Is it possible to heat mount fibre prints onto aluminium?

[Bob Salomon]

I have to agree with Bob, it isn't fun. But the Dry Lam Colortac tissue is pretty easy to work with (at least it isn't flimsy). I find I get the best results by leaving the mounted paper in the press while it cools off, so it's OK for one-at-a-time mounting, not as useful for high volume production work. I'm not particular about precise alignment of the sheet onto the aluminum, but I imagine you could use the same techniques as you would use mounting to museum board.

There are two types of dry mounting presses: hard bed presses that have a hard metal platen on the top and the bottom, this type of press mounts under heat and pressure in the press. An example of this type of press is the Ademco.
The second is a press with a metal top and a foam bottom. For instance a Seal press. This type of press bonds in the press and the best mount is outside the press with a weight placed on the print and mount. Seal made weights for this purpose.
There are also commercial dry mount presses that mounted with heat and vacuum pressure but these are not common for small production jobs.

Any of these types of presses can mount fiber or RC paper to mount board, foam plaques, wood boards, ceramic plaques, metal plates, glass, acrylic, etc. as long as the proper technique for the materials are used as well as the proper bonding agent. That is why Seal, Ademco, Technal and others offered a range of mounting tissues and laminate bonding materials.

[bob carnie]

There are two types of dry mounting presses: hard bed presses that have a hard metal platen on the top and the bottom, this type of press mounts under heat and pressure in the press. An example of this type of press is the Ademco.
The second is a press with a metal top and a foam bottom. For instance a Seal press. This type of press bonds in the press and the best mount is outside the press with a weight placed on the print and mount. Seal made weights for this purpose.
There are also commercial dry mount presses that mounted with heat and vacuum pressure but these are not common for small production jobs.

Any of these types of presses can mount fiber or RC paper to mount board, foam plaques, wood boards, ceramic plaques, metal plates, glass, acrylic, etc. as long as the proper technique for the materials are used as well as the proper bonding agent. That is why Seal, Ademco, Technal and others offered a range of mounting tissues and laminate bonding materials.

the OP is asking about Aluminum which is another set of problems. I have used all the presses you mention, I now have a vacumn press which I hate...

[bob carnie]

I used to mount cotton rag paper to aluminum sheets for the purpose of registering multiple gum bichromate printings. I used Fusion 4000 mounting adhesive. It's available from Talas. The mounting process worked very well, and it was easy. However, I was not able to successfully reheat and remove a print from the aluminum. The aluminum sheet I used was recycled offset printing plates - thin enough to cut with an x-acto knife in a few passes.

Did you do multiple layers??.. I found no problem with two wettings but after the third wetting the print would come off the aluminum in a real ugly way... And like you I was never able to get the print off in a workable manner.

[Bob Salomon]

the OP is asking about Aluminum which is another set of problems. I have used all the presses you mention, I now have a vacumn press which I hate...

I have used Ademco to mount to aluminum.

[DannyTreacy]

Good to hear that I should be able to mount onto aluminum. I guess what I need to do is try it out and compare the results from museum board mounting and aluminum mounting, I’ve always preferred the flatness of images mounted onto aluminum compared to board.

[Drew Wiley]

I've done relatively large custom laminations of 2-ply museum board to thick aluminum composite panel using MT5, which needs at least 250F.

[Drew Wiley]

Bob - isn't that Ademco press the same thing the Mafia uses to flatten cars with bodies in them?

[Bob Salomon]

Bob - isn't that Ademco press the same thing the Mafia uses to flatten cars with bodies in them?

The large one, 4x8’

I use to have to travel, by air, with the 11x14” one as a sales sample. You should have seen the looks when that came down the luggage shut, actually more like rolled down it!

[DannyTreacy]

I’m looking at an Ademco Press on eBay. It only has an ‘on/off switch ‘ and so the heat cannot be controlled I guess. Does that mean that it would only be good for specific mounting applications??

Thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

I’m looking at an Ademco Press on eBay. It only has an ‘on/off switch ‘ and so the heat cannot be controlled I guess. Does that mean that it would only be good for specific mounting applications??

Thanks!

Give us a link to that press.