Joining Two Sections of a Map

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Jules007
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Joining Two Sections of a Map

Post by Jules007 »

A customer has given me a large old map which is in 2 pieces. It had previously been stuck together rather badly with a combination of masking tape and some double sided tape both of which had dried and made it fairly easy to remove.

It really needs to be joined together before framing in order to help keep it flat. As it's quite old I don't want to dry mount it. It has about a 20mm overlap.

What would be the best way to join them? Can you get a double sided archival tape?

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks
Jules
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David McCormack
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Re: Joining Two Sections of a Map

Post by David McCormack »

Hi Jules,

without going down the route of contacting a qualified paper conservator, I would consider using Filmoplast P-90 tape and acrylic glazing.

Avoid using double sided tape :head:

You say there is an overlap so I would tape the join on the back only. Align the two halves and hold in place with P-90 tabs without burnishing them. Turn over and apply a long strip of P-90 to the back. Turn over again and check the alignment and then remove the tabs from the front. Turn over once more and now burnish the P-90 strip with a bone folder to get a good bond.

If you frame the map in direct contact with acrylic glazing that should take care of the overlap on the front.

I’m sure there will be other suggestions coming along :D
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Jules007
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri 29 Sep, 2017 1:28 pm
Location: Salisbury
Organisation: Fisherton Framing
Interests: Photography, Art, Engineering, Travel

Re: Joining Two Sections of a Map

Post by Jules007 »

Thanks for your reply. I like the idea of using acrylic to keep it flat.

I've also been looking at a heat activated film from these people who were very helpful:
http://www.conservation-resources.co.uk/

It is a type of adhesive film developed by the British museum for tears in maps and documents. I've odered some and will have a play with it before I decide how to proceed. It will be much easier to line up and handle and is also removable later on.
Not your average framer
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Re: Joining Two Sections of a Map

Post by Not your average framer »

Sorry, but if you have any intention of sticky anything onto a paper surface already contaminated to old masking tape, or double sided residue, the chances of this job going wrong are a lot higher than you are assuming. It has been said many times before on this forum and on the grumble as well, "don't practice your skills on a customers artwork", the chances of putting it right after it all goes wrong are not good.

You have already stated that it is old, so the paper is likely to be brittle and may need to be stabilised, or consolodated. You have not mentioned the thickness, the grade, or even the condition of the paper and it is obvious that no one has carried out any kind of risk assessment, before looking at how this work can be safely conducted. I think it would be wise to get an expert opinion about this first.
Mark Lacey

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Jules007
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri 29 Sep, 2017 1:28 pm
Location: Salisbury
Organisation: Fisherton Framing
Interests: Photography, Art, Engineering, Travel

Re: Joining Two Sections of a Map

Post by Jules007 »

I should have mentioned that it's old but not that old and falling to bits or particularly valuable. The customer accepts that it has already been damaged slightly by the poor quality of the previous join and just wants it because it's quite decorative. I'm the one wanting to do this in a 'conservation' way.

I think that the best way to do it will be to line up the 2 pieces together and then, without actually joining them with anything, and then hinge mount both pieces at the top onto mountboard. This way they will both hang side by side in the correct position. Then place a piece of acrylic on the top of the map pieces to keep them flat, a mount on top of that to give a border, and then a sheet of anti-reflective glass on the very top.

So then the only thing being stuck are a few small pieces of gummed archival hinging tape at the top of each piece.
Not your average framer
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Joining Two Sections of a Map

Post by Not your average framer »

How big is the map? It might be worth dry mounting each individual piece onto an open weave fabric, such as mull and then join them along the the actual point where they line up to get a better result.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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