mounting canvas to gator

[mstevensphoto]

hi all,
   my commercial install is charging ahead on a very tight timeline. because of the size of the work (30x30 up to 40x60) I'm doing canvas mounted to gator so I know it'll never sag and will have some added durability w/o weight. We're still discussing whether we will be wrapping the canvas or framing it un-wrapped. I thought this would be a nice time to check in and see how you all do your canvas mounts to see if I can pick up some efficiency. here's how my process works:

print/dry/spray canvas
trace the outline of where I want the gator on the back of the canvas
lay canvas face down (making triple sure that everything under it is clean)
cut gator to size
apply miracle muck to gator and frantically spread it evenly before any dries
using a helper flip gator over and apply even pressure from the center to the edges
flip the whole thing over and smooth out anything that needs smoothing
flip it back over and add a handful of books or whatever is handy to give some even weight for 30-60 minutes
trim or wrap the edges

in the case of wraps mounted to gator I generally build a pine frame, fighting all the way to get straight edges. I glue this to the gator and follow the procedure above. once the glue is dry I staple the edges. wraps mounted to gator are always a pain for me and I hate that the corners aren't as pretty as easy wrappes.

What's your process for either? Anyone have an easy gator mounted wrap system?

many thanks
Mark

[Paul2660]

I don't wrap around gator. For mounts I leave a 1/2 inch border around my canvas. I mount with the border then trim later.  It allow for slight errors is skew as the print unrolls.  I do this also to give me something to handle besides the actual print.

Biggest issue to me in wrapping is it probably should be 1/2 gator which is more expensive and how to Attach the canvas on the backside so it will stay down.

Paul

[mstevensphoto]

I always mount to 1/2 inch gator, thinner and it warps at any of the sizes I'm mounting.

[huguito]

For mounting;
Gator and canvas trimmed to fit, a little bit of canvas overlapping the board.
At the end I trim the canvas, I don't want to trim the gator.
I place the gator with the canvas on top, careful to be in what I expect is the final placement, image facing up.
I place a few plastic bags full of coins or soft bags like gym socks with coins in them on one half of the print to hold it in place.
Canvas gets folded over the weights, leaving exposed about half of the board or a bit more than half.
I roll the glue, I use Miracle muck, make sure to make it very even but a very light coat, here its a case of less is more.
I unfold the canvas over the glued board, make sure you exposed part of the glue so no dry sections remain under the canvas..
Move the weights over the glued half
Fold the not glued part over the weights and roll the glue on the board.

For wraping;
Use the same procedure as described above, leave an inch of canvas around the board.
Once you remove weights flip the canvas image facing down.
Cut the corners on a 45 degrees angle, about 1/16 from the tip of the board.
Look at the Breathing Color website and find their video about one of their products called CANVOX, it describe and show the cut perfectly
Place a line of double sided tape around the back of the board.
Follow the video instructions about how to pull and place the canvas edge to the double sided tape.
I try to leave a little bit more canvas than I need so I can brush miracle muck under the canvas lip and place some weights on it to make the attachment on the back of the board more permanent than the double sided tape can do.

After checking the canvas still placed as I want, I use a dry and clean foam roller, and roll up and down and side to side, over the whole print, vertical, horizontal and diagonal strokes all over.
I flip the board with the canvas facing down on a flat surface, and place weights on the back. I use few bricks on sandwich bags.
After a few hours you should be able to get the weights off and board should be perfectly flat and ready to trim the small canvas edge

Good luck

Hugo

[dgberg]

No intent to start a flame war as always there are a dozen ways to skin a cat.
I've done literally hundreds of canvas on gator with Miracle Muck.
It is a 10 minute process that requires no weights. (For me.)
Get the right amount of Muck on the board lay your canvas and smooth it down with a brayer.
Flip it over and trim with a razor and you are done.
A little bit of extra Muck is better then not enough. Make sure the board is covered well right to the edges.
It will dry,trust me.
The thinner boards may look like a potatoe chip until they dry but the boards always flatten out themselves with no help.

[huguito]

Hi Dan
I use the weights just because the 3/16 gator seem to bend so much while drying, I am afraid it will  not return completely to flat and straight.
I will try your way next time
Thanks

[dgberg]

You are right it looks scary but leave it dry overnight and it goes amazingly flat on its own.

[mstevensphoto]

I tend to err on more muck than not, however I tried a 40x60 and it never did lay flat - I partly suspect that less than perfectly even coat may be to blame. The nice thing in my experience is that a perfectly even coat is not required. I like weights for edge adhesion.

still curious what anyone does to get a 1.5 or 1.75" wrap. I don't really want to just wrap the 1/2" gator, I'd like traditional canvas depth on the wrap.

[dgberg]

I tend to err on more muck than not, however I tried a 40x60 and it never did lay flat - I partly suspect that less than perfectly even coat may be to blame. The nice thing in my experience is that a perfectly even coat is not required. I like weights for edge adhesion.

still curious what anyone does to get a 1.5 or 1.75" wrap. I don't really want to just wrap the 1/2" gator, I'd like traditional canvas depth on the wrap.

On your 40x60 what thickness did you use?
The thin material although fantastic stuff still has its limits.
I go to 3/8" once I am over about 24 x 36 and 1/2" for all the bigger panos 20 x 60 and larger.
They all dry flat all the time. (After the Muck completely dries.)

[mstevensphoto]

I made the mistake of trying the 1/4" or whatever it actually is (thickness of foam core) for the 40x60. I now use 1/2" for anything bigger than 20x30. I've never had any kind of issue with the 1/2" and although it is expensive, it's not so bad wholesale ($96 for a 4x8 sheet) and the ease of use makes up for it and the only time I'm doing anything it's already sold and built into the price.

Dan, do you wrap mounted canvas prints?

[dgberg]

Sorry I have not.
Enough already to keep track of here.

[kidgreen]

If you have access to a heat press I would use fusion 4000. It is quick, reversible, and dry. I do agree with using a thicker substrate, 1/2 inch foamcore acid free should do you just fine and it is much cheaper.

Good Luck

[mstevensphoto]

foam core takes dents very easily, I'd honestly never consider it for a public installation like this one.

[ddolde]

I use Miracle Muck but roll it on the board with a foam roller and let it dry. Then I put the canvas on it and use my Seal heat press at about 180 degrees for a minute to make the bond.  No misalignment this way.

[kidgreen]

You are right about the foamcore I didn't read that it was a commercial install. I actually would stretch it over stretcher bars or use a laminator and mount onto durabond. Hanging just gets to be a drag without a frame.