How to use dry mount press

"Severi Salminen" <severi.salminen.DeleteThis@NOT_THISsiba.fi> wrote in message
news:FCZwb.109$U3.2@read3.inet.fi...
 > Hi!
 >
 > Is there any site explaining in detail how to use a dry mount press for
 > mounting fibre prints? I'd like to know what kind of materials I need
 > and how to actually do the mounting. I want to get rid of VERY curled
 > prints that result from too fast drying (I can't make it longer...).
 >
 > Thanks in advance,
 > Severi Salminen

Paul Butzi has an article on his site that I've found is good and worth a
chuckle:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm" target="_blank">http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</a>

Doug<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

 > Paul Butzi has an article on his site that I've found is good and worth a
 > chuckle:
 >
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font</a>>
 >
 > Doug
 >
 >

Thanks! One more question:

Is it possible to get along without a tacking iron? What are the
disadvantages?

Severi S.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

"Severi Salminen" <severi.salminen RemoveThis @NOT_THISsiba.fi> wrote in
message news:FCZwb.109$U3.2@read3.inet.fi...
 > Hi!
 >
 > Is there any site explaining in detail how to use a dry
mount press for
 > mounting fibre prints? I'd like to know what kind of
materials I need
 > and how to actually do the mounting. I want to get rid of
VERY curled
 > prints that result from too fast drying (I can't make it
longer...).
 >
 > Thanks in advance,
 > Severi Salminen

Some time ago I posted a detailed procedure from a Seal
handbook to this group. A Google search will find it. The
handbook is no longer available.
The trick is that you must dry out all the components
before mounting and use a flat weight to put them under
while cooling. The Seal method also bonds the mounting
tissue to the paper before mounting so that the two can be
trimmed together. You need release tissue which is available
from Bienfang (Seal's new name) and from Freestlye Sales.
The Freestyle stuff is fine and cheaper than the brand name
tissue (the same for their mounting tissue).
A tacking iron is usefull but a clothes iron will work.
If you can't find my post on Google I will repeat it but
its a lot of typing.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk RemoveThis @ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

On 26 Nov 2003 16:09:39 -0800, pross.TakeThisOut@dejazzd.com (Paul W. Ross) wrote:


 >
 >I have also used rubber cement, but it tends to dry out, and discolor
 >over the years. That is another strategy. I haven't tried using the
 >"spray" adhesive for mounting prints.

I wouldn't recommend that for fiber, overspray is way too likely even
with the most stringent precautions and is hard to remove at best. I
have used it on RC with some success as a mild solvent will remove the
overspray without damage to the print. After several years it will
eventually try to peel or bubble so it's best used on those 'quick and
nasty' jobs you don't expect to keep very long.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

"Gary Beasley" <beasleyglb DeleteThis @mindspringnospam.com> wrote in
message news:3fc548b7.16664572@news.east.earthlink.net...
 > On 26 Nov 2003 16:09:39 -0800, pross DeleteThis @dejazzd.com (Paul W.
Ross) wrote:
 >
 >
  > >
  > >I have also used rubber cement, but it tends to dry out,
and discolor
  > >over the years. That is another strategy. I haven't tried
using the
  > >"spray" adhesive for mounting prints.
 >
 > I wouldn't recommend that for fiber, overspray is way too
likely even
 > with the most stringent precautions and is hard to remove
at best. I
 > have used it on RC with some success as a mild solvent
will remove the
 > overspray without damage to the print. After several years
it will
 > eventually try to peel or bubble so it's best used on
those 'quick and
 > nasty' jobs you don't expect to keep very long.

Rubber cement usually has sulphur in it. This will
eventually attack the image causing fading and staining.
There are good photo adhesives available, Scotch Photomount
for example. These are free of substances which will injur
the print.

--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk DeleteThis @ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

"Severi Salminen" <severi.salminen DeleteThis @NOT_THISsiba.fi> wrote in
message news:FCZwb.109$U3.2@read3.inet.fi...
 > Hi!
 >
 > Is there any site explaining in detail how to use a dry
mount press for
 > mounting fibre prints? I'd like to know what kind of
materials I need
 > and how to actually do the mounting. I want to get rid of
VERY curled
 > prints that result from too fast drying (I can't make it
longer...).
 >
 > Thanks in advance,
 > Severi Salminen

I found the instructions I posted in the past in my
archive.

Here is a summary of the Seal method of dry mounting.

You need to have:

A dry mounting press

A tacking iron

Dry mounting tissue (Freestyle house brand works fine)

Release tissue (Freestyle has a cheap but good house brand)

Some sheets of white Kraft paper the size of your mounts

Mounting board

A large flat weight.
Preferably this should be of sheet aluminum but can even be
plywood or partical board. It should be large enough to
cover your mounting boards.

The procedure is to dry out everything in the press before
mounting.
Some mounting boards can be used as cushions. The press
instructions will discuss the use of thin mounting boards
for cushioning the print. Usually one on top and one
underneath are enough.

Set the press to the heat required by the mounting tissue
and let it warm up thoroughly.

Place the kraft paper in the press and close the press. You
don't have to lock it down. Let the paper stay in the press
for a couple of minutes to dry out.

Place the _un-trimmed_ print between two sheets of the
kraft paper and place in the press. Close down the press and
dry out the print for a couple of minutes. Take out the
sandwich of print and kraft paper and place it under the
flat weight for a few minutes until cool. This will both dry
out and flatten the print.

Now, place the print face down on a sheet of release paper
larger than it and place a sheet of dry mounting tissue over
the back of the print. Using a scrap of release tissue tack
the mounting tissue at a spot at one edge of the print. DO
NOT tack in the center or in an X shape as recommended by
Kodak. The tacking iron should be just hot enough to tack
the mounting tissue. Several layers of release tissue can be
used to moderate the heat from the tacking iron.

Place another sheet of release tissue over the mounting
tissue and print. The print is now sandwiched between two
sheets of release tissue. Place this sandwich between kraft
paper sheets to cushion it.

Place sandwich in the dry mounting press and close and lock
the press. Leave for about two minutes.

Remove the whole sandwich and place under the flat weight
until cool.

Remove the print and tissue. The tissue will have become
bonded to the back of the print.

Trim this combination to size in the cutter.

Now, place the print on the mounting board in the right
position. Using a scrap of release tissue tack a spot on one
edge using the tacking iron. Use just enough heat to make it
stick several layers of release tissue can be used to
prevent over-heating of the print.

After the print is tacked cover it with release tissue and
whatever cushions are used in the press.

Place it in the press. Close and lock the press for two or
three minutes.

Remove the sandwich of mounting board, print, and release
tissue, and place the whole thing under the flat weight for
a few minutes to cool.

The result should be a perfect mount without any bubbles,
frilling, leakage of adhesive at the edges, or bowing.


Cooling under the weight is _very_ important.
The technique of drying out the print using the press and
weight is also an excellent way of flattening prints which
are to be mounted in some other way, or to be left
unmounted.

The press temperature should be just hot enough to fuse the
adhesive in the tissue, no hotter.

For simply drying and flattening prints the press should
be set for about 190F, no hotter.

Please post back if any of this is not clear, or if I seem
to have left something out.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk DeleteThis @ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

"Paul W. Ross" <pross DeleteThis @dejazzd.com> wrote in message
news:91c6534c.0311261609.5ca23265@posting.google.com...
 > I don't use a press - just borrow my wife's iron, and
ironing board,
 > to a table, depending on size.
 >
 > Cut dry mount tissue about 1/8" smaller than the print.
Use your paper
 > cutter to get good edges, square, etc.
 >
 > Heat up iron -- low setting. "tack" the sheet of dry mount
tissue to
 > the back of the print in a couple of places to keep it
from slipping.
 >
 > Center up print on mounting board -- "Bristol" board is
what I use --
 > any good art supply shop. Make fine pencil marks to get it
lined up.
 >
 > Put a clean dish towel or terry cloth towel over the
print. Iron it
 > down. Just enough heat to soften the dry mount tissue. A
little
 > experimenting here.
 >
 > I have stuff 20+ years old that looks just fine.
 >
 > I have also used rubber cement, but it tends to dry out,
and discolor
 > over the years. That is another strategy. I haven't tried
using the
 > "spray" adhesive for mounting prints.

Its quite possible to do a decent job of dry mounting with
a clothes iron. One must be careful to choose an iron which
will run at a low enough temperature and keep it regulated.
I suggesst using a technique similar to the one I just
posted for press mounting, that is, to bond the tissue to
the back of the print before trimming by using release
tissue. This results in a perfrectly smooth bond.
The print can be flattened by ironing it from center
outward with a layer or two of dried kraft paper on either
side. The sandwich is then flattened under a flat weight as
in the press method.
Once flat it will stay that way for a long time, certainly
through the rest of the mounting process.
I would not use a towel as a pad. Rather, use several
sheets of Kraft paper. Dry them first by ironing them. The
Kraft paper layers should be thick enough to even out the
heat from the iron.
Tack only at one place, preferably at on short edge both
when preparing to bond the tissue and again when placing the
print on the mounting board. Tacking at more than one place
guarantees wrinkles. I also recommend against center tacking
although its suggested in the old Kodak handbooks, the Seal
method of tacking at a point at an edge works much better.
The Kodak method of tacking an X in the center also just
about guarantees wrinkles. When either bonding or mounting
work from the tacked edge to the other end, not from the
center out.
Its very important to cool the materials under a flat
weight after either drying or mounting. Ideally, this weight
should be of some material which absorbs heat rapidly, thick
Aluminum sheet is ideal but expensive. A sheet of smooth
surface plywood will do if its heavy enough (weight it with
books). Cooling takes only a couple of minutes.
I've sucessfully mounted many prints using an iron. A dry
mounting press is much more convenient but not an absolute
necessity.
Spray adhesives are satisfactory but my experience is that
the prints will eventually peel off especially in areas like
Southern Califronia where extremes of humidity are common.
IMHO (maybe not so humber at that) dry mounting is the most
satisfactory of mounting or display. Conservators and
gallery people don't like it because its difficult to remove
the print from the mount should be become necessary. If
archival storage is the main concern prints should be
mounted using "photo-corners" of archival material. If dryed
and flattened with either an iron or mounting press they
will look OK when displayed but will still want to curl up
if the humidity goes down. This is a satisfactory method for
temporary mounting of prints which must be displayed but are
normally stored.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk DeleteThis @ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

On 11/26/2003 2:28 PM Severi Salminen spake thus:

  >> Paul Butzi has an article on his site that I've found is good and worth a
  >> chuckle:
  >>
<font color=green>  >> <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font</a>>
 >
 > Thanks! One more question:
 >
 > Is it possible to get along without a tacking iron? What are the
 > disadvantages?

I don't see why you couldn't just use a low-powered soldering iron; grind one
face of the tip flat and polish it up so it's smooth, and you should have a
good, cheap tacking iron.


--
Do your part to combat rampant, blind, senseless consumption.
Buy Nothing Day 2003: Don't buy anything Nov. 28.
(http://adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd/)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

David Nebenzahl wrote:
 > On 11/26/2003 2:28 PM Severi Salminen spake thus:
 >
   >>> Paul Butzi has an article on his site that I've found is good and
   >>> worth a
   >>> chuckle:
   >>>
<font color=brown>   >>> <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font</a>>
  >>
  >>
  >> Thanks! One more question:
  >>
  >> Is it possible to get along without a tacking iron? What are the
  >> disadvantages?
 >
 >
 > I don't see why you couldn't just use a low-powered soldering iron;
 > grind one face of the tip flat and polish it up so it's smooth, and you
 > should have a good, cheap tacking iron.
 >
 >

There is one very good reason. Soldering irons normally operate just
short of red hot (you can see some of them in the dark), around 750
degrees (I forget if this is C or F, but if you touch one, as I did once
by mistake, you will find that does not matter much). This is way way
way too hot for tacking, where about 200F is enough (some tissue may
require 210, but surely no more than that).

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
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 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

"David Nebenzahl" <nobody RemoveThis @but.us.chickens> wrote in message
news:3FC649D9.8050902@but.us.chickens...
 > On 11/26/2003 2:28 PM Severi Salminen spake thus:
 >
   > >> Paul Butzi has an article on his site that I've found
is good and worth a
   > >> chuckle:
   > >>
<font color=brown>   > >> <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.butzi.net/articles/drymount.htm</font</a>>
  > >
  > > Thanks! One more question:
  > >
  > > Is it possible to get along without a tacking iron? What
are the
  > > disadvantages?
 >
 > I don't see why you couldn't just use a low-powered
soldering iron; grind one
 > face of the tip flat and polish it up so it's smooth, and
you should have a
 > good, cheap tacking iron.
 >
 >
Soldering irons run much too hot. I suppose you could run
one from a voltage reducer of some sort. Remember, one needs
temperatures on the order of 150F to 210F depending on the
type of mounting tissue.
The tip end of a clothes iron works, I've done it many
times that way. I suggest if you use an iron for mounting
that you have a thermometer to measure its temperature.
Probably a good idea even for thermstatically controlled
tacking irons. Too hot an iron can cause damage to the image
and to RC paper.

--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk RemoveThis @ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

Severi Salminen <severi.salminen RemoveThis @NOT_THISsiba.fi> wrote in message news:<FCZwb.109$U3.2@read3.inet.fi>...
 > Hi!
 >
 > Is there any site explaining in detail how to use a dry mount press for
 > mounting fibre prints? I'd like to know what kind of materials I need
 > and how to actually do the mounting. I want to get rid of VERY curled
 > prints that result from too fast drying (I can't make it longer...).
 >
 > Thanks in advance,
 > Severi Salminen

After posting an answer I looked again. I am curious why you are
having problems with drying. Is it due to local climatic conditions or
somethingn else? While dry mounting is ideal for display prints there
may be ways of keeping stored prints from curling up so badly. But I
need more details of how you dry them.

Richard Knoppow
dickburk RemoveThis @ix.netcom.com
Los Angeles, CA, USA<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

"Richard Knoppow" <dickburk.RemoveThis@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:<Pobxb.16049$n56.5042@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
 > "Severi Salminen" <severi.salminen.RemoveThis@NOT_THISsiba.fi> wrote in
 > message news:FCZwb.109$U3.2@read3.inet.fi...
  > > Hi!
  > >
  > > Is there any site explaining in detail how to use a dry
 > mount press for
  > > mounting fibre prints? I'd like to know what kind of
 > materials I need
  > > and how to actually do the mounting. I want to get rid of
 > VERY curled
  > > prints that result from too fast drying (I can't make it
 > longer...).
  > >
  > > Thanks in advance,
  > > Severi Salminen
 >
 > Some time ago I posted a detailed procedure from a Seal
 > handbook to this group. A Google search will find it. The
 > handbook is no longer available.
 > The trick is that you must dry out all the components
 > before mounting and use a flat weight to put them under
 > while cooling. The Seal method also bonds the mounting
 > tissue to the paper before mounting so that the two can be
 > trimmed together. You need release tissue which is available
 > from Bienfang (Seal's new name) and from Freestlye Sales.
 > The Freestyle stuff is fine and cheaper than the brand name
 > tissue (the same for their mounting tissue).
 > A tacking iron is usefull but a clothes iron will work.
 > If you can't find my post on Google I will repeat it but
 > its a lot of typing.


I've discovered that Freestyle evidently no longer has dry mounting
release tissue. I've also discovered that Seal products are still
made! While most searches wind up at Hunt/Bienfang it turns out that
Light Impressions sells the genuine stuff still under the Seal name.
See: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com" target="_blank">http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com</a> click on dry mounting
accessories for release tissue and cover sheets. Since release tissue
can be reused many times its not as expensive as it may seem.

Richard Knoppow
dickburk.RemoveThis@ix.netcom.com
Los Angeles, CA, USA<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press 

Richard Knoppow (dickburk@ix.netcom.com) writes:
 > Severi Salminen <severi.salminen.TakeThisOut@NOT_THISsiba.fi> wrote in message news:<FCZwb.109$U3.2@read3.inet.fi>...
  >> Hi!
  >>
  >> Is there any site explaining in detail how to use a dry mount press for
  >> mounting fibre prints? I'd like to know what kind of materials I need
  >> and how to actually do the mounting. I want to get rid of VERY curled
  >> prints that result from too fast drying (I can't make it longer...).
  >>
  >> Thanks in advance,
  >> Severi Salminen
 >
 > After posting an answer I looked again. I am curious why you are
 > having problems with drying. Is it due to local climatic conditions or
 > somethingn else? While dry mounting is ideal for display prints there
 > may be ways of keeping stored prints from curling up so badly. But I
 > need more details of how you dry them.
 >
If they are really curled, I suspect he is just air drying the prints,
without a drying rack, blotter or print dryer. Prints can be carefully
flattened in a press, and kept in a portfolio case, or even a photo paper
box to keep them from curling. In the olden days we use to have a steam
print flatener when single weight fibre paper was common..

Darrell Larose
Ottawa, Canada<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How to use dry mount press