Framing an original...

[pfbls]

I have been given the opportunity to take an original piece of artwork (a sketch on paper) by a French artist to re-frame, and as I am new to the framing business, would like to know the opinions of the forum on how to go about fixing the artwork.

From my training and experience so far I know that it should be mounted using cotton mountboard, and I will seal the work as per a conservation piece, but I would like to know if anyone has any ideas or methods they use for attaching artwork to the undermount other than t-hinges using ph neutral tape? I can't see how I am going to keep it in place without doing this, but as it is an original I would prefer to be able to engineer something so that there is no tape on the picture at all!

This may be trying to achieve the impossible, but thought I would ask!

[Roboframer]

You could make your own 'T' hinges from Japanese tissue and freshly cooked starch paste which is the same method as tape, but it's not tape! However, if you've not done it before, it takes a lot of practice to get the right weight of tissue, the right consistency and the right tackiness of paste - too wet and it can cockle the paper - etc. Still, it knocks spots - conservation-wise - off any pre-gummed tape, water activated or self adhesive, so it's worth looking in to.

Here's a recent topic that covers no adhesive at all touching the paper though. http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 47&p=55460

A thought - you say you are RE-framing it - how was it fixed originally? If it was with tape that cannot be removed then you may as well use new hinges over that.

[pfbls]

Thank you very much - I had searched the forum but nothing came up so thanks for the link, it was very useful.
The original tape just flaked off very easily (leaving lovely yellow marks unfortunately) so I can't use them as a protection, but good idea!