Anyone know the best way to stretch canvas over a wooden frame?
In the past I've used hardboard for painting in oils,but this has become an expensive way to paint and I've now had to resort to canvas as its cheaper this way now.
The canvas has to be taut on the frame otherwise the oils will crack if its loose
I haven't done it in years, but there are special, very wide, pliers-type tools used for this.
Cut your canvas a few inches wider than your stretchers.
Mark the centres of both frame and canvas.
Staple the centre of one side. Stretch canvas taut, using big pliers-thing; staple opposite centre. Repeat for the other two sides.
Again pull canvas taut, and staple about halfway between a corner and the centre staple - repeat for all four sides.
Pull canvas and staple between the staples just put in, and the centres.
Pull canvas and staple midway between corner and nearest staple....continue as needed, depending on size of frame.
The idea is to stretch evenly all around, finishing by mitreing the corners.
Don't suppose you can remember the name of the pliers or a URL to go to to see whether I can knock up a similiar tool?
Cheers for the info.
Search the web for tutorials on silk screening. A similar technique is used to stretch the screen onto a frame.
Sussed. :-)
4' piece of wood with a wood clamping bar underneath,and a 1" half round wood bar ontop of the 4' piece of wood to aid the stretching of the canvas and the pin/staple it when stretched taut.I'm a genius Bloody magic!
Did you see in the silk screen tutorials that they wet the fabric during stretching?
Sorry Tony didn't search for silk screening tutorial,searched for stretching canvas and came across this.
I thought that picture frames were also slotted along the mitre and held in alignment by a loose wedge. Once the canvas was initially tightened, driving the wedges home would then stretch it that little bit more.
Colin Bignell
wet canvas shrinks on drying too, if thats any help.
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