The Framers Forum

I have a customer that would like to mount a small (8x10) canvas painting onto matboard. Can this be done and how?Can canvas be heat-mounted or glued?Thank you.

Hi,

Not recommended at all, canvasses should be stretched around wooden stretcher bars and framed.

However, if you have to do it, and do not want to turn a customer away, personally when I have done it, I have treated it like a pastel, and used spacers, (like foam core on a reverse bevel, and hidden) under the mount to prevent the mountboards from touching the canvas. As for sticking it down, there are a number of thoughts, one of which I would not do which is heat-mount, dry mount it (COLD, self adhesive board should do for that size of canvas), or if the canvas is thick enough, wet mount it with PVA glue, i.e. wood glue with 15% water added. I would not attempt to flatten it with a hard bed press, but a roller should do the trick, or cover the canvas with a mountboard / or glass and put some weights on it, just to the glue takes hold.

If the canvas has a textured finish with high and low points, get your customer to change their minds, and stretch it as normal.

Steven

Hi doob31469

Welcome to the forum.

Steven has given you much the same answer as I would, however it is usually ok to pop a textured canvas into a hardbed press while the PVA sets, as long as you use a thick foam blanket (25 - 50mm) and drop the top plate down to rest on the foam with no additional pressure.

(I have removed your duplicate post since your question has been responded to here.)

Hi doob31469
This topic and some of the answers will cause a sharp intake of breath from the purists. But do not let that put you off asking the questions.
It is a question that I asked many years ago.

Stevens answer is correct. (for a purist) - and no offence Steven. !!

However, if the customer wants it fixing to a board, then you have to oblige. After discussing the pros and cons of course.

We have had very good results by wet mounting onto MDF. Using, as Steven, says PVA. We coat the MDF with PVA first and allow to dry thoroughly, this in a way puts a 'size' onto the board. We then use a sponge roller (the cheap disposable 4" foam ones) and sparingly coat the canvas. Then mate the two together and pad down the canvas using a water absorbant cloth.

In the shop I have a demonstration piece that I did some 2 years ago using this method. It has fixed that hard, that if you peel back the corner of the canvas to show the customer the strength of bond, then fibres of the canvas remain on the MDF. A firm bond.

You do have to be extremely careful though that you do not use too much PVA on the canvas that it seeps through the weave when you pad it down.

Again well done on your question, no doubt the technique as described above will bring forth a healthy discussion.

Hi John,

No offence taken! Like you say, this topic will cause a sharp intake of breath, but as I stated in a previous posting 'How Far Are You Prepared to go to Loose A Customer' about framing an Oil on Paper, I was prepared to loose a customer because what she was asking me to do 'just wasnt right or practical' but thankfully all was resolved in the end.

By the way many thanks, got the Axminster catalogue yesterday, only took the weekend.

Steven

Thanks to all for your time and valuable info.Needless to say I'm a little nervous about doing this,so I am going to speak to the customer about another alternative before I dive in and ruin this art.Her main concern was that she wanted to see every bit of painting up to the edge without losing the 3/16 to 1/4 inch on each side because of he lip of frame.Thanks again.This site is very useful and informative.