The Framers Forum

Can anyone please point me in the direction of black gloss mountboard? A customer has made the request after seeing a picture mounted with this in Canada.

I've been in the trade for 20 years and don't recall ever seeing such a thing, but then again, maybe I've forgotten!

The core colour is unimportant, as he wants a black bevel and we can paint this on.

Dave

I have not seen such a board - Bainbridge(http://www.nielsen-bainbridge.com/) does have a textured black metallic that is somewhat glossy, # 8012

For a really glossy look, have you considered High Pressure Laminate (Formica etc) counter top material. Its about 1mm thick. You will have to be creative with cutting a window opening in it though.

Hi Tammy!

Another solution might to be to use a glass mount, created with glossy black spray paint. Might make the wiindow aperture easier, as all you would have to do is mask off the aperture before spraying.

As Jerome has said, Bainbridge a black, fairly glossy mat, In fact there are two of them. One with a white core and one with a black core. I don't have the numbers here at home, but I would reckon that Jerome is probably correct.

Thanks to Jerome and Ormond for the Bainbridge suggestion. We do have samples of these boards, but they fall short of the customer's spec.

Formica is a nice idea: we have some which we use for mounting Ilfochrome/Cibachromes on. Cutting a clean edge is possible using a very sharp lubricated blade and we could put a thicker board underneath to provide the bevel.

Áine's suggestion of a glass mount is something I hadn't thought of. I may very well make up a sample tomorrow and see if the client will consider it. My partner actually took the enquiry, but she doesn't "do" computers, hence it's me on the forum!

Dave

signwriters gloss black vinyl if the 600mm rolls are wide enough, pretty cheap and some suppliers (check ebay) will sell it by the five metre part roll, about £1 to £2 a metre retail. then apply it like "fablon".
Curve your mountboard gently to give it a "tight" finish when flattened.
We've done this in all sorts of leary colours in the past, including a carbon-fibre look in the same material for a pair of race drivers gloves for one of our customers.
Useful stuff, really.
as for outgassing?conservation? we wont go there

Hi,

You could try laminating a sheet of mountboard with a gloss laminate.

Stephen

I think Bainbridge gloss type effect boards have been dicontinued, it might be worth giving them a ring and checking, they were in the standard range

I like the idea of vinyl from people who make signs. My only experience with vinyl is that it shrinks with time. What will the opening look like with a .5mm gap between the vinyl and the beveled window edge?

I would definitely check with the manufacturer about the shrinking factor vs time.

I like the idea of signmaker's vinyl too, paticularly as we have a signmaker next door to our workshop! Perhaps the shrinkage issue could be got over by cutting the window in the mount first, then applying the vinyl and turning an inch or so onto the back. This would also give a glossy bevel and do away with the need to paint it.

This will be tried tomorrow.

Dave

JFeig"I like the idea of vinyl from people who make signs. My only experience with vinyl is that it shrinks with time. What will the opening look like with a .5mm gap between the vinyl and the beveled window edge?

I have a roland vinyl plotter, and used to do a bit of signage with it.

And, yes you are right, it can shrink on vehicles etc, I figure that is probably due to the sun, heat etc (?). We have used it quite a bit in the shop, and we are in our fourth year in these premises without seeing any shrinkage indoors. Im presuming that the shrinkage outdoors is due to streching it inadvertently (or deliberately) in the first place, when its applied, and its the "memory" factor in the plastic... Looking at our shop sign it does look to have shrunk back less than 1mm on 6 inch lettering over the past 4 years outside. I suspect thats because it gets quite hot when the sun is on it, and the adhesive gets "soft" (enter boffin stage left with the right word pertaining to viscosity of adhesive)

Ive been cutting the sign vinyl for about ten years - not professionally, of course, just for the shop, and friends and my own bike graphics etc, but ive seen no shrinkage on items that dont live outside.

Signwriters often apply it "wet" usually, water with a tiny drop of detergent (washing up liquid) in it, so that they can position it on glass, signs etc, and the adhesive "takes" once the water is squeegeed out. Obviously thats not possible with a mount

Thinking about it, we have also put other items onto self adhesive board and cut through them for mounts, tartan wrapping paper, and all sorts of fun things.

I haven't looked but I wouldn't be surprised if Slater Harrison (Colourmount) haven't made something gloss and shiny in one of their product ranges as they do a lot of display boards etc.

If you are not lucky enough to have a vinyl plotter as Kev does.

Try putting the vinyl material (with backing attached) between two sheets of mountboard and then cutting.

I have used this technique quite often for lettering with no problems to date. However. now that I know that Kev has a plotter (and only 10 miles away).... get my parking space ready Kev...

They are quite useful little things to have. It'll also cut stencils etc (maybe they'll make a comeback )

I have a roland stika7 which was daft money when I bought it in 1996, but I've seen them on ebay used for as little as fifty quid - which is cheaper than getting an average shop sighn made! Its come in handy for us, having moved three times over the years. Lives in a drawer and is about the size of a small old dot matrix printer!

the only drawback with mine is that it'll only take rolls up to 8 inches wide They'll also take a traditional plotting ink pen, which would be great for washlines and mount decoration, unfortuanately there isn't much call for decorated 8x6 mounts (or should that be thankfully.....)