Framing a Battleflag

[kompanie]

Anyone got any suggestions on framing a Battleflag.
It is very large and i would like to display it with my collection im thinking of making up a frame, any sort of wood to avoid using?.Also i need to make the cover out of perspex as it will be displayed in my loft and i cant get that size of glass to fit through the loft hatch i dont just want to hang it up as it has a bit of moth damage allready and as its going to be in the loft i need to protect it as much as i can.Should i make it air tight or add some moth balls into the bottom?

[wolf76]

Hi Chris, I did picture framing for a number of years and I in fact I framed a ww1 German flag for a friend of mine. Are you planning to frame it your self or plan on having it professionally done? I my self would have it done professionally done, if you choose to go that rout keep in mind it will cost. The type of frame you use doesn’t really matter wood, poly, won’t affect it but what you use as a backing will. You will need to use an acid free mat and it should be a good quality one and what you decide to secure it to the mat will be very important as well. I you use a tack or a pin you run the risk of rusting, I would suggest sewing it to the mat using either a thread or fishing line, it shouldn’t hurt it. Last you will need a good quality paper to seal the back, it should prevent dust and critters from getting in, and I would suggest using a double-sided tape to stick it to the frame. If you go with having it professionally done go with a shadow box it will make the flag look amazing! Hope this helps..

Regards,
Edward

[wolf76]

Oh and I forgot to mention that if your in a high light area you should use a UV resistant glass and there's even a UV resistant Plexiglas as well. The down side is that the flag wont be very clear to look at and the Plexiglas can be extremely reflective.

Edward

[kompanie]

Thank you Wolf76 for the very helpful info I was thinking of making it my self as it is 1.5 meters by 2.5 meters it will be very expensive but i will get a quote from a profesional

[oldflagswanted]

about moth eggs ???

Anyone got any suggestions on framing a Battleflag. ...i dont just want to hang it up as it has a bit of moth damage allready... Should i make it air tight or add some moth balls into the bottom?

<center><h3>Hello kompanie:
If you frame it, and it still has moth eggs, it may still
be eaten up inside the frame by the later hatching moth
worm larve. 3-M used to make a moth spray that killed
the moth eggs, without staining the flag cloth, but they
took the product off the market due to people hazzard -
guess the stuff was too good at killing things? I have
not found a product to do the same pre-storage or pre-framing
moth egg kill job, so anyone with HOME use information
would be of interest to me (not about lab boron gas please!)
</h3></center><center>
<img src=http://home.att.net/~gullcottage/nzflagwave.gif></center>
<center><img src=http://home.att.net/~gullcottage/RZMeistr.JPG>
</center>

[Paul R.]

I hope that you have used the search tab to conduct searching threads on using wood for framing your artifacts. A wood frame is a potential ticking time bomb. From out gassing to moisture gathering to insects housing. You may want to look into other framing materials before you settle on wood. Conduct some web searches.
As a Museum Conservator I would strongly advise not to spray your flag. You would be inviting a huge host of problems. Just to mention a few problems health hazard, and color shifting, and staining of fabric. If you put your flag into a sealed coffin displayed case. You now do have a ticking time bomb. Wow! No offence here please. Why would someone do this to a rare flag?? Freeze and vaccunm your flag on a low setting to remove moth eggs. Read pinned article on moths. Of course in the end it's you flag to do as you see fit. Educate your self wisely. Before you act on an action. Paul

[Stahlhelm]

That's certainly some excellent advice Paul's posted above. Be very careful and consider all possibilities (positive and negative), before you do anything. As suggested, also read all related information that's already been posted and pinned here on the subject. Damaging consequences are always regrettable and forever irreversible.

Chris

[kompanie]

Many thanks for the info guys i have read some of the pinned articles.what i dont get is how are you supposed to diplay it?.it just seems that every thing is trying to destroy it.I didnt buy to hide it in a box i brought it to be a back drop that is why i got a beaten up one.Im all for preserving historical peices it just seems so hard to do that and display it..Well we will see how it goes.

[Greg Domian]

I have framed and mounted artwork along with flags and I have to say to do a flag the proper way does take some time and is a pain in the arse but well worth the finished product. If you can have it done professionally, I would go that route but depending on the material you will be taking to your local framer they might not want to do it(ie: nazi stuff) or you may not trust them with the item if it is very valuable. I was a good customer to this one framer and would take the oversized pieces to them as they had the facilities to do it and some of the items were ww2 related. But when it came to anything german I just did not want to take it there just because you didn't know how the people working there would react to the pieces. I was lucky enough to frame 3 of Bob Coleman's DE flags but I had the framer create the shadow box for me and I did all the actual work. I could not fathom having them handle such pieces as they weren't even mine. The shadow boxes were made of all archival material and the flag was stiched to the backing board with thread. Each piece took about 4 hours to complete. See example below.

Greg

[oldflagswanted]

about framed flags ???

...I was lucky enough to frame 3 of Bob Coleman's DE flags... Greg

<CENTER>Hello Greg:
Nice job, Bob's SS signals banner makes for a cool wall display
especially with period use photos included. But having said that,
from my own perspective, as a long time collector of worldwide
all period unit flags, the decision to frame a flag, or not, can be
a quite difficult one. Personally, on newer flags, which includes
in my mind 3rd Reich examples, I prefer to retain them complete
on their trooping pole with the pole top. I have framed some
flags, but usually only those in fragile ultra fragmented condition -
those no longer displayable as actual stand-alone flags. Yet,
even fragments, with great effort, can be reconstituted back into
their full trooping pole mounted state, the way I like them!
<h1>OLDFLAGSWANTED</h1>



</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER>

[nzef1940]

Here are three of my flags all framed by a conservation framer, expensive but well worth it.

1) Australian troops signed marker flag Nth Africa

2) New Zealand vet bought back KM flag for shooting down an enemy aircraft

3) Australian vet aquired flag from PNG

[nzef1940]

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[nzef1940]

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[kompanie]

The biggest problem i face is the size and where its going i have to make the frame in the loft as once put together it will not fit in through the loft hatch. This still leaves me with the problem of the glass/plastic.the only stuff that will fit is polycarbonate in 2mm thickness as it will bend through the hatch.In that size it is £110/$200 just for the plastic.The other solution i have found is a product called film glaze which you can stretch over the frame and seal it.(it goes as tight as a drum) but obviously the material is not as strong (punctures).But once it hung it will be left alone so i may go with that to start with.

[callmemeier]

RAD frame

the consideration in this project is i didnt want to compress the padded wheat or boullion.the flag hangs naturally in a deep frame suspended by many small clamps.i think it would work better with a flag without boullion due to i had to clip it to the backside and i cant say what the long term effects to the cloth might be,but it does make for an attractive 3d display.