I need to mount some laminated photos onto foamcore, and I need the bond to last a long time (decades). I’m using acid-free foamcore, so that’s no problem, but what kind of glue? Is Elmer’s ok? I can’t find any information about the longevity of its bond, also issues like yellowing, etc. What about something like contact cement?
I’m not sure what you should use, but don’t use Elmer’s. The high water content can ripple your photos. I used to use a product called cold mount, which was essentially a peel-and-stick kind of thing. Ah, here ya go. You probably don’t need 50 feet of the stuff. Isn’t there a Dodd’s Camera in Akron? They might have it in smaller sheets. I’ve bought it that way before.
ETA: Missed the part about the photos being laminated. Elmer’s might be OK in that case.
Not only do I laminate them, but I put weight on them while the glue is drying. Everything looks great for now, but I’m worried about long-term issues. And If I used Cold Mount, I could definitely use 50 feet. These photos are a small part of larger works of art, that’s why I’m concerned with longevity.
If you’re concerned with longevity, what will happen to the plastic lamination over time? Will it yellow or become cracked or cloudy?
Have you considered spray adhesive? A bit messy, but effective.
Before retirement I worked for 3M and they had a number in St. Paul where end users could ask questions about products and usage. I retired about the time the internet came about. They may have a website and/or a number.
*Nobody *in a customer service call center is going to be able to say whether their products (or any products) will adhere for 20 or more years. People who work those lines are, frankly, not experts. The Dope is a better place to start for this kind of niche information.
I can’t help you OP, but I do work in a call center. Don’t call one and expect to get a straight answer to this question, because 1) they won’t know, and 2) they can’t guarantee anything, anyway. Especially not for “decades.”
Have you considered having it done for you? My parents had a bunch of posters dry mounted onto foam core about 12 years or so and the last time I looked at them they appeared find other then a slight bend in them* they looked find to me. IIRC they had it done at Kinko’s. I would imagine Micheal’s could do it as well (and probably cost a lot more).
*The bend was probably just due to a combination of the way they were hanging and being in a basement. But they hadn’t deteriorated or turned yellow or anything like that.
Easiest thing is to buy the peel-n-stick foamboard that has the adhesive on it. If you already have the backing board and can’t return it, use Scotch Photo Mount or 77 Brand. Just be aware that when you start putting the photo down, there’s no going back. So put it down and then trim the foamboard to be straight with the photo edge, rather than trying to line up an 8x10 photo with an 8x10 piece of foamboard.
Incidentally, ordinary foamboard will usually curl toward the mounted side. This becomes noticeable for pieces two square feet or larger. Gatorboard is one way to solve that problem; sturdy framing is another. Dry mounting, at someplace that has a press, is an even better way.
The spray mounting adhesive can work well. It can be a bit tricky. Get a rubber roller to work from one side to the other. Go slow and cautiously. Take it one small area at a time. Hold the piece you want to glue up and away from the mounting surface. Spray some mounting adhesive (that is available at any good art store) onto the surface to which it is to be mounted. Then use the roller to systematically mount it to the surface going methodically in one direction, one area at a time.
Practice ahead of time with waste pictures and material to get the hang of it. It will work much better than slobbing glue around. The rubber roller is an essential. Don’t try to do it without it.
I recently did a 36" x 24" poster with great results.
How about acid-free dry mount tissue?
This dry mount tissue is the standard way to mount photos to mounting board / matte board. And I can attest that it lasts for decades, as I have some pictures on my wall from the 1980’s.
J.
You’re going to have a serious problem because of the laminate. I’d try the Super 77 or even Hi-Strength 90, but the corners may still come up eventually.
The curve in foamcore is normal and not the result of mounting. You want to mount onto the outside of the curve.
For longevity, you might not want to use foamcore at all. Or lamination, for that matter. I think the plastics involved will probably degrade over time.
Photographs dry-mounted to acid free illustration board should last a very long time. I think that’s pretty standard in the art world.