Cloth badge backings

[badjez]

Rockape- I'd beware of blu-tack as it releases chemichal residues over time which stain cloth. I use folded masking tape. This does tend to dry out over the years but can be replaced without damage. If you can afford it, use paper/card which is acid free to mount them upon. I slide my cards into bantex plastic covers before storing them in A4 ring binders.

Stephen.

[David Tremain]

As someone who worked as a paper conservator restoring prints and drawings etc, I can tell you that while masking tape dries out over time and falls off, it can leave brown adhesive residues which require toxic solvents to remove. This also applies to textiles. Animal-based glues can be removed using a moist Q-Tip or cotton swab; if the water is warm that sometimes helps. If it's too wet, as was rightly pointed out, it can affect the badge i.e. if there are any water-soluble dyes in them they will run.

I still haven't mounted any of mine as I'm trying to figure out a safe way of doing it. I'm thinking of tacking them (i.e. sewing them) to a cloth background just with a couple of stitches to hold them in place. After all, they would've been sewn onto a uniform in the first place.

I've seen Blue Tack harden over time and is difficult to remove without taking off fibres with it (certainly on paper), so I'd avoid it.

There are "archival" tapes that can be bought from various suppliers (I think Conservation Resources, based near Oxford are still in business for those of you in the UK; there may be others.). Most of the ones in Canada are in and around Toronto (i.e. Carr MacLean). If you Google "archival tapes" you should find a supplier in your country. I haven't tried using them for mounting badges so can't vouch for how effective they are, but the adhesive should be more stable than masking tape or Scotch Tape (Sellotape). One that might work is 3M medical tape (the paper one), which is light and easy to peel off if necessary. I know we've used it for temporary repairs to paper artifacts and it comes off without any trouble, but I've never tried it on a cloth material.

Maybe I need to write something up on this. You can always PM me if you want to know more.

[Luc]

The paper backed insignia slipped my mind (never start a thread just befor bedtime ) Here they are.

I've soaked shoulder titles to remove glue as a test, it worked wonderfully well. They needed a good rinse afterwards with clean water to remove everything.
But in general I don't try to remove paper or glue or blue tack. If it shows to the front I cut it down a bit. Then I mount them using tiny pieces of double sided scotch. Padded insignia are kept in a Detolf (?) Ikea display cabinet.

[rockape560]

hi all,

many thanks for all the helpful advice.as always its very much apprecated.

philip

[fearnaught]

Hi, just a thought, but if the dye runs I would be very suspicious of the badge. I have found if it is inconvenient to leave it on whatever it's glued to, using a very sharp knife on whatever it's glued to will leave you with a very thin backing of glue which may be easier to attack from the back if at all necessary. Mike.

[Luc]

I had an original embroidered airborne strip once, the colours had run so badly it was completely maroon. With the aid of bleech I managed to restore it. It has to be done with great care as it can ruin the fabric.

[NEMO]

This is excellent Luc , think this should be an album ?
thanks for your efforts ,Nemo

[Luc]

All right, by popular request I'll start an album.

I hope members will contribute in this thread.