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I would be interested in suggestions for help with this
framing project.
This 400 year old will has recently been kept in a display
cabinet, but was probably previously rolled up for most of its life and was in
quite a tight roll when it came in. The customer had found it
unsatisfactory in the display cabinet as it kept curling up and he thought maybe
it could be framed. The vellum is still quite supple - I have
had it under boards and weights for about 3 months, and it has relaxed
significantly and should lie reasonably flat when framed. There is a
6" diameter carved wooden seal attached by cord to the bottom which I am
thinking of sinking through mountboard into foamcore underneath. I
have done this previously and it worked, but I am open to other
ideas.
My main uncertainty is spacing the vellum from the
glass. The problem is that it comes in 3 layers, all placed
together at the bottom edge, turned up 3" and fixed with cord. The
underneath sheet (27" x 36") could go into the rebate of the frame with spacers
top and sides. The middle sheet is the same width (36") but only
reaches 18" from the bottom. This could also go into the frame
rebate at the sides, but obviously not at the top. However the top
sheet is 24" wide (sits centrally) and 24" from the bottom. The top edge
of the middle sheet is sitting quite flat under the top sheet at the moment, but
might it try to bounce back when the boards are permanently off and strain
against the top sheet? (It could have a spacer for the 6" each
side of the top sheet.) The upper edge and sides of the top
sheet would need to be spaced from the glass with a deep spacer (probably about
an inch to allow sufficient room for the seal and double turned up bottom edge
which doesn't sit completely flat). Does anyone have
recommendations on what to use for spacers? So far I've
ruled out plastic (too modern and not in keeping), and foamcore (the centre will
eventually deteriorate) - would wood be OK if it was really well sealed
and is acrylic paint a sufficient sealer? Also, presumably the
spacers would have to be stuck to the glass, which would leave
unsightly splodges of glue. My only solution to this so far is
to cover the outer side of the glass with tape over the spacer and
place a second sheet on top - any better ideas?
Or would it be better (for the preservation of the will and
for my sanity!) to persuade the customer he doesn't want it framed at
all. It is now sitting much flatter and I think would lie in a
horizontal display cabinet lined with museum cotton board or
material. Would clear glass weights at strategic points (there
are glass making companies locally who would probably make to a specified
weight) with museum board on the base be satisfactory to keep it
flat? Also it could have a light protective cover to be pulled
back for viewing, which would presumably be better than a frame with
UV filtrating glass. It needs to survive for the next 400
years!
Mary Evans
Applegarth Framing
Repton, Derbyshire, UK
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