Use of Gatorboard in home made painting panels

[Bruce Bundock]

  Has anyone had occasion to work with Gatorboard as a substrate for mounting canvas ?  I am curious as to whether there are any archival concerns with the use of this material. If so, please weigh in. Much appreciated. Bruce Bundock

[Ed Cahill]

I think it's fine just so long as you use a archival glue to put the linen or canvas down. I like that Miracle Muck from Rapheals—check out their special sample deal too. You get 3 frames and 4 panels for like $25. Sorry to name drop, I do not work for them.

[Darrell Baschak]

I wonder about using that board because the company itself doesn't do it themselves.  Why not think about using a 1/4" plywood, say birch, fir or mahogany? You'll know that you have something sturdy.  Coat all sides with Shellac to isolate the canvas.  Just a suggestion.  I have also had good success with 1/4" Melamine, which is used in the cabinetry trade for making drawer bottoms.  It has a paint finish on one side, I glue the canvas to the non-paint side. A 4x8 sheet yeilds alot of panels for a very economical price.

[Bruce Bundock]

Ed,

 I happen to have a small supply of gatorboard that had a poster mounted on it. The other side is clean. I cut the panel down on a table saw for 6 x 8's. It is 3/16" thick and has an attractive rigidity for small panels. I got some Miracle Muck this past year and will use it with these panels. The other option was 4 ply rag museum board mounted on coroplast,

which is chemically inert. Canvas could be mounted on the rag board and the coroplast can provide the rigidity. An extra step but may be better in the long run.  MDO might be an option for mounting canvas but I need to research it more.

Thanks for the input.

Ed Cahill said:

I think it's fine just so long as you use a archival glue to put the linen or canvas down. I like that Miracle Muck from Rapheals—check out their special sample deal too. You get 3 frames and 4 panels for like $25. Sorry to name drop, I do not work for them.