Good evening /diy/, /k/ommando here, any one here ever mount military patches/crests/badges in a frame before? I just bought three frames that have the glass about 1/2 inch from the backing.The backing is that hard stiff cardboard toy find on any store bought picture frame. I will probably hit up a craft store for some other color matting material to replace the cream colored mat in it as it's for a picture and has a large square cut in the middle, and some kind of adhesive. What I need is a recommendation on material and the glue/adhesive. I'm worried anything I use will stain the matting or leak through or stain the fabric patches I want to mount. I live in the midwest so lots of Hobby Lobby's and other craft store chains. Pic sort of related, it's a image of one of my old unit crests I wore on my beret and dress uniform. The motto translates as "Do Not Touch Me" in case anyone wanted to know.
>>972239
>crests/badges
The have a pin backing so just get something like cork and put it in the back of the frame. Cover it with a nice fabric or paper or something and push them right through.
>patches
Pins. Like for sewing. Paint the heads a matching color and push them threw the patch and into the cork.
>>972243
op here, honestly I wasn't even thinking of that, I was going to snap the posts off the back of the crests and glue them straight onto the mat, but now I guess I may have to look into that idea of cork. as far as the pins go, I guess if I use enough the patch shouldn't start to sag?
>>972247
I have a 1st Cav patch held up by 3 pins. Two at the top corners, one at the bottom. Its the largest patch in the US Army and its held up for several years without a problem. Patches tend to be pretty thick though, unless you get some knock off crap. They are stiff and hard to bend. If you have a floppy patch then its not a 'real' patch and will probably need more pins.
>>972251
>if you have a floppy patch then its not a 'real' patch and will probably need more pins
Op here, most all of my patches are the old BDU/DCU patches from my time in through the 90s and into the early 2000's. Those patchs are only stiff when new because they still have that glue backing. Also, I was a 1Cav trooper as well. 1/9 Cav back in the 90's.
>>972256
I was in back in '02-'06. 2-5 Cav., the red headed stepchild of 1st Brigade (mechanized infantry battalion in an armor brigade).
Maybe the standard for patches changed? When I had to replace some of my BDU and DCU tops due to wear the old patches were still pretty stiff even after a few years of laundering and I just sewed them onto new tops. When we switched to the ACU in '06 and they got the velcro backing they really got stiff. The only time I ever saw floppy patches was when people got shitty replacements made in Iraq. They tended to come apart after a year or so do to laundering though.
I just stretchted some "Veltex" fabric over a cork board. Could have probably made it look nicer by removing the frame first, then putting it back on over the fabric, but didn't care enough.
Ensignia with pins can be pushed through to the cork, the fabric was designed to work with the hook loop velcro like on modern morale patches, and I put sticky backed velcro strips on the back of older non-velcro patches and trim the strips to shape.
Picture related.
Veltex info: http://www.industrialwebbing.com/veltex-brand-loop-fabric/?gclid=CJDmn8qf9MsCFQUMaQodeb8PoQ
Padding and fabric. Nothing of mine is permanently attached to the cases.
