Archival mounting to preserve medals and ribbons...by Paul R

[Ralph P]

Hello all - I have pinned and posted this thread for Paul.

Thanks Paul for taking the time to put the data together for our fellow collectors.

[Ralph P]

How to archival mount a Purple Heart medal into a riker type display frame. All materials are low cost items and can be purchased on the internet or at a local fabric store. This type of medal mounting is used in museums collections.

Example #1
These are the materials needed to archival mount of a Purple Heart in a riker type display frame. The frame shown is a little deeper that normally used. To fill in the space of a deeper riker frame we use a produce called ethafoam. Ethafoam is archival safe product. It will not out gas or damage the frame, medal, or materials used in this project. In this example we see the materials needed to complete the framing project: Riker frame, Purple Heart, poly batting, ethafoam, ruler, scissors, white fleece, T pins.

[Ralph P]

Example #2
This example is showing the three different kinds of ethafoam for sale. The Ethafoam comes in three different types’ course composition, medium composition, and fine composition, and in different thickness. Any of these foams can be use to fill in space. They are all safe for medal frame mounting.

[Ralph P]

Example #3
This image is showing ethafoam, poly batting, and white fleece. All of these items are inert, and archival safe.

[Ralph P]

Example # 4
Measure the inside dimensions of the riker frame.

[Ralph P]

Example #5
Measure ethafoam

[Ralph P]

Example #6
Cut ethafoam with either a scissors or exactor knife.

[Ralph P]

Example #7
Measure and cut ethafoam, polybatting, and fleece. The fleece should be cut slightly larger that the rest of the items. The fleece is cut larger to fold it over the other items.

[Ralph P]

Example #8
Assemble all three items ethafoam, poly batting, and fleece.

[Ralph P]

Example #9
You may pin the fleece, and poly batting to the ethafoam, or you can use a hot glue gun. The hot glue gun glue sticks are archival safe. Trim extra fleece and poly batting from the corners. I use a V style cut for the corners.

[Ralph P]

Example #10
Flip over to the top side on occasion making sure the fabric is not puckering.

[Ralph P]

Example #11
At this point the corner should be either folded, or V cut. In doing this step some of the poly batting and fleece can be cut away. By adding a V cut to the fabric from the corner fold will produce a smoother finish on the top side.

[Ralph P]

Example #12
After the gluing, or pinning of the fleece fabric, poly batting, and ethafoam is complete, the piece can be fitted into the bottom portion of the riker frame. If finished piece is a little tight to the lower bottom piece of the riker frame that’s okay.

[Ralph P]

Example #13
The mounting material is in the bottom part of the riker frame. You may see some wrinkled areas smooth out any small dents. At this point you can attach (pin) your items in to the fleece.

[Ralph P]

Example #14
Finished project! Over all estimated time 25 minutes. You may now display.