The Framers Forum

Hi All,

I have recently finished framing a C-Print. The final finished size of the frame is 30" x 175".

The print itself is only 22" x 144". The print was first face-mounted onto a 3mm UV-Filtering Acrylic with a 4mm thk DiBond backing. I then built a single mat of 3mm thk Forex/Sintra. This mat was then wrapped with a Jim Thompson Thai Silk with Frank's Fabric Adhesive.

However, after one week, I realised that the fabric is bubbling. Can someone tell me what seems to be the problem? Do we need to wash or soak the silk before we wrap it? If yes, how to ensure that there is no shrinkage in the silk and that it will remain flat and stretchable? Previous attempt to soak or wash fabric resulted in the fabric full of crease and found it rather difficult to flatten.

Is the sizing in the fabric preventing it from sticking to the forex?

All help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Steven Yip
Singapore

Not sure if I have your answer or not, but had a similar situation myself with linen a while ago. What I found was that I stuck the linen down whole. Then when I roughly cut out for the apperture the linen relaxed and areas of it came unglued as it became less taught. After that I cut out a rough rectangle in the centre prior to gluing, obviously smaller than required to suit the apperture. This allowed me to glue it down in a condition nearer to it's finished state. The result was much improved.

I'm no expert at this, have only recently started doing wrapped mounts, but it may help.

As a side issue, I found out that a number 2 angle chisel colour shaper (medium hardness) to be brilliant for working the fabric into the corners of the bevel.

Dave

Steven. Sounds like you aught to get yourself to the Grumble. Baer Charlton is the guy. He knows every trick in the book re. fabric wrapping and a lot that aren't..

I must admit that the idea of sticking down or dry mounting silk is something that I think sound a bit scarey. So I'm already impressed by anyone who can do it without the adhesive penetrating such a thin fabric, or dulling the natural sheen which you get with silk.

I'm not sure if this counts as an answer, but when I used to be a bookbinder, there were suppliers who stocked paper backed silk which could be bought by length. I've no idea whether it is still available, or if it would be availble in the colour and finished you require, but it might be worth asking a few suppliers to see if such stuff is available.

For those in the UK who may be interested "Falkiner Fine Papers", who are now known as "Shepherd's Bookbinding, used to sell paper backed silk with a leopard's skin printed pattern. It is dry mountable, I know because I've used it.

I've just had a quick look and I've still got the the picture of the inner mount covered with the leopard skin patterned paper backed silk. It was dry mounted to the mountboard and I had no problems doing so.

As my boss would say 'Brilliant'