Float mounting very large pictures

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simoonez
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Re: Float mounting very large pictures

Post by simoonez »

I don't really understand the problem. We float mount any size, it just needs more hinges :wink:

The largest we've floated is 2.5m x 1.7m works on paper. Each one had something like 40 pass through hinges. We have a jig set up which is basically slots cut in mountboard at regular intervals, and we cut through the mountboard with a stanley knife.
Depending on their size we do bond the mountboard onto foamboard for a bit of substance.

I do like the idea of using the mountcutter though, would speed some of them up greatly.
Not your average framer
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Re: Float mounting very large pictures

Post by Not your average framer »

I'm not much of a fan of float mounting very large pictures at all, but I may have a suggestion, or two which may be worth throwing in the mix to see what comes of discussing them.

Firstly, large very large pictures are usually sensibly thick paper, I'm not saying that there are not exceptions, but all that extra weight takes a bit of supporting and think paper goes a long way towards supporting the weight. So the hinges need to be strong and placed in plenty of places so that the weight is not just supported around the edges.

Secondly, there is no reason why the hedgehog method cannot be used multiple times with two, or more cut out one inside another, with hinges fitting at each level with one level inside another.

Thirdly, I'm an ex-bookbinder and I know that buckram is an extremely strong book cloth and can be used to reinforce all these hedgehog cut outs extremely effectively and then something much stronger can be glued behind the mountboard to give the required strength and rigidity.

I would not necessarily rule out MDF, if you can adequately isolate it from the mountboard and the artwork. If the artwork is large enough, you may have to consider some kind of support framework as well. There are plenty of examples of producing such frameworks on the forum and many of these have been by provided by our friend Prosperro and possibly others as well.
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Jamesnkr

Re: Float mounting very large pictures

Post by Jamesnkr »

Not your average framer wrote:Secondly, there is no reason why the hedgehog method cannot be used multiple times with two, or more cut out one inside another, with hinges fitting at each level with one level inside another.
That is inspired. Utterly inspired.

The only thing that worries me - and this worries me with float mounting in general - is the capacity for the item to 'move'. The more nested hedgehogs (!) you have, the more constrained the entire package becomes.
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Steve N
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Re: Float mounting very large pictures

Post by Steve N »

"Nested Hedgehog", nice term James, you need to enter it in the Oracle. I have used this method before, just cut a series of windows, but be fore you start, make a pencil mark across the back of the mount, for relocating the window fall outs, so you don't get any the wrong way up. I would start with an over size board, then trim down top size once the artwork is attached
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Not your average framer
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Re: Float mounting very large pictures

Post by Not your average framer »

Jamesnkr wrote:That is inspired. Utterly inspired.
Really! I don't think it's anything particularly original. Simple ideas are usually the easiest.
Jamesnkr wrote:The only thing that worries me - and this worries me with float mounting in general - is the capacity for the item to 'move'. The more nested hedgehogs (!) you have, the more constrained the entire package becomes.
That's not as much of a problem as you might be thinking. Use "S" shaped henges, so you can build in a little bit of give in the hinges (and that may be a more original idea, because I've never heard of anyone else doing it), also you can choose how many "nested" hedgehog windows you decide to cut into the mountboard.

BTW, I've seen plenty of hedgehog style mounts going back a lot of years, it's not a particularly new technique at all. Perhaps it's just that nobody gave the technique a name in the earlier days. You'd be surprised how many ideas I have pinched from what I see when re-framing old pictures. They do say that there's nothing new under the sun.
Mark Lacey

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