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Author Topic: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi  (Read 7599 times)

dwood

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Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« on: September 08, 2010, 08:32:13 pm »

Are any of you folks mounting your prints on aluminum or plexiglass? If so, are you doing this yourself or having a framer do the work? I've never gone this route but have an interest in learning a bit about these mounting methods. Thanks in advance for any and all insights.

Bob Smith

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2010, 10:06:46 pm »

I mount large prints on a dibond like product.  It's an easy straightforward process with cold mount materials and a decent laminator (even a hand crank version).  Works quite well.  I've used Premium Luster, various fine art papers and canvas this way.

If you're talking about face mounting to plexi that opens up a HUGE can of worms.  It's a process that I'd like to try to do but the learning curve is steep... and the number of redos is high... as is the cost of materials.  Unless you're doing a lot of it, often, its a process that ought to be farmed out to someone with the right skills and equipment.

Bob Smith
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dwood

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2010, 03:21:13 pm »

[If you're talking about face mounting to plexi that opens up a HUGE can of worms.  It's a process that I'd like to try to do but the learning curve is steep... and the number of redos is high... as is the cost of materials.  Unless you're doing a lot of it, often, its a process that ought to be farmed out to someone with the right skills and equipment.

Bob Smith
[/quote]
Yeah, it's this 'huge can of worms', and mounting to aluminum, that I'm interested in learning more about. You may very well be right about finding folks who do this sort of thing for a living. I'll keep investigating. 

dgberg

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2010, 05:14:51 pm »

Were working on it,just not ready for prime time. We will be adding demonstrations of all these mountings and more to our printing and mounting workshops eary next year.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2010, 05:54:13 pm by Dan Berg »
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Gemmtech

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2010, 07:23:32 pm »

What is the reason for mounting to aluminum or plexiglass?  Longevity? What type of aluminum?  An alloy?  Would you clue the print to the aluminum or plexiglass?
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dgberg

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2010, 09:55:35 pm »

Plexi has a stunning look. The plexi and Dibond make a beautiful sandwich. I just received my first sheet of Dibond with the brushed stainless surface. It's not cheap but it is about the best backer you can use. One of the Dibond mounts we will be working on is mounting metallic prints on the Dibond with a 4" border of the stainless showing. See attached picture. Disclaimer-Not my work.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2010, 04:16:41 am by Dan Berg »
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enduser

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2010, 04:27:28 am »

I agree about Dibond, I was sent a bunch of small samples and they look pretty good.  What stops me is, how do you cut this stuff down to size, since it comes in 4 ft x 8 ft sizes?
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cbcbell

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2010, 06:49:28 am »

I mount many of my prints on Dibond with a 3 mm thickness, using 60 x 120" sheets, and cut them down with a special German circular saw that has a dedicated blade for aluminum and plexi:

   http://festools-online.com/index.php/festool-tools/festool-saws-accessories/festool-circular-saws/festool-circular-saw-ts-55-eq-1.html

The saw is superb, and with the very long aluminum guides that are part of the system, I've learned to cut sheets that are about 60 x 84" and square to 1 mm. Because they often have little nicks in the perimeter from shipping damage (the Dibond comes from my supplier on a pallet), I trim 2 mm from each side. Handling the big sheets on my own was a challenge until I bought some vacuum cups from Anvers. They allow you to effectively put "handles" wherever you need them, and move the sheets without damaging them.

For large works, I do everything with the Festool saw. For smaller ones, I cut the panels down to a manageable size, and then trim them to final dimensions on a table saw with a Freud blade designed for aluminum (safety note: it's quite dangerous to use wood-cutting blades for aluminum as the rake angle of the teeth can cause the blade to catch and throw the work).
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dgberg

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2010, 10:22:38 am »

I agree about Dibond, I was sent a bunch of small samples and they look pretty good.  What stops me is, how do you cut this stuff down to size, since it comes in 4 ft x 8 ft sizes?
Chris has a very cost effective way to cut. Unless you have a cabinet shop with a sliding tablesaw. Works well but can be dangerous if you do not hold it properly and it trys to kick back.

wildstork

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2010, 10:29:40 am »

Question for Bob: How are you mounting your premium luster prints to Dibond?  Vacuum or Roller Press?  Have you found a good roll adhesive that is acid free?  Finally, if you're laminating your prints, is this done with the same press or are you using cold mount for the aluminum substrate and hot press for the laminate? 
Thanks,
Lawrence
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Gemmtech

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2010, 11:55:18 am »

I assume if you make a Di-Bond / Plexi sandwich you don't glue the plexi?
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Sven W

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2010, 01:40:48 pm »

I assume if you make a Di-Bond / Plexi sandwich you don't glue the plexi?

If you still mean face-mounting with plexi, there are two common methods:
1. With silicone. Originally Swiss-patented called Diasec.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diasec
Very popular in Europe among fine art galleries.
I have never heard anybody who can do it by themselves. Famous places are Grieger, Düsseldorf
http://www.grieger-online.de/en/products/image-presentation/diasecr/
and Wilkovakhttp://www.wilcovak.nl/uk/index.htm
I'm sure you find similar studios in US
2. I've done some pretty nice face-mountings with optical adhesive on glass. Cold mounting.
I think we used MACtac PT 2113.

Both methods works on pigment inkjet prints, if the ink is in some way capsulated.
E.g. Epson Premium series but also Baryta/Fiber papers.

/Sven
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Bob Smith

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Re: Mounting prints on aluminum and/or plexi
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2010, 05:57:24 pm »

Question for Bob: How are you mounting your premium luster prints to Dibond?  Vacuum or Roller Press?  Have you found a good roll adhesive that is acid free?  Finally, if you're laminating your prints, is this done with the same press or are you using cold mount for the aluminum substrate and hot press for the laminate? 

I'm using the opaque white version of DK Adhesive:

http://www.dkgroup.com/downloads/18_Film_PS.Mounting.Adhesives.pdf

I mount on a roll laminator with just enough heat to bring the material to a little warmer than room temp... not over 100f.  The warmth isn't required.  I've done it just fine on a pure cold mount laminator but the warmth seems to insure a little better bond.

I haven't laminated any prints yet. I do often spray with Premier Art Eco Shield varnish.  I would like to try laminating but just haven't had time to devote to testing it yet.

I've used a good table saw with a proper finishing blade to cut Dibond.  It works but it creates piles of fine plastic particles that because of the static generated, stick to EVERYTHING.  With a proper blade you get a decent but not perfectly smooth edge.  You will have to go over the edges with sandpaper to smooth them.  You will also spend a huge amount of time on cleanup to be sure that one of those little plastic bits doesn't wind up between the mounted print and the dibond.  It leaves a very noticeable bump in the otherwise fine print.  No way to fix it but start over.  If you're going to do much of this, a vastly better way to cut is with something like this:

http://www.fletcherviscom.com/viscom/fsc/FSC_Main.shtml

It cuts with NO extra debris created and it leaves a silky smooth edge.... MUCH smoother than any table saw setup.  I bought one almost a year ago.  One of the greatest time saving devices I've acquired.  Cuts foam, glass, plexi, gator, dibond extremely simply and easily.  Very precise cuts.  Even just to whip out a fast cut on a piece of foam core for packaging a print.  This thing does it perfectly in seconds.  Extremely handy.  There are a few similar cutters from other manufacturers as well.

I've worked with table saws for years.  Heed the warnings.  I'm missing part of my left thumb because of a run-in with one earlier this year.  It could have easily been much much worse.  I was cutting a pile of repetitive cuts on small pieces of gator foam.  I was being very careful and had finished the last one just fine.  I apparently relaxed a split second too soon and ever so lightly touched my thumb to the blade as I was pulling my hand away from the saw after the last cut.  Not a pretty site.  I started using the Fletcher-Terry cutter shortly after that.

Bob Smith

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