DIY #1: Dry mounting at home!

I was going to take my own pictures and write a fancy blog article about the ease of dry mounting at home, but I've found that someone has beaten me to it. Here's a 15 minute video outlining the whole process: http://www.depressing.org/archives/mounting56k.wmv

I'll summarize the important points for you, but I'm going to assume you already know the basic steps of dry mounting the traditional way. ( Here is a quick rundown: http://www.itg.uiuc.edu/help/drymounting/ )

I developed this same technique myself about six months ago because it seemed like a straightforward concept. I thought, "I've got an iron. Why won't that work?" And the answer is it works fine with a few pointers.

You will need:
A print to be mounted ( I've only gone up to 8x12 in. )
A piece of matte board
Drymounting adhesive tissue
A ruler
A household iron
An ironing board or heat-safe surface to work on
A blank piece of paper larger than the print

It would be helpful to have:
A paper cutter ( for trimming your print and tissue )
A T-ruler for centering and leveling your print

Tips:
1) Be sure to use a blank piece of paper between your iron and your print. Paper with any kind of ink on it may damage your print.
2) When you print is tacked in place and you're ready to really apply the heat, start in the center of the print and work circularly out to the edges. This will prevent air bubbles and creasing of the print.
3) Do a test mounting with a small print of the same print material as your enlargement. Different paper stocks will respond differently to this process. The 8x10s I get cost $5, which is just enough for me to be concerned about ruining one.
4) Set your iron to the 'synthetic' setting and be sure to keep it moving while heating the print.
5) When finished the print will tend to curl as the adhesive cools. Place a heavy book or other object on the print to help it cool flat. Some curling is inevitable however.

* Remember, dry mounting is a permanent process. Whatever you're mounting your print to is going to be its new background forever.