Floating a Print

Share your pictures of framed art and discuss framing.
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mistersmith
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Fri Mar 23, 2012 2:33 pm

CrustaR wrote:Floating looks really really cool, but I'm not putting adhesives/water anywhere near my prints. :(
Every museum everywhere does it to everything. Learn to do it right and it's fine.
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summoner
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Fri Mar 23, 2012 2:35 pm

mistersmith wrote:
Every museum everywhere does it to everything. Learn to do it right and it's fine.
It's the reversal I am worried about honestly, but I think just wetting the fabric enough to activate the glue again should be fine for the paper.
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Xander
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Fri Mar 23, 2012 5:14 pm

Never really understood the point of floating a print that didn't have deckled edges, but great process and photos, O.P.!
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beerotan
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Wed May 09, 2012 1:27 pm

This is a great thread, thanks CHR1S for being so informative. I honestly didn't know anything about floating or hinges until this thread, now I'm thinking of framing up a few prints with this technique. Question: there is a print I'm trying to get my hands on, and it's quite large, 48" wide. This should be suitable for floating as I've seen other people had professionals do it for them. Will I just need more hinges, 3 or 4 perhaps? And are either of these products acceptable:

http://www.framedestination.com/tape_ti ... 000000000/

http://www.redimat.com/products/supplie ... paper.html

And finally, am I crazy to consider DIY floating a 4ft wide print when I've yet to do this at all? (I'd practice first, of course...)
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misterwhisper
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Wed May 09, 2012 3:03 pm

I use a lot of lineco stuff but for hinging and floating i skip those. I don't trust gummed adhesives to be archival and truly water-reversible; they tend to have additional chemicals in them for the gumming process and at the very least will probably leave a residue. Plus the hinging paper should always be the weakest link in the hinging process, which is one of the reasons hand-torn mulberry paper is used -- in a worst-case scenario, you always want the hinge to rip before the art. Of course, I may be wrong and those strips may be completely acceptable, so I'm curious as to what CHR1S will have to say about them.

When floating prints, this lineco kit is what I use instead of those above. Professional, archival quality and everything you need in kit form, easy to use, plus directions on how to make the wheat starch in the microwave in 30 seconds or less.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/linec ... nting-kit/
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beerotan
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Wed May 09, 2012 3:19 pm

misterwhisper wrote:When floating prints, this lineco kit is what I use instead of those above. Professional, archival quality and everything you need in kit form, easy to use, plus directions on how to make the wheat starch in the microwave in 30 seconds or less.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/linec ... nting-kit/
Awesome, thanks. I think the only thing holding me back from trying CHR1S' method is the having to stand there and stir wheat paste for 30min straight....
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mistersmith
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Wed May 09, 2012 3:59 pm

beerotan wrote:
misterwhisper wrote:When floating prints, this lineco kit is what I use instead of those above. Professional, archival quality and everything you need in kit form, easy to use, plus directions on how to make the wheat starch in the microwave in 30 seconds or less.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/linec ... nting-kit/
Awesome, thanks. I think the only thing holding me back from trying CHR1S' method is the having to stand there and stir wheat paste for 30min straight....
Someone -- maybe Ashton? -- posted a floating walkthrough where he used a food processor or some kind of aerator to mix the paste. I can't remember, but it's here somewhere. I think they were Fairey prints, if that helps, but I might be confusing threads.
electrachrome, mostly kidding wrote:mr smith, EB's poet laureate.
Take this man at his word:
misterx wrote:Don't enter into discourse with me.
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haven
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:03 pm

That's Chris, the very first posts in this thread.
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summoner
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:05 pm

mistersmith wrote:
beerotan wrote:
misterwhisper wrote:When floating prints, this lineco kit is what I use instead of those above. Professional, archival quality and everything you need in kit form, easy to use, plus directions on how to make the wheat starch in the microwave in 30 seconds or less.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/linec ... nting-kit/
Awesome, thanks. I think the only thing holding me back from trying CHR1S' method is the having to stand there and stir wheat paste for 30min straight....
Someone -- maybe Ashton? -- posted a floating walkthrough where he used a food processor or some kind of aerator to mix the paste. I can't remember, but it's here somewhere. I think they were Fairey prints, if that helps, but I might be confusing threads.
I don't remember who it was either, but it was a some French food appliance that he was using. (I understand from a later convo in that thread that it was no longer available online... Maybe) And you are right, he was floating the Shep PCP print set.
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haven
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:12 pm

First posts in the thread, fellas.
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summoner
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:19 pm

haven wrote:First posts in the thread, fellas.
:oops: LOL
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iambillyg
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:44 pm

Posting on my phone, but Summoner, that look great. May need to PM you for a how to. Getting something next week that will be my first float.
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summoner
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:50 pm

iambillyg wrote:Posting on my phone, but Summoner, that look great. May need to PM you for a how to. Getting something next week that will be my first float.
PM'd, I got you!
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misterwhisper
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Wed May 09, 2012 4:54 pm

beerotan wrote: Awesome, thanks. I think the only thing holding me back from trying CHR1S' method is the having to stand there and stir wheat paste for 30min straight....
I made a small amount in the microwave for a little print last week. Took 15 seconds total (they recommend stopping and stirring every 10 seconds, but I made so little that I stirred every 5), then strained it through cheesecloth, and it worked great. Squeezing it through the cheesecloth was a little messy though.
summoner wrote: It's the reversal I am worried about honestly, but I think just wetting the fabric enough to activate the glue again should be fine for the paper.
Properly done, wheat starch past is completely reversible; however if you ever need to re-mount your artwork for any reason, you may want to simply cut the old hinges, leave the cut hinges attached, and adhere the new ones over the remnants of the old. This is especially true if you're unsure of the previous framer's method of hinging.
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trarex
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Wed May 09, 2012 5:00 pm

Xander wrote:Never really understood the point of floating a print that didn't have deckled edges, but great process and photos, O.P.!
If its a full print, all the way to the edges ( no borders ) this works great. No loss of image area.
"Lay off Detroit, Them peoples is living in Mad Max times." Moe Szyslak
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