Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

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gabrielleheysemoore
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Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by gabrielleheysemoore »

Hello all,

I am framing an image 1500mm x 1000mm with a spacer and subframe.

Do you think that T-hinging and the spacer is sufficient for an image that large? How far between would you apply the hinges?

Gabrielle
Justintime
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Justintime »

You say you're using spacers, so I assuming that you're floating the image. Not sure how you would use T hinges in this method. I would use Y hinges probable every 300mm or so, passed through the mountboard behind.
Justin George GCF(APF)
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gabrielleheysemoore
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by gabrielleheysemoore »

Thanks Justintime.

The print is full width/length so will sit under the spacer. I'll definitely do the hinging through the mount as you suggest.

A bit new to framing so sorry for the ignorance but can you explain Y hinging.

Gabrielle
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Justintime »

If you cut a 2"-3" length of hinging tape, fold it in half then fold back 1/4" at each end of the tape. Feed the halfway fold through the mountboard from the front to back and secure tape upwards on the back. Do this with all hinges and its ready to wet hinges and fix work onto the hinges. Aaah, this is not easy to describe. I'll be back at my computer on Friday and can send a pic then.
It's worth having a look at Conservation Framing by Annabelle Rushton, lots of pictures and good descriptions there.
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by gabrielleheysemoore »

Perfect description and I bought this book yesterday waiting for delivery.

Thank you so much.
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Not your average framer »

It does not sound like a job for T hinges to me. The weight of such a large artwork possibly needs to be restrained in a number of places to prevent gravity causing the print to bow outwards in the inner part of the image. I've seen this done with Y hinges, but aligning the hinges with slots in the mountboard is a task demanding a certain degree of accuracy.

Do you have a large enough work bench to support the whole print flat, while you are working on this? I can assure you that you won't find it easy to do this without a lot of bench space. It's also going to present some major handling issues while handling the print after mounting it onto the mountboard, which will be a serious challenge for two people and even harder for just one person.

I've never done this, so this is just me thinking how I might consider doing this, if I had to. I would order in a large enough piece of board to lean against the bench at fairly step angle, with a decent sized battern fixed to the lower edge to support the edge of the mountboard.

I dont have one of those hand held oval / round mount cutters, so I would have to buy one and this would have to be included in the cost of doing the job. Using the hand held cutter, I would cut a number of reversed cut round cut outs distributed at intervals behind the area of the print. I am thinking it would be wise to number each cut out and aperture at the rear and also include lines across the cut out and across onto the edge of the board around each cut out to avoid any issues when replacing the cut outs back into their original locations.

This will work like the reverse of what is now known as "the hedgehog method" although I have seen this method used on items framed at least back as far as the 1960's. so there is not much new about this technique. The bevel on these apertures is deliberately angled so that the cut outs are inserted back into the mountboard from the rear afer taping across the bevelled edges off the open apertures. I don't know large the diameter these hand held cutters will do, but a larger cut out will afford a larger spacing between higes attached to the back of the print.

Don't over do the amount of hinging within each cut out, otherwise you may make an otherwise hidden fixing become more obvious as the print expands and contract with the varying humidity of the seasons. I am thinking that I would not attach the hinge onto the rear of the mount board too tightly, or too close to the cut out so as to allow for a small amount of give. The cut outs pieces of mount board can then be replaced into each corresponding aperture in it's original orientation and taped back into position.

It would be advisable to ensure that this taping back into position, does not coincide with the hinges onto the rear of the print. Finally, the long tails of the hinges attached to the print can be secured as T hinges to the rear of the mount board with just that little bit of give to prevent thing getting too tight at the wrong time of year. A lot of experienced framers will be happy to stick with the Y hinges, but this may be a bit easier for some. I have used Y hinges on smaller artworks, but I'm having second thoughts about something so large in such a small workshop as I have.

Any comments?
Mark Lacey

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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Justintime »

Gabrielle,
Going back to your earlier post... You say the image will be under the spacer? If so then it will not be ablt to expand and contract because it will be pinched under the spacers.
Is it too valuable to drymount?
If it can't be mounted, I think I would y hinge it as discussed, but leaving enough mountboard around so that the print is not trapped under the spacers but floating, if that makes sense.

Mark,
I don't understand where the oval mount cutter comes into the equation. I pass hinges through slits in the mountboard cut on the mount cutter.
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Not your average framer »

So do i. However, that's a really large print to handle and line up with all the Y hinges. I would normally find this relatively easy, but with something that big I would lay the print flat onto a clean flat surface and lay the mountboard on to the rear of the print.

Rather than pre-glueing all the Y hinges already fitted into the mountboard slots and try to get everything in position and relying on each of the hinges sticking to the rear of the print, without some of the glue getting displaced onto the mountboard and glueing the print directly to the mountboard. I thought that this was a good way of getting the glue where I don't want it.

It also avoids unintentionally moving the print while glueing up all those Y hinges. I hope that this makes some sort of sense.
Mark Lacey

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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by poliopete »

I use an appropriate size, and very sharp, beveled chisel to cut the slits. The bevel makes inserting the hinges much easier :D

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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Not your average framer »

I was not intending to say so, but I have a good number of chisels of various sizes and do likewise. It is so quick and easy to do.
Mark Lacey

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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by Not your average framer »

BTW, Prosperro has mentioned in previous posts that he spaces slips slightly away from artworks to allow a little free movement for the artwork. I am hoping he will be able to post a link or something.
Mark Lacey

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prospero
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by prospero »

Thank You Mark. :D

Here is my expertly drawn technical plan.....

Image

Very handy for people who 'don't want a mount' :?

The little strips can be anything. I usually use linen tape which is just a bit thicker than most papers.

The top 'optional' strip is essential when you have a painted slip as glass contact can cause weird optical effects.
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gabrielleheysemoore
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Re: Large print - T hinging and spacer only?

Post by gabrielleheysemoore »

Great, thanks for this sketch. I’ll be using this strip method and have my chisels out.

I agreed to not dry mount so this is all really helpful.
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