Top mounting water color

[walknonsunshine]

A customer brought in a 22x30 watercolor (it was something the custom painted) that she wants me to top mount using the same mat board and frame. This water color is painted all the way to the edges.

This was something I originally framed a month into framing on my own.
She brought it into me today and wants this done today for a showing that she has. (This was also how I ended up framing it. She brought it in to enter it at an art fair at the last minute.)

I removed the hinging tape (filmoplast SH linen tape). Using the foam core behind the mat board I am trying attempting to mount this piece through the mat window to the foam core.

My layers are:
foam core
mat board
water color (it's pretty thick in my limited experience, so it’s heavy considering the size)

Step 1:
I took filmoplast SH tape and made doubled sided tape by using super sticky ATG tape sticking 2 pieces of tape together.

Step 2:
Using a burnishing bone I put the tape in rows of 3 onto the mat board and I made 3 rows.

Step 3:
I laid the water color on top of the matboard.

Step 4:
Using a sheet of packaging foam (you know, the stuff that frames are wrapped in) and a roller, I gently rolled on the foam that I laid on the watercolor to make contact with the tape.

It's not sticking!!! I even applied more pressure.

I've not done a top mount yet that isn’t sprayed on.
This is only going to be temporary.
I don't have any kind of paste stuff yet either. (Not sure what I should order).



Did I also mention the customer is a friend (not close, but someone I've known for many years) and works here at the gallery. (I don't know if that's relevant or not but thought I should mention it)

I'm not sure what to do. My worst fear is for it to fall inside the frame while at the showing. It will be there for 2 weeks.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[preservator]

Watercolor paper

Pressure-sensitive tape is not likely to hold well on a watercolor paper, which may have an uneven surface and is likely to have a good deal of sizing. Hinging with Japanese tissue and a starch paste is more likely to work. Please read up on this procesd and practice it, extensively bofore trying it, please.




Hugh

 

[walknonsunshine]

Pressure-sensitive tape is not likely to hold well on a watercolor paper, which may have an uneven surface and is likely to have a good deal of sizing. Hinging with Japanese tissue and a starch paste is more likely to work. Please read up on this procesd and practice it, extensively bofore trying it, please.




Hugh

I don't have any kind of starch paste. She want's this done today so I don't even have time to order any and then practice extensively with it. I've always been unsure of what kind of paste to order and have in the shop. Now that I need it I don't have it...of course.

 

[Ylva]

Had to read it a few times to understand, but you are talking about doing a float mount, right? So the art is mounted on top of the matboard? Not a window mat?

What I do for float mounts:
I cut a piece of mat board (or foam board, depending on the look I'm after) smaller than the original art. I then use perimeter hinges around, and wrap them over the piece of mat board. (and yes, I do use paper hinges) then attach to the back of that board.
The whole package, board and art can now be glued to the mat board.

Not sure if this is clear...I am sure better writers will come out and explain this better to you!

 

[walknonsunshine]

Had to read it a few times to understand, but you are talking about doing a float mount, right? So the art is mounted on top of the matboard? Not a window mat?

What I do for float mounts:
I cut a piece of mat board (or foam board, depending on the look I'm after) smaller than the original art. I then use perimeter hinges around, and wrap them over the piece of mat board. (and yes, I do use paper hinges) then attach to the back of that board.
The whole package, board and art can now be glued to the mat board.

Not sure if this is clear...I am sure better writers will come out and explain this better to you!

Ylva,

Yes, this is a float mount and yes, the matboard does have a window.
She wants me to use the original matboard. (she essentially does not want to put any money into this as she will be re-framing the entire piece down the road). So, I'm not looking at charging her today because of a re-frame down the road.

I get what your saying!! I'm going to do this using a piece of mounting board.

For some reason I couldn't wrap my mind around how I was going to do this.

Thank you so much!

 

[Dave]

walkonsunshine...

You've got to start charging appropriately! I don't know how else to say it. Once you start doing these "favors" for people they will never want to pay you what you should be paid for your work and developing expertise.

Sorry to be so blunt, but I foresee you digging a hole for yourself.

 

[Rick Granick]

There is no way any kind of pressure sensitive adhesive is going to hold in a situation like this. Do you have any moisture-activated tapes such as Hyaku or linen tape? These would hold more securely.

You mentioned that you've "not done a top mount yet that isn’t sprayed on". I hope you don't mean spray adhesive like 3M77, PhotoMount, etc. These are highly toxic, terrible for the art and not at all removable, and are guaranteed to fail sooner or later.

:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick

 

[Shayla]

Hi, Sunshine. :smiley:

About hinging with starch paste, I was scared of it, too, as everything I read made it
seem so daunting. A few years ago, though, I finally got brave and bought a packet
of mulberry paper strips and some Lineco rice starch, both from LJ. Then, as has
been recommended on the G, I started making practice hinges with copier paper
and magazine pages. If you can learn with something that finicky, most customer
artwork is easier.

Which is all to say, I'd encourage you to take baby steps at it. Buy the bottle of rice
starch and the strips, then tell yourself you're just practicing. A good site to read for
hinging advice is Frametek.com. They explain how to position your hinges so that it
keeps the paper from buckling, etc... Before learning this, I would hinge watercolors
with an adhesive framers tape, but after realizing that it sometimes gave way, I
learned this method. Haven't had any problems since, which is such a relief.