www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Icons & Iconography Mounting Icon Prints

Hello everyone:

Some time back there was a discussion about the best way to mount Icon prints none of which seemed very satisfactory to me. The question I have does anyone on the forum know what process and what material is used in the Icons that we are able to purchase?

In Christ:
Converted Viking

CV:

Christ is in our midst!!

Some of the ones people are able to buy have some kind of heat transfer system that seals them. It's similar to a set of altar cards I obtained from my parish when they renovated four decades ago. I tried to take the lamination off and found out that it had bound itself to the underlying wood in such a way that the wood splintered as the lamination cmae off.

So I suspect that there is some expensive piece of equipment that is employed.

Bob

I wonder if I could get them laminated at a place like Office Max? I think they have some lamination material that is not to thick or shiny. The conundrum is how to mount it to the wood.

Einar,

Bob (like me) should be old enough to remember decoupage. It was a process that was rampant back in the '60s and '70s. Seemed as though everyone who got married invariably received a gift (at least one) of a copy of their wedding invitation laminated to a board backing or a wooden box. It worked extraordinarily well - didn't discolor the invite - and those are still out there 40 and 50 years later (although not all the marriages they announced are).

The materials for it were inexpensive and are still available at every craft store (even in the craft section of Walmart, I believe) and it wasn't all that difficult to do. Required a bit of patience and a couple days of drying time, as I recollect.

Or, maybe this is one of the processes you've considered and rejected?

Many years,

Neil

Einar:

Christ is in our midst!!

We discussed the decoupage possibility on another thread that you may be able to locate on the board. As Neil mentioned, though, this may be something you've decided you don't like.

??

Bob

Neil

Got one of those. Marriage and invitation both going strong after 40 years.

Jim

I did a bit of searching and found a discussion on here
http://www.monachos.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-6150.html

Towards the bottom, there are some pretty good ideas using 3M™ Repositionable Spray Adhesive 75

My advice would be to use a spray adhesive like the 3M and shove it in a food saver vacuum bag. Vacuum it down and let it sit for a day. That should give it a uniform permanent stick to the wood.

Now my question. I have never heard of people doing this. Is this common? Once mounted, is the result blessed like a commercially available "Icon", used and venerated as an Icon? Or is it merely a religious image?

What ARE the rules of an Icon being legitimate, i.e. useable and venerable as an Icon? (I'm new to the world of iconology.)

rimlyanin:

I don't know the rules about legitimacy but I've mounted icon prints and given them as gifts. They are blessed in the same way as those written in egg tempera and paint done in monasteries.

The crucifixion icon I had blessed at the Greek Cathedral in Pittsburgh some years ago was placed in a special cabinet they kept for that purpose. The dean gave it back to me after 40 days. The icon I had blessed in a Russian parish (Our Lady of Aktirka) was placed somewhere in the altar area for the 40 days. Each time the Divine Liturgy is served these icons were censed with all the others in the temple. I know that they were also blessed with holy water and a prayer of blessing was recited with the Trisagion prayers.

A friend on the board gave me a beautiful icon of Christ with silver risa. It was blessed in the Ukrainian tradition by being placed on the Table of Oblation during the DL.

BOB

I use commercial wallpaper paste to paste my prints to the oak boards I use. I recommend vinyl paste since it doesn't make the prints as wet as regular wheat paste. And put it on with a brush very sparingly. I then take the little wooden roller you would use to make your wallpaper edges stick and carefully roll it tight to take away excess paste and make the paper stick without bubbling. I roll the entire print, starting at the middle and working in straight lines toward the edges overlapping as I go.

Bob

I have used the decoupage medium, but it has to have several coats, does not dry smooth, and has to be wet sanded when all coats are dry. I generally put an acrylic satin spray finish over that. It takes days! I would like to find an easier method.

I don't use decoupage for just that reason. There is a resin/acrylic product that I use--equal parts resin and hardner--that gives the effect of a number of decoupage coats all in one application. The only drawback is that you have to be totally ready to use it since once you mix the two parts together it tends to set up very quickly and can harden in the container you mix it if you're not careful. You also must be careful about what you finish this on since it will harden and stick to anything it lands on. I use an old sheet blanket to absorb any drips.

Once done, however, the finish has a lot of depth. It's also easy to repair if it is somehow dented. The icon can be placed in a warm oven and gently heated to relevel the material after it is damaged.

Bob