is there another material you can suggest. I think at this point that if I needed to use something rather thick that would be okay, because some of the hide is starting to fall apart. I had thought of using leather strap, but wasn't sure about the chemical interaction between the deer hide & the treated leather. Also where to find sewing leather. Thanks for your help.
 
I'd recommend contacting a local taxidermist to give you some good ideas!
 
How big is the piece?

I did a piece of leather using Mylar D. I laid the leather on mat board for backing. I put ATG tape around the leater and laid the Mylar over that. It was now protected. Then the mat went over the Mylar to within 1/2" of the leather. I put as much pressure on the mylar so that it would hold the leather in place. It really worked nicely. I used an anti reflective glass (Perfect Vue) to help reduce the shiny of the Mylar. There was nothing touching the leather but the mylar and mat board.......pressure held the piece in place.
 
might we consider a large piece of naugahide to which you could sew it onto??? if you sew in the middle areas, also, wouldnt that take the strain off the edges???
 
I would suggest using something like leather shoelaces. Use them minimally only in the places of greatest strain. The look of the leather against the hide would look appropriate to the piece.
 
Remember that the hide and its hair are very attractive to insect pests. A soft material like
synthetic yarn might be used to lash the hide to the backing panel, without cutting into it,
if it dries. Making a package of glazing, spacer, and backing panel that can be wrapped with
a sealing foil, like Marvelseal, can help keep the bugs at bay. Such a package requires a frame that has wide and deep rabbets.


Hugh
 
clickie here:
http://www.thegrumble.com/showthread.php?t=21785&highlight=deer+hide
i had the same thing come in to frame.
Havent framed it yet, because the kid hasnt paid any money on it.
it's been here a year and 2 months.
and I swear if he doesnt come in next time I call him, i'm taking it as abandoned property. (i;ve called him about it about a million times)

Mine is really quite fragile.
the edges of it tend to crumble away if i try to move it.
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to frame this. even if he does come in with $$-which i doubt he will.

good luck to you
 
I suggest that an examination by a qualified expert would a good first move. As an ex-bookbinder, who has worked with antique leather bindings, I suggest that it may require softening with an archival leather dressing. In the UK, we have a product known as "British museum leather dressing" from a company called Edgar Backus. No doubt there would be an equivalent US product.

There may also be rot or decay requiring treatment, or consolidation of the structure of the leather, or additional support to strengthen the leather.

I am not suggesting any treatment at this stage, but starting to ask the right questions and getting some answers, should set you in the right direction. Identification of the paint media on the leather is essential if considering any treatment and such treatment will probably will require an expert to do it.
 
Sure makes Paul Storch's class at the PPFA Convention in Las Vegas a timely one.

Friday February 1st
4:20 p.m. - 6:20 p.m

Framing and Mounting Leather and
Other Organic Materials

The oddest things show up in frame
shops, with specific mounting and
framing requirements! Learn the nature
of these materials and the proper ways
of preservation framing, and create a sample
mount of a flat leather piece.

Speaker: Paul Storch, Storch Conservation
Services

Paul is a great guy and he posts regularly on the PPFA Forum. If you are a PPFA member, you should also post your query there. If you're not a member, access to experts like Paul is a benefit of membership as he is very supportive of PPFAA members.
 
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