Mounting medals

[Mike_E]

Hi all,

well after two years of searching the web, posting on various forums, and placing adverts in medal magazines, I've begun purchasing replacements for my Grandfathers and Fathers medals. I won't go into why I don't have them, but it involves a Step Mother.....|banghead|

What I'd like to do is mount the medals along with some pictures of all three of us in Uniform, with images from our time in the Navy, Army and Air Force respectivly. I've found a set of instructions for Court Mounting on a couple of Forums, but they all seem to invole Glue and Cardboard, none of which I think are the right thing to use, and frankly some of the images I've looked at leave a little to be desired.

Grandad (still trying to confirm one of them) 3 medals, Dad has 7, but I think he didn't get one issued so might have 8 (checking this) and I have some myself.

Does anyone here know how to Court or Swing Mount, and are willing to write some instructions? I'll take pictures of the process when I do it, and then this can be made available to anyone else who might like to do a similar thing.

Oh, and what is Buckram? I've seen this mentioned. and where do I get it, as this seems to be a better option to the card & felt tip pens???I've read about in the mount process.

[v.wells]

Mike

You could use shadow boxes - these are picture frames with a deep inside and use sewing pins (no coloured ends) to pin the medals down. Use photo glue stick to protect them from adhering permanently. Scrapbookers may have better ideas!:)

[Jan1954]

Mike,

Buckram is a coarse cloth of linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue. The fact that it's stiffened means that if you fold it, it keeps it's shape. It used to be used in millinery, to line hats. I've also heard that it can be used in the making of the medal ribbon bars that are worn on their own, without the actual medals attached (there's most likely a proper name for these...)

You could probably pick some up at a haberdasher's or sewing shop.

[Neil Wilson]

Mike
Mine, I thought were card mounted, but after reading about buckram I realise that is how they are done. The ribbons are glued to the buckram and swing. I have a double pin at the top the ribbon which is about 30cm long. Hope that help.
P.S. they are in need of a clean, but I can't remove them, especially the bar to the GSM.

[Mike_E]

P.S. they are in need of a clean, but I can't remove them, especially the bar to the GSM.

Took me an Hour to clean Dads Miniatures ( I have them) I remember him having a special device to protect the ribbon from the Silver & Brasso cleaner, so I "Heath Robinsoned" one out of some plastic, and then wrapped the remaining medals in a soft cloth and cleaned one at a time. They look like new.

The 4 replacements (full size) that arrived the other day look and feel like the real thing, pehaps only slightly lighter. I compared my LSGC to Dads, and mine just tipped the scale against the Museum quality copies I've bought.

I'm gonna take a trip to the local fabric shop, and perhaps leave a card at the British Legion, they may have someone who can mount them for me at less than £5.00 each.

[Jan1954]

...perhaps leave a card at the British Legion, they may have someone who can mount them for me at less than £5.00 each.

The Royal British Legion has a Medal Consultant, who will offer advice for free.

Click on this link: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/content/Medals-516285.shtml and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

[Mike_E]

The Royal British Legion has a Medal Consultant, who will offer advice for free.


Even better, I'll drop them a line.

[Jan1954]

Even better, I'll drop them a line.

Let us know how you get on.