Dry mount adhesive recomendations

[ShannonG]

Hi its been many years sense ive used a dry mount press. So im relearning the process.Im looking for recommendations on dry mount adhesive for fiber paper.
thanks for any help
S

[Jerry Bodine]

I've used Colormount dry mount adhesive for many years for double weight b&w fiber prints with no problems showing on those mounted in the 70s.

http://www.forframersonly.com/products.asp?ID=10&C=2

[Drew Wiley]

Ditto. Seal (Bienfang) Colormount. It's dependable.

[Peter Lewin]

Anyone for Seal ArchivalMount? That's what I've been using, seemingly "forever." I think it is a little trickier to use than Colormount, because it adheres while cooling (you have to place the just-mounted board and print under weights to cool) while, IIRC, Colormount adheres under heat in the press. But ArchivalMount is removable under heat, other adhesives are not designed to be.

[Tin Can]

I see Adorama has house brand dry mount tissue in large sizes at better prices.

Anybody tried it?

The link to 'for framers' only is very informative.

[Drew Wiley]

I never cared for Archival Mount. For one thing, it bonds at a lower temperature, which means it might also fail at a lower temperature, like being transported in the
trunk of a car on a hot day, or analogously by a parcel carrier in a hot climate. I've seen that happen. It is also pH buffered, which is not only redundant, but not
necessarily good for every specific print medium.

[Kimberly Anderson]

I've used Color mount for many years. Works well. I do have a question though for the dry-mount gurus...does this stuff ever go bad? I found a box of it that's about 20 years old, always kept dry, looks pretty good. I could test it on a work print I suppose... Just wondering. But yeah, whole-heartedly endorse the Colormount.

[Drew Wiley]

I suppose it could hypothetically deteriorate if it received enough heat or UV somehow. But I've pulled out some pretty old scraps of both Colormount and MT5 for odd
projects with no issues. I would presume, properly stored, it's good for decades.

[John Olsen]

I didn't like it when Seal went to China. And now, apparently Bienfang is no more. Now it seems to be DK Expressions. This last bunch of Buffermount has a different surface texture and I've had a couple of pieces not adhere on the edges as they should. That is, after several weeks an edge would come loose. I've been able to fix this by running them under the press again, but it's worrisome. When is a customer going to call with a complaint? So now I run my press a little hotter (175) and for a little longer (120 sec). I'm hoping this is enough, because I don't see any alternative on the market.

[ShannonG]

Thanks for the info,i think ill try a pack of the Colormount.I really like the knowledge and experience of this forums members,thanks again..Im sure ill have more questions as i get going on this process.
S

[Drew Wiley]

I always dread it when any kind of product goes to China. I wasn't aware of that. I just bought quite a bit of the "DK" version and it doesn't actually look different. Will
find out during my winter drymounting marathon, I guess. Gotta buy a mountain of museum board first. I always do Colormount around 210F for about 45 sec in my big 500T press (fiber-based b&w prints only - never RC color). Have no interest in removable Archival Mount.

[Kirk Gittings]

So here is a trick that may help some. I made a weight out of a granite countertop sink cut out (got it for $5 at the countertop) gorilla glued a piece of 1X4 to the back and screwed two handles on it.. When the print comes out of the press I put a thin cover sheet on it and put the granite on it. The granite sucks the heat right out of that puppy and I get a good seal on the edges that never seems to fail.

Also check the accuracy of your temp in the press. Twenty years ago I was having failures and checked mine out-it was 20 degrees cooler than what It said. I took a candy thermometer and put it under the press and used that to adjust the temp-been bang on ever since.

[cowanw]

So here is a trick that may help some. I made a weight out of a granite countertop sink cut out (got it for $5 at the countertop) gorilla glued a piece of 1X4 to the back and screwed two handles on it.. When the print comes out of the press I put a thin cover sheet on it and put the granite on it. The granite sucks the heat right out of that puppy and I get a good seal on the edges that never seems to fail.

Also check the accuracy of your temp in the press. Twenty years ago I was having failures and checked mine out-it was 20 degrees cooler than what It said. I took a candy thermometer and put it under the press and used that to adjust the temp-been bang on ever since.

Good tips

[Drew Wiley]

I similarly use a huge sheet of 1/2" thick tempered glass with a stiff flat melamine surface below. By the time I've trimmed the next print, the mounting tissue has
cooled and become permanent.

[Jerry Bodine]

So here is a trick that may help some. I made a weight out of a granite countertop sink cut out (got it for $5 at the countertop) gorilla glued a piece of 1X4 to the back and screwed two handles on it.. When the print comes out of the press I put a thin cover sheet on it and put the granite on it. The granite sucks the heat right out of that puppy and I get a good seal on the edges that never seems to fail.

Also check the accuracy of your temp in the press. Twenty years ago I was having failures and checked mine out-it was 20 degrees cooler than what It said. I took a candy thermometer and put it under the press and used that to adjust the temp-been bang on ever since.

No idea what a candy thermometer is or where to get one, Kirk. Suggestions? Would be good to check my temp setting. Been setting it at about 180F on my Seal 200, and have never changed the setting, but getting good results after pre-drying both print and mount board using method given in AA "The Print." Also sprang for the Seal steel plate with handles ($$$$) for cooling print, but that was before I retired (would not do that now).

[Drew Wiley]

Seal also sells temp indicator strips for testing your thermostat, though I've never needed them after all these years. Might be a good idea if you buy a used press, however. Nor have I ever been tempted to make pastry out of drymount tissue, though candy thermometers can be had at almost any kitchen gadget store as well as online inexpensively.

[Kirk Gittings]

A candy thermometer is just a high temp thermometer like your darkroom thermometer-very cheap. Most kitchen have one laying around.

[Andrew O'Neill]

For one thing, it bonds at a lower temperature,

I use Archival Mount to mount carbon transfer prints, as low bonding temperature does least amount of damage to the surface of the print.

[Tin Can]

I use a cheap Infared Thermometer for lots of things. You can find them from $10 to $1000's, I use a tiny $50 one which was overpriced by a factor of 5.

Look at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_thermometer).

[Drew Wiley]

Grainger is a good place for IR thermometers. Heating and ducting repairmen routinely use them. But unfortunately those won't tell you what temp the press produces
when it is actually clamped shut over your material sandwich, which is the critical factor, along with the "dwell" time.

[Tin Can]

Grainger is a good place for IR thermometers. Heating and ducting repairmen routinely use them. But unfortunately those won't tell you what temp the press produces
when it is actually clamped shut over your material sandwich, which is the critical factor, along with the "dwell" time.

One could slip in a tiny thermocouple for a reading, while sandwiched between 2 sacrificial matt boards. I still have a couple and some new cheap VOM's have TC inputs that work well.

[ShannonG]

Thanks for the responses,,I got some color mount ordered,,will have more questions im sure. I did check the temp,and it right on.
Thanks
S