Butterflies

[pramsay13]

I've been given 3 butterflies squashed in a cheap frame and I've been asked to frame them individually. I'm hoping to frame them in a box frame so that they look like they are floating, possibly pinned onto foamboard that is hidden behind the butterfly? Or could mylar be used?
Anyone done anything similar can offer advise, or any other suggestions?

[prospero]

Museums mount insects on a non-rusty pin though the thorax. They should always be handled with the pin, using tweezers. They are very fragile when dried out. You can buy special entomological pins. I wouldn't consider encapsulation. The scales on the wing will stick to the mylar and they are too lumpy anyway.

Make sure you seal the frame well. All sorts of little critters like to munch on specimens.

[silvercleave]

Just framed a few in the last month, to preserve them they must be in a fairly dry atmosphere, line the frame inside with a flap at the top using foil, seal the glass and you could use a tray with sloping sides to mount the butterfly in, then when you seal the edge around and fold the foil in on top of a backing board, this is then all sealed, You could go to acquiring silica gel and add to inside the frame, this will attract any moisture and hold it but not be removable to dry out.

An entomologist customer has a room FULL of butterflies, some to be framed as presents

hope this helps

Ian

[Not your average framer]

Has anyone been asked to frame any of those massive butterflies, from South America. Some are absolutely breathtaking sizes.

Here's an article about large butterflies from Papua New guinea

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/b ... -butterfly

[pramsay13]

Thanks silvercleave, unfortunately you lost me a bit. Can you explain how you are mounting the butterflies in the tray with sloping sides?
Cheers

[Tudor Rose]

Top tip - don't use an air gun to blow any dust off

[Not your average framer]

[Tudor Rose]

[silvercleave]

Thanks silvercleave, unfortunately you lost me a bit. Can you explain how you are mounting the butterflies in the tray with sloping sides?
Cheers

Oops! Sorry about that. the butterflies are mounted in position by the entomologist as they are VERY fragile!!!

The tray is mount cut so that it has sloping sides, the prog for working out the angles was put on the forum but cannot find it at present, (someone will tell me where it is!)

They are actually mounted on a very small piece of mounting for butterflies using glue.

When they arrive with me I then complete the job

Ian

ps hope that is a little clearer, if not let me know

[pramsay13]

Thanks, I'm fine with the cove box designer. The link is under resources:
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And what would you do if you were given them loose and didn't have an entomologist handy?

[silvercleave]

It is special board, if you can give me till tomorrow I will find out exactly what to use.

Please be warned they are FRAGILE

Will get back to you tomorrow

Ian

[silvercleave]

Good morning

The board is made of polystyrene and dense.

http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/ta ... utter.html

this link might help you

I would seperate and mount them individually on very small pieces of board, about 10 mm square, then glue them into the cove box, this allows you to move them slightly to arrive at the correct position

Good luck

ps let us all see a piccy when you've done

[pramsay13]

Thanks for the link, very interesting.
I'll see what I come up with and I'll post a picture of course.

[pramsay13]

Change of plan. When I carefully opened up the frame it was obvious that some of the wings were already separate, which is probably why it was framed the way it was. I'll probably have to just frame them up against the glass again. I'll have a chat with the customer and see what we come up with.

[pramsay13]

Sorry for the delay folks. As I said some of the wings were separate so I've had to frame the butterflies against the glass.
The customer was still very happy with the finished frames.