Gator Board: I bought some Gator Board and used spray on adhesive which seemed to work pretty good except sometimes there is little clumps of glue that leave a very small bump on the...

farwest Loc: Utah

I bought some Gator Board and used spray on adhesive which seemed to work pretty good except sometimes there is little clumps of glue that leave a very small bump on the picture. I'm trying to decide if it is worth it to mount my pictures on Gator Board I haven't come to a definite decision yet. Looking at cost factors but those metal prints sure do look good and they look like they will last a long time. Wondering what other Hoggers have came up with mounting their pictures.

Thanks

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Just one thing....

I just checked it.

These boards are not acid free so the print(s) may deteriorate after a time.

ahudina Loc: Browns Point, WA

farwest wrote:

I bought some Gator Board and used spray on adhesive which seemed to work pretty good except sometimes there is little clumps of glue that leave a very small bump on the picture. I'm trying to decide if it is worth it to mount my pictures on Gator Board I haven't come to a definite decision yet. Looking at cost factors but those metal prints sure do look good and they look like they will last a long time. Wondering what other Hoggers have came up with mounting their pictures.

Thanks

I have multiple prints up to 40” x 24” that were commercially mounted on gator board over 35 years ago and the mounting is as good today as when done originally. They were done by a commercial photo outlet in Seattle (unfortunately they are no longer around but the prints are). Best of luck.

Bill P

If you are going to mount something archivally, this violates all that is sacred, but to mount of any of the foam board products is best done with dry mount tissue in a press.

If you wish to meet standards for archivabiity, you use small linen hinges at the top and that's it.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

farwest wrote:

I bought some Gator Board and used spray on adhesive which seemed to work pretty good except sometimes there is little clumps of glue that leave a very small bump on the picture. I'm trying to decide if it is worth it to mount my pictures on Gator Board I haven't come to a definite decision yet. Looking at cost factors but those metal prints sure do look good and they look like they will last a long time. Wondering what other Hoggers have came up with mounting their pictures.

Thanks

Spray adhesive is fine. But dry mount tissue is better, and you can get a dry mount tissue that has a sheet of archival tissue paper sandwiched in between two sheets of adhesive paper - making the assembly archival.

The problem is if you are using resin-coated photographic prints, the temperature and time need to melt the dry mount tissue will also melt the photo emulsion. I used to mount photo prints on gator board, but now only mount inkjet prints with this method.

I haven't tried the Seal/Beinfang "buffered" product, but because it is low temp it has a better chance of not melting the typical wet process photo prints printed on Fuji or Kodak paper that you get from print labs these days.

https://www.freestylephoto.biz/1812114-Seal-Bienfang-Buffermount-Dry-Mount-Tissue-11x14-100-sheets

Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

I thought this was going to refer to the Florida Miami game this weekend.
Now I know what gatorboard is.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I do dry mount my prints (sometimes), but I do not use Gator board. I purchase an acid-free 3/8" foamcore from my frame supplier. It comes in both white and black, and I actually prefer the black. I am always torn between mounting or not. In my house things deteriorate quickly because of the heat. If I dry mount, I run the risk of air pockets popping up eventually. If I don't, the paper tends to stretch and pull over time. I do use the buffered poly tissue for dry mounting. It's pretty forgiving. I've tried spray mounts and cannot get a good mount with it. I find it takes more than two hands, and I've never been able to get it perfectly straight and bubble-free. My friend who runs the photo department at the race track uses board that has adhesive pre-applied and he runs it through a mechanical press. Works great on his 16x20's.

Bill P

But dry mount tissue is better, and you can get a dry mount tissue that has a sheet of archival tissue paper sandwiched in between two sheets of adhesive paper - making the assembly archival.

It may be in reality archival, but it will not meet standards held by the finest museums. In the museum world, the only things that are archival are things that are completely reversable. Dry mount tissue, spray glue, etc. need not apply.

But how many of us have things that have a prayer of being added to a museum's permanent collection?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Bill P wrote:

But dry mount tissue is better, and you can get a ... (show quote)

Buffered to neutral pH is not archival. Many products out there are promoted as archival but in fact are buffered. Truly acid and lignin free products are made of cotton or linen, and adhesives are usually water-activated rice starch.

FWIW - Ansel Adams dry mounted a lot of his final, one of a kind prints . . .

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Gene51 wrote:

.../...

Off topic

New summery look? (avatar)

Bill P

II'll not argue that all in all, over time dry mounted looks best.

But I wonder, was AA all that considered about archivability?

farwest Loc: Utah

Is dry mounting photo's beyond the scope of the average photographer? What equipment do you need and what is the best resource to use to learn how to do it?

Thanks

Bill P

Dry mounting isn't beyond the reach of most photographers. It isn't if you are the kind of person that can do something with a degree of precision. You will, however, need some bucks. Dry mount tissue, silicone coated paper, a tacking iron and a dry mount press are all you need. But you may be able to find a press used, as darkrooms are going away. Used ones should be cheaper, and watch for framing shops going out of business, too.

It's not hard, but it can be tedious, and requires a fair amount of attention to detail.

farwest Loc: Utah

Thank you I appreciate your input.

pedroho

There is pre-glued gator board available