Does mounting tissue go bad?

[mark]

Title says it all.

I inherited a couple of boxes of mounting tissue that are about 30 years old. Is there any reason I should not use them, and will they still work? I tried to mount something and it popped right off. I was using a mickey moused set up so might have done something wrong.

Process:

Heavy sheet of metal heated to 225 in the oven
Piece of card stock under that
Photo
Tissue
Matt
foam core

I let the metal sit on top for a few minutes. When I took it off, the photo popped right off and the mounting tissue peeled right off the photo.

 

[Jorge]

Title says it all.

I inherited a couple of boxes of mounting tissue that are about 30 years old. Is there any reason I should not use them, and will they still work? I tried to mount something and it popped right off. I was using a mickey moused set up so might have done something wrong.

Process:

Heavy sheet of metal heated to 225 in the oven
Piece of card stock under that
Photo
Tissue
Matt
foam core

I let the metal sit on top for a few minutes. When I took it off, the photo popped right off and the mounting tissue peeled right off the photo.

Most likely it is your set up. Different tissues need different temperatures. Tissue this old most likely requires a very hot press somewhere in the 250 ºF or more. Having said that, sometimes the glue becomes brittle and as you say goes bad.

 

[thedarkroomstudios]

If the card stock was cold, it most likley absorbed the greatest majority of heat. Quick-test, use your iron on a corner and see if it sticks. Beware old tissue is likely not acid-free. My advice: use only on non-essentials or give it to a student to use for homework.