The Framers Forum

I have been given a framing job to laminate and stick some large poster prints onto 18mm MDF. The MDF edges are to be painted black and a frme put on the back to make the artwork "float" off the wall. Some of the prints are quite large c.40"x30".

I understand that placing MDF inside a hotpress is not a good idea as it can damage the macine and causes the MDF to bend. If I laminate the prints what is the best way to firmly fix the prints onto the MDF? The laminate needs to be "food Proof" as it is for a restaurant. There are 40 to do - not the sort of job I usually do but there is a very large job I am trying to get with the same customer.

The customer have sent a sample of some board called masonite - from America. Is this available over here in Blighty? It's a bit like foam core but coloured and more dense - foam core meets MDF!

Any thoughts greatfully received.

The Hot Press video demonstrates bonding onto MDF so it's obviously possible.

The only thing I'd worry about would be the edges or corners damaging the rubber blanket. My vacuum press (an old Ademco) has a felt blanket covering the rubber and I imagine that would protect the rubber OK.

When I had to replace the original I found a suitable piece of felt on eBay.

Check with a sign writers supplier.... they have a MDF that has a smooth coated white surface that might be more suitable.

Masonite™ is a very dense, rigid material that comes in a variety of thickness'. Most of the stuff, however, is construction grade material which, while smooth enough to take mounting well, generally have residual oils and chemicals that may eventually leach through to your art. To my mind, it is not a particularly good choice. Plus, it is made with formaldehyde which give me a wicked head ache (and has probably contributed to my mental deficiencies), and may be carcinogenic.

There is a commercially available substrate for the framing industry with the trade name, GatorBoard™. This is has a look and feel of Masonite, but the surfaces are treated so this material is excellent for mounting.

GatorBoard has a compressed foam center making it much more dense and rigid than standard foam board. The surfaces are ideal for mounting, but it is considerably more difficult to cut – a standard wall mounted glass/mat cutter won’t do the trick.

I need to use a heavy straight edge and a heavy duty box cutter to get through it. Even in the 1/8” variety, it takes me 8 - 10 passes with the cutter to get through it – and, I need to change the blade for each side that needs cutting.

Some framers use a table saw, but I’m not crazy about the jagged edge that results. The edge can be sanded easily, though.

Check to see if GatorBoard is available in your area. You should be able to get it as large as 96” x 48” (smaller, if you want).

avantime wrote:I have been given a framing job to laminate and stick some large poster prints onto 18mm MDF.

Some of the prints are quite large c.40"x30".

18mm MDF x 40" x 30" adds up to a lot of weight.

It might make the job a lot easier to use something else instead.

In the good old days we allways used chipboard. This does work fine in either vac. presses and hard beds. I would prefer a hard bed myself.
Not as unfriendly healthwise as MDF. and more like wood to shape etc.

Weight isn't a problem. The backing frame will be fixed to the wall with security fixings.

I have heard contrasting advise about using a hotpress and damage to the diaphragm. Think I'll contact them and see if it's OK. I'll have to outsource the laminating and I'd hate to damage someones machine.


Many thanks for the tips.

I'll let you know how I get on.

I recently had to look into block mounting for a client, these links might be useful, David in Scotland certainly seems to be very experienced in block mounting onto MDF:

http://www.davidmclaughlin.co.uk/about.htm

http://www.designerprint.co.uk/services ... unting.htm