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Mounting Artifacts in a Shadowbox w/o harm

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  • Mounting Artifacts in a Shadowbox w/o harm

    Hi folks, nice to be new here and thanks for reading my post.
    I'm using a nice, old 2'' deep frame that was used to display someone's old war medals, and I thought it would make a great shadowbox for showing some nice artifacts on my wall.  The effect I'm looking for is to have them up off the background, but I'm not sure how to do it exactly though someone suggested wood glue to me (person was knowledgeable and heard it from an old pro but I'm not sure if the exact application matches my desired end result).
    Can I use wood glue to affix some artifacts to nail heads which will get the artifacts up off the back of a shadowbox to achieve the desired effect?   I am at a loss for what to use since monofilament will show and so will wire, but both might be better than glue because perhaps the glue will discolor the patina which is not acceptable.
    I'm mounting an iroquois maskette (stone - very old), and a couple bannerstones.  Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

  • #2
    Hi Rogue,
       If you are set on using that old case, try this if it will work on that case. Go to Walmart and get a piece of 1" thick foam, then cut two pieces to fit just inside of your 2" box. The pressure of the glass against the foam will keep the pieces in place. You can cover your foam with a piece of cloth the color you want.
       I would NOT glue any relic in a case. However, your case may not hold foam properly. If you have to glue, use regular Elmer's glue or other waterbased glue. I would not glue them to nailheads because of the good chance of rust stains. If you must raise them up, try a little pile of hot glue then hot glue to that. Glue will not hold your banners, makes the relics hard to remove for inspection, and is generally not an accepted practice in collecting anymore. The foam is definitely the way to go. I've put foam and glass into old wooden cigar boxes so it will work in most boxes.

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    • #3
      Hi Rogue,
         If you are set on using that old case, try this if it will work on that case. Go to Walmart and get a piece of 1" thick foam, then cut two pieces to fit just inside of your 2" box. The pressure of the glass against the foam will keep the pieces in place. You can cover your foam with a piece of cloth the color you want.
         I would NOT glue any relic in a case. However, your case may not hold foam properly. If you have to glue, use regular Elmer's glue or other waterbased glue. I would not glue them to nailheads because of the good chance of rust stains. If you must raise them up, try a little pile of hot glue then hot glue to that. Glue will not hold your banners, makes the relics hard to remove for inspection, and is generally not an accepted practice in collecting anymore. The foam is definitely the way to go. I've put foam and glass into old wooden cigar boxes so it will work in most boxes.

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      • #4
        I am no expert by any means but in the past I have used on some of my plentiful smaller pieces such as scrapers or bird points. Loctite makes a poster mounting material called Fun-tak mounting putty and it is removable. Walmart carries it and it states that it is non-toxic and the stuff literally sticks to anything and will hold up to one pound.
           Basically it comes in strips and you rip a hunk off of it and knead it between your fingers until it becomes soft and warm and a small amount will hold up to 1 Lb. It never hardens so it is easily removable, but like I say for my larger stuff I use the pressure foam. However I am certain if you applied the fun-tak to multiple areas of the artifact it would hold it. But I would ask a more professional artifact collector than myself. Hope this helps.

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        • #5
          I don't think that the fun-tak would hurt the points. It's not oil based so it should leave no stain.

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          • #6
            Greetings Folks:
            Thank you for your wisdom on this matter.  I am set on using the shadowbox I have and while I think the foam would be a sure bet, I would lose the desired effect with the foam pushing the artifact right up to the glass.
            I am going to try that suggested loc-tite product found here and for the items I will use two or three appropriate-sized nails (medium) that will be concealed behind the artifact to decrease the chances of them falling by having more contact points with the putty.
            I realize it's a trade-off by not using the foam - lose a little security of hold but gain the nice shadowbox look.  In the interests of sharing w/ those who give advice freely, I will report back when this humble project gets off the ground.  Thank you all for your advice.

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            • #7
              Before you use nails try to get some small wood doweling and cut the right length for your mount. Like the others have said be sure to use water base glue. The wood dowell could be glued to the back of the case with wood glue. Just a idea OK.  Good luck

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              • #8
                The tacky putty will work and hopefully not deposit a chemical stain in the rock.
                Shadowbox displays are nice looking though, giving added depth to the display. My first permanent cases I made years ago are large colonial heartpine window sashes for which I build a 4" deep box, with the sahes hinged to it. Inside the box, I made thin shelves a few inches apart. Each case is fastened to the wall with screws. The cases each hold several hundred personal finds. I've found that over twenty years or more, very few have moved at all, but I can easily open the case and take a point out. They just sit on the shelves at a slight angle. I'll take some pics sometime soon.
                (of course, we are not in an earthquake zone!!)

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                • #9
                  I think mounting them using glues and chemical compounds is a thing of the past.  I think your best bet is to use a foam lined shadow box.  This way, you will NEVER have to leave any unnatural chemicals on your artifacts.  I don't know about you, but I like to take mine out sometimes and just touch them.  I also like to show people, and things like ground bases can only be appreciated by touching them.  It's also convenient because you can re-arrange them.  Once you glue them down, that's the way they stay.  I have an article in Indian Artifacts Magazine November 2010 on this very subject!  Check out my photo section, I have a couple examples of my shadow boxes, and the frame that is featured in the magazine.

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                  • #10
                    The best way I found to mount points in a shadow box is to use a tiny drill bit or a sturdy pin and 20lb. plus mono fishing line. Lay the point down where you want it and mark where you want the holes usually in the notches. Then poke holes just big enough for the line. Then tie fishing line around point tight, then through the holes and tie a knot in the back. Works great! Fishing line won't harm the point and you can't see the line when it's mounted.

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                    • Danny Hamel
                      Danny Hamel commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Very good idea it will work much better for me 29 3/4 wide by 28 1/16 long display case that i found in a tag sale for 10 dollars that was used for baby clothes display the backing was gone the back board with cloth is red felt will a 10 pound test work or should it be 5 pound to keep the points in place once i get the holes on each side
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