Mounting Cut Autos
 

What the best way to mount cut autos? I've got a few oddball sized cuts and was thinking of getting them slabbed. Assuming all cuts will be the same size as the rigid mount, can you just use something like spray adhesive?

dont use any adhesive, there are ways better than that. others can elaborate.

I usually will keep them in a plastic case, then use a piece of tape to affix them to the backside of the matting...between the take and the pressure of the frame, it should hold up perfectly fine. No reason to risk damaging a cut with adhesives, also the additional plastic gives it that extra protection needed against sun/light damage.

I believe he was asking about using spray adhesive on the rigid mount. If that is what you mean, then it would work. However, there is one thing to consider. If you are ever thinking that you may sell the item, then any adhesive could damage the plastic. If it is a rigid holder that you purchase, you could easily replace it. If it was one of the slabs done by a company, the damage to the slab could make it unappealing.

You could get it encapsulated in a mylar sleeve, which would be archival and allow you to mount it to a mat board using clear archival polyester or mylar photomounts. This would protect the signature archivally and allow you to enjoy looking at it without the distortion caused by the thick plastics.

Thick plastic only makes it fugly.
Are those thick plastic holders from the TPA companies acid free? Just askin'.
The suggestion from Michael makes perfect sense.

Forgive my ignorance of the subject, but wouldn't the adhesives eventually do damage to the cut as well? Similar to those signatures with tape placed over them in the 40's that now have a nice orange hue to them?

Oh man, don't remind me of those nice collections offered to me. Then I get the scans and they have that orange hue. Ugh.
60 years has passed since that was done.
Many adhesives and mounting materials are now acid free and archival and should not create problems.

I probably wasn't clear enough explaining my intent. I have some autos on paper, but was thinking about getting them slabbed by SGC. I don't think the paper alone would be thick enough to be held in place by their card insert, so I was thinking of the best way to adhere it to something about the thickness of an index card.

But, after calculating the price (some over sized), prep and risk...it's probably not worth the time and effort.

If they were on clean index cards or sheets of paper, I would just cut a custom mat for a photo and the auto. These are on lined paper, golf scorecard, folded sheet, book page, etc. Sometimes you simply can't make chicken soup out of...

Just get custom matting and display with 8x10 or another item...Like this Cy Young Signed Display Card...

You can use acid free gummed linen tape to mount it to a sturdier medium. This tape is reversible with just a dab of water. I would also recommend you use an acid free mat instead of a plain index card.

I am with richard, the plastic slabs just arent good. entombing cards and autographs. the companies invented the slabbing of autographs just as another revenue stream, then autograph grading, photo slabbing, photo grading, etc.

I go back to my original suggestion. I would suggest using a medium that does not put any type of adhesive on the item, whether it is archival or not, if it is not needed. If you are speaking of items like scorecards and bookpages you can mount them to an acid free mat board using archival acrylic or polyester photo mounts. If you are set on using some kind of adhesive item I prefer document repair tape for mounting rather than the linen tape. I have both and have used both. The document repair tape is ultra thin and can be used for mounting and I have done it with photographs. It is lignin free and has acrylic adhesive which is non-yellowing, permanent and stable. Additionally if you choose to dismantle the item you can cut the repair tape at the edge of the item and burnish it to the back. It is virtually invisible. I also use it to repair ripped photographs and unless I point it out, it is very difficult to see.

If you are going to mat the item then, of course, use archival mats. For the easily matted items the photo corners or similar mounts would allow viewing without any distortion.

If this interests you I would suggest contacting Light Impressions in Sante Fe - http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/ or University Products in Holyoke, MA - http://www.universityproducts.com/. They are both fine companies that provide archival supplies to museums and libraries and regular schmucks like us. Light Impressions also has a toll free help line to assist you.