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View Full Version : Dry Mounting 20x24 With a Seal Jumbo 160M



tgtaylor
26-Sep-2014, 10:50
HAs anyone out there done it?

Thomas

Tin Can
26-Sep-2014, 11:32
Not yet, but soon.

16x20 fits in my 210, but 20x24 does not, let's see what actual users say.

Peter Mounier
26-Sep-2014, 12:58
I've done it many times.
Warm up the press to 190ºF
Preheat the mounting board to rid it of moisture prior to mounting.
Don't tack the outside corners of your board/print/tissue, but rather tack the center of the sheets. Once they're tacked down, tack the corners that are toward the center of the 20x24 board so they won't flop around when you turn the board over to insert it in the press. Leave a tiny space between the sheets of dry mount tissue, maybe 1/16". The front surface won't show the gap, and the tissues won't overlap once they get to melting. Be sure there isn't any dry mount tissue protruding from the edges so it doesn't leave residue on the platen. If there is residue it will stick to the next section as you rotate the board in the press. After you've inserted the 1st corner of the board/print close the press and leave it in the press for a few seconds, then open the press for a moment and allow moisture to escape. Do that each time you rotate the board. There may be moisture in the print itself. Then close the press and leave it there for 1 minute at 190ºF. After the first section is mounted rotate the board 45º and mount the 2nd section, overlapping the 1st a little bit. Do that for the remaining sections, and upon removal, immediately place under weights so the mount can cool and the adhesive can adhere.
I should add that I have a Seal Commercial 210, but the technique should be the same.
You might feel more confident if you try it out on a small test print before attempting it on a large expensive print. Good luck.

tgtaylor
26-Sep-2014, 13:20
Thanks for that detailed explanation Peter! I hadn't thought of using smaller dry mount sheets (I have 8x10, 8.5x11, and 16x20 available) and was considering ordering a 24.5"x90' roll but your method described above may be just the ticket since this will be the first time I have ever printed 20x24 notwithstanding I purchased a brand new Saunders 4 blade easel for $500 a few years and don't know if I will start printing that size on a regular basis. The big easel is still sitting in its box next to the enlarger.

I measured the 160M's platen and it will take a bite of 18x15" so the press can handle large prints in sections. Luckily I have 32x40 Rising on hand as well as the paper so I only have to worry about the cost of the Nielsen frame and the OP-3 Museum grade acrylic. Since the flanking images will be 16x20 mounted to 22x28, I'm thinking of 32x26 for the center - just adding 4" to each side of the flanking mounts for the center. Any thoughts on the mount size is appreciated as I never considered beyond 22x28.

Thomas

Tin Can
26-Sep-2014, 13:35
Never occurred to me to try pieces of tissue.

Great advice!

Peter Mounier
26-Sep-2014, 14:35
I don't think I've ever had a failure using this method, except maybe for trapping some particle of dirt or dust between the print and the tissue. Once the tissues are tacked down, hold the assemblage vertically and blow out any unseen particles that can leave a bump on the finished surface. That's the kind of (mostly) preventable mistake that's a real pisser.

neil poulsen
26-Sep-2014, 22:58
I asked this question a while ago. Here's the response . . .

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?60705-Drymounting-20x24-Prints-on-16x20-Seal-Press