Question Using AF FB to raise a canvas in floater frame?

Create a Post
monkey

monkey

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Posts
443
Location
Westchester, NY
Is it acceptable to use two sheets of 3/16” Acid Free Foam board to raise a stretched canvas in a floater frame? Do I need to worry about the Foam board compressing or deteriorating over time? I did a search on the grumble on this topic with no results.

Let me start off by saying I much rather prefer to use wood or at least Mighty Core or Gator Foam board but I was in a pinch and had neither of these. In addition I needed 3/8” spacer and ½” is to high. And all the local hardware store in my area only carries either ¼” or ½” thick wood stock, no 3/8”. Couldn’t even find 3/8” thick plywood.

So what I did was cut two sheets of 3/16” Acid Free Foam board smaller than the size of the canvas and stapled it to the back of the canvas. Then I used 1-1/2”, #8 wood screws and drove it through the floater frame, AF Foam board, and into the back of the stretcher bars. Canvas size is 35.75” x 39.25”, I put 14 screws to attach the canvas and it looks really good and feels sturdy. I Figure if the foam board compress or deteriorate over time at least the screws will hold it in place. I woke up this morning and was worried if I am I overlooking something. Am I overlooking something? Do I need to redo this? Thanks
 
Great idea with the Plywood and washers, wish I had thought of this first. Anything wrong with using Acid free Foam board you can think of? Hoping not to redo these if I don't have to.
 
I'm a bit of a "worrier" too, but it should be fine.
I would just make sure to use 2 or 3 hole hangers, pre drill scew holes making sure they go in through floater and into most of the depth of the stretcher frames.
 
Thanks. yea, I definitely pre drilled all the holes through the stretcher bars. Even countersunk and widen the holes on the back of the floater frame so that the screws goes though it freely, so that the screws pull the canvas snugly against the floater frame.
 
I did this last week in a pinch, usually use wood, but only needed slightly under 1/4" spacer, and was out of scrap wood at the shop. No issues in assembly, but I did cut out most of the FC after mounting, basically right to the edge of the strainer stock to see if I compressed to FC too much, looked OK.
 
We do it all the time. Usually I'll ATG roughly 1/2" strips of black acid-free foamcore around the inside perimeter of the floater frame's hole. We lay the painting on top of this and screw through the frame and foamcore into the stretcher. If you think about it, even if the foamcore did deteriorate a bit, the threads of the screws would still hold it in place.

James
 
We don't get asked to do floaters too often, but we use this technique a bit. I'm more comfortable with the longevity of AF foam than wood. I guess the technical least acidic but sturdiest way to go is coroplast, but I don't know if that is necessary.
 
I do this with af foam board all the time. Its where most of my scraps go. Its not the longevity I worry about though its cost effectiveness. If I need to stick together layers atg can get used up quick. I also like using 12" or so long strips with gaps in-between. And definitely gaps in the corners. A lot of the artists I deal with have lots of goo, lumps, and paint on the back of the canvas. It helps things stay level. Wood is fine too imo but less forgiving if there are lumps.
 
cjmst3k said:
I'm more comfortable with the longevity of AF foam than wood.
Click to expand...

I'm not by any stretch saying that wood is preferable from a framing perspective, but as far as simple longevity I can't imagine foam outlasting wood (in an environment where a picture frame is expected to live). I mean, at 30-50% RH and 50-90° F wood will last infinitely (or maybe infinity minus 1,000 years or so). What will foam last - 100 years? 500 years? 10,000 years? 1,000,000? I don't know, but it's not going to outlast wood, of that I am pretty confident.

Now if you are talking about the effect of the foam vs. wood on the artwork, that is a totally different question/situation of which I am not competent to comment.

Carry on.
 
Just a wry observation......

Go back 30 years and people scarcely gave a thought to preservation in framing. If you have
ever stripped a pre-1980s frame then you will know of what I speak.
Gooey tape. Hot glue slapped on all over. No whitecore mats. Rag was available but rarely used
and even then only a couple of colors. No UV glass.

Thankfully things have improved over the years.

But sometimes I think the wheel has turned a bit too far and people tend to over-agonise about
conservation issues. In this case it seems to me that it's slightly futile to worry about the long-term
effects of a few spacers on a canvas that has wooden stretcher bars. What's the worst that can happen?


:rolleyes:
 
I've done that to even out the attachment surfaces from the back of the canvas to the floater (can be done with washers as well). The canvas itself has multiple layers in the corners on the back of the stretcher and ends up being thicker there. I add FC strips between the built up layers of canvas to elevate the stretcher enough so the layered canvas on the back corners doesn't touch the stretcher. I wouldn't worry too much about the conservation aspect of the FC. It isn't contained within the frame so any outgassing would simply dissipate in the surrounding environment
 
David Waldmann said:
Now if you are talking about the effect of the foam vs. wood on the artwork, that is a totally different question/situation
Click to expand...

Indeed, that's what I meant, the effect of the acidity of wood directly against the artwork vs foam board. I think coroplast probably beats all for this purpose though.
 
prospero said:
But sometimes I think the wheel has turned a bit too far and people tend to over-agonise about
conservation issues. In this case it seems to me that it's slightly futile to worry about the long-term
effects of a few spacers on a canvas that has wooden stretcher bars. What's the worst that can happen?
Click to expand...


Its like worrying about your socks getting when when you jumped into a pool.
 
cjmst3k said:
Its like worrying about your socks getting when when you jumped into a pool.
Click to expand...

Precisely. If you take say, a fifty year period there are far more opportunities for abuse by people moving the
framed piece around than the foamcore (acid or non-acid free) going ballistic and eating though the canvas. o_O
 
Thanks everyone. I feel a lot better about letting it go out the door. I was more concerned with the framed piece holding up structurally over time than am with the conservation part. Seeing how the canvas is stretcher over a wooden stretcher bar, what's a little bit of Acid Free foam board going to do.
 
Create a Post
Back
Top