Amateur Linenbacking 101 by Pulpfixin

[rdavey26]

Wow there is a lot involved. I have the energy to do it but not the space. Well maybe one day who knows. I guess for now I will just send them off if I need something done. Thank you Charlie for all the info and help.

[Neo]

Good work, Charlie.  

Have you thought about doing some gelatin resizing?

[Mirosae]

I would say that the only cost savings is in backing those posters that you wouldn't send off - way on down the line after you've absorbed the costs.  Else, I've probably spent close to 4K at this point.  The learning curve is terribly expensive...  I've probably spent $1000 alone on touching up alone - air brush equipment (lucky I had a compressor - got a new little one for Christmas to replace the one for my nail guns), paints (before my break, I bought five different shades of purple to work on the Blood Simple ea @ $7 - $10), water color sets (on my fourth one - should have listen to Dario and Steve), brushes, frisket, acetate, tape (low adhesion tape is expensive), art knifes, etc...  Probably another $1500 so far in masa (I picked up two types a bright white and off white), canvas, Japanese mending, holytex, and mylar.  Then you've got the frames - I probably have made 15-20 frames of various sizes.  Then you need a device to staple/nail and stretch the canvas (lucky I had a finish nailer) - the manual stapler took too long, I burnt up the electric stapler and finally went with a pneumatic finish nailer with staples at a lower PSI as not to destroy the canvas...  Nails ain't cheap though $20 -$30 a box...  Then you have all the adhesives and chems and experimental stuff.  Wheat Paste, methyl, CMC, acetic, Calhydrox, alchohol, bleach, spot bleach, CT, on and on...  Now lets not forget the tables and baths... Tools to finish, burnishers, picks, q-tips, syringes, rollers (which I am to abandon thanks to a tip from Dario!) sand paper, fill, wash table.  My mylar drying setup...  Then you need a place to put all the goodies bought a $300 tool cabinet to keep the place clean...

I guess what I am trying to say is that it was never about saving the money after I got started.  I may have had some predetermined ideas about saving money at the beginning, but the challenge is where it is at for me!

So cheaper to do it yourself?  Maybe if you open a shop, hire someone, and slip yours in during slow times.  Else, IMO, it's a big commitment for less than at least 100 posters or so...

Hope I didn't burst any bubbles.

Have to say, I would love being able to learn how to do it, just for the pure joy of restoring a poster. I know people that have just the skills to get it right with no much training. So good for you!

[Charlie]

Good work, Charlie.  

Have you thought about doing some gelatin resizing?

It's pretty straight forward and I've thought about It, but I really like paperbacking vs. gel backing.  I don't see the point of gelatin resizing, when you could add support to the back of the poster.  I mean after resizing your poster they added mending strips on the edge.  Why not just paperback it? I think PM offers that service more for the print community vs. movie posters. I've not ever held/felt the result of a gelatin backed poster, so I am not sure if I am pre-judging the method. Maybe a comparison is in order at some point.

[Ari]

please dont, think of the cows (pigs and horses).

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Iwater color sets (on my fourth one - should have listen to Dario and Steve)....

What set do you recommend?

[Charlie]

What set do you recommend?

The most expensive one is actually the best!

http://www.amazon.com/Albrecht-Durer-120-Watercolor-Pencil/dp/B000KT73LK

[paul waines]

Yikes..

[50s]

Yikes..

Yes, that's the exact set I use (the 3 tier set)

[erik1925]

Nothing finer than Faber-Castell for this kind of work.

The name & company have been around long enough... and they KNOW their pencils!!

[CSM]

Guess my Crayolas aren't up to snuff eh?

[Ari]

for daybills? PERFECT (had to beat them to it)

[erik1925]

Guess my Crayolas aren't up to snuff eh?

Crayolas are classic and WELL respected, too, Chris.   

[CSM]

OK - I am convinced me and my Crayolas are in good company!

[rdavey26]

Guess my Crayolas aren't up to snuff eh?

PEEEEEERRRRRFEEECT Chris. They will work wonder on those daybils of yours and Davids LMAO

[50s]

for daybills? PERFECT (had to beat them to it)

You beat em

[Charlie]

I will also jump in and say that having multiple sets and water color blocks also help out when the Faber-Castell's don't match up...

We have a bunch of pencils bought individually from this set:



We have this set:



We have this set:



We started with this set of Goache:



Been slowly replacing with individual tubes of this:



Airbrush is another poster some other day - we don't airbrush much anymore other than for border work...

[Charlie]

It has been over a year since I posted something to my blog.  John Reid's latest posts spark something worth writing about.  Soooo, a new rant has been posted.

http://pulpfixin.com/blog/2014/09/17/conservation-vs-restoration/

[Harry Caul]

Great info as always Charlie!

[erik1925]

Good write up -- especially for those who also may have assumed (or thought, or think) that the 2 terms are basically interchangeable, or one in the same.

[Charlie]

Good write up -- especially for those who also may have assumed (or thought) that the 2 terms were basically interchangeable, or one in the same.

I think the more important take-away is that we have all been lead to believe that restoration is conservation...  It is not.   I will add, that there is nothing inherently wrong with restoration w/o conservation, if you are willing to accept that risk with your collectible.

I think what is wrong, is being sold conservation when it is not truly conservation.

[Charlie]

Great info as always Charlie!

Thanks!

[Mirosae]

Thanks Charlie, good reading

Good points. But wonder if both terms are more widely used in Europe..Meaning that we here are (sadly?) aware that are not the same. Over here there are plenty of conservation paper experts, but no restorers (or none that are good enough).  And they are very clear that they do JUST conservation work and if you ask, they will attempt MINIMAL restoration, so we are left with posters that have been preserved for eternity, but looking like in need of some good TLC. Which I think it makes the poster look worse.

I keep saying to them that i to ''conserve'' my poster, they dont need to conserve the mould marks thank you very much

[Charlie]

Thanks Charlie, good reading

Good points. But wonder if both terms are more widely used in Europe..Meaning that we here are (sadly?) aware that are not the same. Over here there are plenty of conservation paper experts, but no restorers (or none that are good enough).  And they are very clear that they do JUST conservation work and if you ask, they will attempt MINIMAL restoration, so we are left with posters that have been preserved for eternity, but looking like in need of some good TLC. Which I think it makes the poster look worse.

I keep saying to them that i to ''conserve'' my poster, they dont need to conserve the mould marks thank you very much

Interesting...  I think the main problem in the US is that most of the prominent restorers and movie poster restoration pioneers are self taught and then that is passed down.  Here is a Restorer's Family Tree that I did for my forum. The .1s and .1.1s are people whom apprenticed under the lead restorer.  Maybe you guys can continue to help me build this.

1.       Igor Edleman (Edelman Restoration Studio) (Now run by Lena and Lara - not sure who the apprentice is, Rufat?)

     1.1.    Mario Cueva (Lumiere Poster Restoration)

2.       Jim Sanchez

3.       Joe Hernandez (Studio C)

     3.1.    Judy Jones (The Poster Patch)

     3.2.    John Davis (Poster Mountain)

          3.2.1. Melissa, Katie, & Chelsea (4th Cone)

     3.3.    Gordon Christman (Gordon G. Christman Restoration)

     3.4.    Sylvia Locken (Precision Restoration)

     3.5.    Susan Olson (Deceased - here is a very nice tribute.  She appears to have been a great gal)

     3.6.    Carol Tincup (Carol Tincup Fine Art Restoration) Can't find a site though.

     3.7.    Diane Jeffrey (Studio C)

     3.8.    Jaime and Norma Mendez (Jaime Mendez Restoration)

4.       J. Fields Studio (now Papersmith)

     4.1.    Chris Cloutier (Posterfix)

5.       Crowell Havens Beech

6.       Sei Peterson

The question becomes, were most of these "fathers", conservators or restorers.  If Joe Hernandez was not a conservator that is troubling...

[Charlie]

And they are very clear that they do JUST conservation work and if you ask, they will attempt MINIMAL restoration, so we are left with posters that have been preserved for eternity, but looking like in need of some good TLC. Which I think it makes the poster look worse.

I keep saying to them that i to ''conserve'' my poster, they dont need to conserve the mould marks thank you very much

Yes but there are ways to do both... So we need to coin the term "conservation priority restoration"...  Meaning all work is done with conservation in mind including using conservation quality adhesives for support and archival mediums for image restoration.