Mount Mysteries- Any Ideas?

I have in the past alluded to issues I have when using mounts. Somehow they just do not seem to work for me as well as they do for others. Maybe my expectations are unreal when it comes to how a page looks when using them.

When using Split back mounts I always have an issue with the bottom sticking out from the page, even after being in place for days. I thought I'd found an easy solution to this by buying mounts (clear) a size or two taller than the stamp, I was very happy with the result. Recently the problem occurs even on those. I am finding this seems specific to certain sized stamps, anything less than 30 or so mm high will cause the mount to stick out. Larger stamps and blocks do not present this issue.

It is so bad I have taken to putting a very slight moisture on the lower flap to adhere it to the page and prevent it from standing out.

To complicate matters I also have problems with open top mounts. On those the front of the mount often stands out from the page. Sometimes to a degree that it fails to secure the stamp. I don't get that on Lighthouse albums, but I do when trying to use open tops on my other pages. I have to wonder if there has been some change in how these are manufactured. Maybe some lighter weight material?

Possibly some reading this may not be able to visualize what I m talking about. Hopefully someone may have some ideas of what's going on.

I do not understand the above. Can you try again?
(perhaps your stamp is too large for the split back, causing the mount to buckle?)




Yes, I encounter this quite often, I also cut Showguard horizontally, to increase my stock by 100%.
I use all sorts of stock, Lighthouse, Hawid, Davo, etc, so I am not aware of the make that does this.
I do know the gum that welds the mounts is water solvent, so perhaps it is humidity?
I use sheet protectors so it does not become an issue.

I use split-back mounts, and I attach them to the page with double-sided scrapbooking tape. To keep the bottom from sticking out, I place a tiny piece of tape on the bottom as well.

No,the problem is not due to my trying to use a mount that is too small. If anything, I use mounts one or two mm taller than the stamp. In many cases the mount still sticks out from the page. This happens on smaller stamps, on stamps above 30 mm or so, it is not an issue. That's the best job I can do to explain what I am seeing.

Someone mentioned humidity. I have been doing a lot of my remounting in the past few weeks while stuck inside due to the weather and an ankle sprain. Could some of these issues be in part due to inside dryness?

I don't see anyone else posting about anything like this. It has to be something I'm doing wrong. I am not doing a very good job of describing the issue, apparently. Maybe someone else who has had this situation can help. I can always moisten the bottom flap on the problem mounts, I just don't like doing that.

I, as well.
especially with larger format issues, Souvenir sheets etc.
The piece needs only be 2mm wide.

I have to say, Postmaster, the double sided tape is the "tip of 2017" for me,
Increased my accuracy of alignment, and made it all round more enjoyable mounting. (The Uhu paste...into the bin)

Well done you.

Glad to hear it's working out for you, Rod. I don't know how I used mounts before I discovered the tape.

When I've run into that, I just lick my finger a little and run it across the bottom half of the split-back and push it back down

Me too! I use the 'open top' Hawid clear mounts attached using "Postmaster's tape" and it works great. I have already had to redo a page and was able to pull off the mount and reuse it thanks to using this tape.

Its so nice that we can all learn new things from each other

Yes, Isn't that great Chris.
I find I can lay the mount on the page, and shift or "toggle" it around with my tongs, when it is in the right position, lightly press and the tape adheres.
Magic!

I guess I will need to keep doing the damp fingertip to attach the bottom flaps on the problem mounts.

What I have noticed is that this isn't happening on mounts more than 30-32 mm high. I wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the minute weight of the mount being great enough at that point to weigh down the stamp in it and force it flat. Odd I have never seen anyone else talk about this. That's what made it seem it was something I was doing wrong. Apparently not.

"What I have noticed is that this isn't happening on mounts more than 30-32 mm high. I wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the minute weight of the mount being great enough at that point to weigh down the stamp in it and force it flat."

On a small mount, the bottom half of the mount is pretty lightweight so it may sit up off the page a bit. On a large mount, the bottom half is a good deal heavier, so it lays down. That suggests that the clear (front) side of the mount is curved a little upward. Have you tried to use your fingernail to "curve" the mount from the back side the way you can do with paper by stroking along one side of the paper to make the paper curve in that direction? ( I think that's right) Or just hold each mount before you insert the stamp and curve it backwards gently to take out any front curve. If you can figure out a way to store your pre-cut mounts so that they curve backwards, that might also help solve the problem. LIne up a few dozen mounts, clamp them gently in something (rubber bands might work) just enough to curve them slightly the way you want. Leave them there for awhile and see if that solves the problem.

If none of this is useful, using the glue on the bottom of the mount may be your only option to get them to lie down flat. If the bottom of my stamp mounts were sitting above the page in a noticeable way, I'd wet my finger and put a dab or two of moisture under each one and then press down. Careful you don't wet the stamp, though! That could be bad. Also be aware that doing that may make it harder to remove the stamp later since both top and bottom will now be glued. Ideally, you'd want to avoid that, I'd think.

It could be. I normally work on stamps at 400 ft elevation on the wet west side of Oregon- no problem. When I go to my isolated cabin during the summer in eastern Oregon at 4000 feet where there is very low humidity, everything curls.

In the winter, depending where you live, especially colder dryer places, there can be low humidity.