Dry Mounting with Fusible Interfacing

Welcome Forums Product Questions Mounting Dry Mounting with Fusible Interfacing

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    • #14213
      moqiao
      Keymaster

      USING FUSIBLE INTERFACING TO MOUNT PAINTINGS

      Interfacing is a stiffening fabric used in sewing to give collars, etc. more body.  Fusible interfacing is an iron-on stiffing interfacing.  You can buy it by the yard in the U.S. at fabric stores and even some WalMarts, because it is used a lot now in various crafts.  It comes in different thicknesses~ I use the thickest (craft) version.

      I have used fusible interfacing with numerous paintings on rice paper, and have completely given up wet mounting techniques.  It is easy, and looks and functions great!

      Here’s how I use fusible interfacing to mount my paintings:

      1.  Iron the painting, face-down, with the iron set on “Warm,” from the center out to the edges to flatten it. A few very small creases may remain, but I think that gives it character. If you want to remove any creases, lightly mist the paper (only if you have used Chinese watercolors!) while ironing.

      2.  Cut a piece of fusible interfacing slightly smaller than the size of the rice paper painting, so the fusing does not adhere to the ironing board.

      3.  Place the fusible interfacing, adhesive (shiny side) down, over the back of the rice paper painting on the ironing board.

      4.  Reset the iron temperature to “Permanent Press” or “Medium” heat, and iron the interfacing from the center slowly out to and over the edges until the corners of the interfacing are firmly adhered to the rice paper.  This takes 1 to 2 minutes.  This process also often removes any remaining little wrinkles from your painting.

      5. Let it cool to the touch and slowly lift the rice paper and fused interfacing from the ironing board.  Voila!  You have a no-mess mounted painting!!!  If you want an even stiffer mounting, just fuse another piece of interfacing on top of the first one.

      6.  You can trim the painting/mounting to any size at this point.  You can also glue it to a fabric scroll or other mounting using spray adhesive.

      Bonnie Canning

      Fusible Interfacing

    • #14215
      moqiao
      Keymaster

      We asked on the internet to get more information about Fusible interfacing and got one reply from an aerospace engineer:

      “I have never spectrally verified its composition, but have utilized it enough to know it is likely a typical acrylic hot melt glue, of the lower melting point variety.

      It should in fact work very well with paper. If the paper is finished and has a silicone glosser on it, it might not stick well. But most glossy paper varnishes should aid in hot melt bonding. If you try to fuse unfinished paper, it might be so porous as to draw molten glue away from the bondline. This is ok for making a strong bond unless this capillary action starves the join line. Your exposure time and temp of your iron matter, but i expect you will develope skill quickly once you learn to recognize these possibilities.

      Practice on something unimportant before using it on priceless photos or scrapbook items.”  [or your precious artwork..]

       

       

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