Floating a magazine

[Roboframer]

There are many ways of doing this but here is how I did today.


Firstly I traced the outline of the mag in soft pencil then cut a one inch slit top and bottom centre - just on the inside of the line. Then I made half inch cuts 2" away from each corner and erased the line.

Then cut some strips of melinex (clear polyester film) from offcuts.


The wide central one holds all but the front cover in place and the narrow ones at the corners hold it all straight and stop the pages from flopping open - these corners alone are no good.



There was a bit of adjustment after this shot - the corner straps were a bit too tight



By cutting the slots just on the inside of the pencil line they cannot be seen unless you try really hard


Melinex is available from PEL in sheets, on rolls and in shedloads of bags and envelopes - an envelope would be another option but not in this case as museum glass was used so we didn't want a big glossy sheet over the whole surface.

[Spit]

I did exactly the same with a railway timetable booklet this week!

I must be improving if I'm thinking along the same lines as you!

[Not your average framer]

Hi John,

A nicely executed job. Can I ask how you fixed the Melinex at the back?

It occurs to me that if you used an adhesive tape and considering the weight of the magazine, then the choice of tape and the size of the areas allowed for adhesion to the Melinex and to the mountboard would be interesting to know.

Personally, I would be tempted to fix one side of the Melinex to the mountboard with a very strong double sided tape and also secure the other side of the Melinex with another adhesive tape over the top and overlapping to adhere directly to the mountboard too! The extra adhesive bond on the second tape being a kind of back-up to the other.

I probably would consider if it was possible to use two different tape manufacturers and adhesive types to minimise any possibility of failure of the adhesive bonding on both tapes, due to a common mode of failure. Hopefully the environmental factors affecting the service life of the two adhesive bonds would not be the same for both, so that any vulnerablity in one adhesive would be compensated for in the other.

Protecting against common modes of failure is a standard technique in reliability oriented engineering and may have benefits in framing difficult items too!

[Roboframer]

Hi Mark,

I taped across the Melinex with copious amounts of magic tape, including a piece across each slit. It wasn't exactly pretty!

Then I stuck the frame backing (foam board) to the mount board with a combination of ATG and PVA. This also prevents the possibility of the mount board bowing away from the backing board with the weight of the magazine - far heavier than the mount board, which is weakened further by the slits.

[Spit]

I didn't have so much of a weight problem, with an A5ish 12 page booklet, I used wood glue with atg to hold the ends in place while it dried, then used SA brown tape over the top.

[Not your average framer]

John,

Another technique comes to mind from my engineering days. Sometimes we had to wrap Mylar around transformer windings before encapsulating them, (different encapsulating - in resin).

The technique was to tape down each end of the Mylar, then fold the mylar back over the tape and tape it down again. The fold stopped the mylar pulling through from under the tape if the adhesive softened with the heat generated due to the curing of the resin.

[Not your average framer]

Just a thought.

Has anyone heard of Kapton film, it's loads stronger than Melinex. I'm not sure, but I think it may been the same stuff as Kevlar.

I only ever saw it in an orange colour, but if it can be got in clear (assuming that it is truely transparent), it might be of use for securing very heavy items instead of Melinex.

[Roboframer]

Doubt it has the archival properties of uncoated Melinex.

[Framer Dave]

John,

Another technique comes to mind from my engineering days. Sometimes we had to wrap Mylar around transformer windings before encapsulating them, (different encapsulating - in resin).

The technique was to tape down each end of the Mylar, then fold the mylar back over the tape and tape it down again. The fold stopped the mylar pulling through from under the tape if the adhesive softened with the heat generated due to the curing of the resin.

Bingo. That's exactly the way to do it. Both of the pieces of tape should be 3M415 or 889. Then finish off the whole bit with a piece of single-sided to cover up and exposed adhesive, make it nice and tidy and add just that much extra strength to the whole bond.

I've demonstrated mounting with Mylar hundreds of times and often have someone try to pull the object off to make it fail. Every single time the Mylar eventually stretched before breaking, but the attachment has not failed once.

By the way, Jim Miller, who popularized Mylar over here and has taught thousands of framers, has a background in electrical equipment, on the sales side I believe. He probably picked up this technique the same way you did, NYAF.

[Not your average framer]

Doubt it has the archival properties of uncoated Melinex.

I don't know, but I know that it is seriously expensive compared to normal materials. It's probably 10 or 20 times the price of Melinex, but weight for weight, it's stronger than steel!

[Spit]

but weight for weight, it's stronger than steel!

Overkill for an 8oz magazine, perhaps?

[Roboframer]

Bingo. That's exactly the way to do it. Both of the pieces of tape should be 3M415 or 889. Then finish off the whole bit with a piece of single-sided to cover up and exposed adhesive, make it nice and tidy and add just that much extra strength to the whole bond.

I've demonstrated mounting with Mylar hundreds of times and often have someone try to pull the object off to make it fail. Every single time the Mylar eventually stretched before breaking, but the attachment has not failed once.

I have 415 tape and 889, which I cannot find anywhere in the UK, is on it's way from the US - a Grumbler is sending me some. PEL sourced it for me and quoted me something like £16 a roll plus VAT and carriage and a minimum of 24 rolls so about £460 - the US price is about 11 bucks (£5:50) and I ordered 10 rolls.

I'll remember that folding over method next time - but I guess that with the whole thing - straps and all - stuck to the backing board, it should be OK.

The photos are a second attempt - first attempt everything went wrong and with the straps held in place at the back with just a few pieces of magic tape - when I yanked them they ripped right through the mountboard.

Have to add that if you do a fair bit of encapsulation and own a roll of melinex, say 1 x 50m - you'll build up a fair amount of too-good-to-throw-out offcuts - sheets and rolls. A job like this costs zip in materials, is a piece of cake and is totally unobtrusive.

Maybe it could be refined - I used no references - maybe two 'main' straps near the sides would be better instead of one central one.

Would also add that when it came to final assembly the whole thing was never laid face down - it was leaned against a chair back.

[osgood]

John,
Not being critical, but your method can lead to a problem with sagging. I did a book like that once, years ago and over time it has sagged quite a bit.

There is a better, more supportive way to do books that is very easy and Jim Miller's latest book contains this method and many other mounting methods for objects using Mylar/Melinex film.

"The Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and Framing Objects". This book is a real gem and contains so many great ideas! No framing shop should be without this book!

"Mounting Objects with Clear Film" might also show this method, but my copy is on loan at the moment so I can't verify that.

[osgood]

John,
The corner strap method is excellent, but can lead to a problem with sagging when used on heavy magazines . I did one like that once, years ago and over time it has sagged quite a bit, but hasn't failed.

There is a better, more supportive way to mount books, that is very easy and Jim Miller's latest book contains this method and many other mounting methods for objects using Mylar/Melinex film.

"The Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and Framing Objects". This book is a real gem and contains so many great ideas! No framing shop should be without this book!

"Mounting Objects with Clear Film" might also show this method, but my copy is on loan at the moment so I can't verify that.

[osgood]

Darn, double post!

Tried to edit before submitting and something weird happened!

[Roboframer]

I know that Jim has offered a free download on methods like this on TFG and I think I'll take him up if the offer is still on.

Like I said at the start there are many other methods, this is what I came up with myself - thought 3 points of contact/support at the base would offer good support.

On the search facility on TFG there are similar methods - one good idea, which I did not use, is to stiffen the mag with a piece of mountboard ever so slightly smaller than it.

Suppose the main aim of the thread is uses of Melinex - I find most framers over here restrict themselves to what can be found in framers' suppliers catalogues - and none of ours sell Melinex - never seen an article in a trade mag on its uses either - search for 'encapsulation' here; you'll find some stuff from me. Search for it on TFG; it's everywhere.

So, anyway - please don't anyone think that this method is king or anything - just let it create some awareness regards non-adhesive methods being easy and inexpensive. If it sags it sags, it'll cost me some time and I'll be glad of the learning experience which would not have damaged anything.

I have 'til Friday to tweak if needs be though!!!

[Not your average framer]

Overkill for an 8oz magazine, perhaps?

Ah, but there's plenty of heavier things which come along. How about some really big volumes. As an ex-bookbinder, I can tell you that there's some really huge and valuable stuff out there which museums like to put behind glass.

Some of us might get asked to frame something really heavy. Could be worth remembering, just in case!

[Not your average framer]

"The Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and Framing Objects". This book is a real gem and contains so many great ideas! No framing shop should be without this book!

"Mounting Objects with Clear Film" might also show this method, but my copy is on loan at the moment so I can't verify that.

These books sound very interesting, are they available in the UK?

BTW, this is a great thread with lots of good information and questions being answered. O.K, those with more experience know other and perhaps better ways of doing this. For a lot of UK framers, this is probably the kind of discussion we don't get often enough.

[Not your average framer]

The corner strap method is excellent, but can lead to a problem with sagging when used on heavy magazines.

I can understand why, but it would be nice to hear something about how to prevent the sagging.

[Moglet]

this is a great thread with lots of good information ... For a lot of UK framers, this is probably the kind of discussion we don't get often enough.

Exactly my thoughts, too.