Question Extending Canvas Edges for Restretching

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Verdaccio

Verdaccio

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
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Berthoud, Colorado
Hello Everyone!

I have a canvas that needs restretching, but the original artist/framer cut the canvas off at the back edge. I need to adhere strips of canvas to the edges in order to restretch it tight.

Wondering if anyone has suggestions on method for adhering the strips? Should I sew them on, or use a fabric adhesive? Worried a bit about the strength of gluing them...what are your thoughts?

:)
 
Tacking margin

The first and best option is to refer this job to a painting conservator. All other options involve risk. Sewing will puntcute the painting and plastic based glues have unknown conponents that may present problems. It may be possible to adhere strips of painting linen to the back of the canvas, using un-thinned cooked hinging starch, but this can only work if the painting has no vulnerablility to water, no cracking, and no cleavage of its paint film. Any such process must be practiced thoroughly, before it is undertaken with anything of value.



Hugh

Verdaccio said:
Hello Everyone!

I have a canvas that needs restretching, but the original artist/framer cut the canvas off at the back edge. I need to adhere strips of canvas to the edges in order to restretch it tight.

Wondering if anyone has suggestions on method for adhering the strips? Should I sew them on, or use a fabric adhesive? Worried a bit about the strength of gluing them...what are your thoughts?

:)
Click to expand...
 
Hugh,

Thanks for your reply. Certainly if this canvas had considerable value then I would not have taken the job and would have referred the client to a conservator. However, it is a Chinese produced painting with not much value other than the customer likes it and was unhappy that the stretching had gotten so loose.

So this is one of those "get the job done" situations where I am looking for a reasonable solution that gives my customer what they want and will be good enough quality work that I do not get it back in 2 years.

I have done canvas lining myself, but the whole canvas, not just edge strips. This canvas has enough parts of it stretched out that I am uncomfortable with lining the whole canvas and simply want to extend the edges out so I can get a sufficient grip on it to stretch it tighter than it was before. :)
 
Striplining is easy enough. We frequently use this method on cheap tourist stuff that has little or no margin. Use 8xx screen printing polyester and 2.5 mil BEVA 371 film adhesive. The polyester is thin, stable, and load-bearing and BEVA is flexible and provides good adhesion. It is heat sealed at 65 degrees centigrade.

Talas is a good source for BEVA ... or maybe Rob Markoff is still selling small volume kits of both the film and the polyester.

Here's an interesting related article from the Tate
 
Hello Andrew,

Thanks for your reply as well! I was glad to read your link for the striplining technique. I don't have any BEVA at this point, but I do have either acrylic polymer or Frank's Fabric Glue. In the past, I have used straight acrylic polymer for canvas relining. I am wondering if either of those would work for this application...
 
Having taken Rob's strip lining class, I can tell you that I have never seen anything like BEVA. I can't imagine any glue or mounting adhesive being 1/2 as strong as BEVA.
 
question extending Canvas Edges for Restretching

I have sewn on fabric strips to extend the canvas in order to stretch. Just pick a fabric scrap that is of a similar or lighter weight than the "canvas" and stretch carefully.

Obviously you have to use your head on this--clearly you want to consult a conservator on anything of value. I only do this with the $50 paintings picked up on vacation. I just took one from Haiti picked up on a mission trip that looks like it was painted on a bedsheet.
 
Yeh I know you can look for alternative adhesives, materials, methods, but seriously why mess around ... use a tried and true technique: BEVA/8xx ... it's simple, reliable, quick ... materials are readily available ... did you read the article from The Tate that I listed earlier? ... here's an extract (emphasis is mine) "Strip-lining is often done with polyester canvas and BEVA adhesive (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer). This has proved to be effective over many years. ... There is always the question of how far to extend the strip lining into the picture plane. It must be far enough to carry the load across the weak edges. Deformation in plane at the strip-lining edge is much less of a problem with thin polyester and flexible ethylene vinyl acetate."
 
Sewing on fabric to the edge espcially if using a machine with create a perforated edge that will severely weaken the canvas.
 
At the risk of sounding barbaric........ If it is only cheap touristy junk canvas which has already lost its tension once it will probably do it again and again until the paint starts to fall of.

Why not glue it down onto a piece of MDF or, if you want a bit more class, Kapafix, then put a frame around it and it will probably last for years.
 
Thanks for the additional replies.

Gluing it down to a board was my first choice, but the canvas has stretched in areas where it will not lay down flat. I called and spoke to the folks at Franks and they believe that their adhesive will hold. So for this project, I am going to use it, and get some BEVA on order.

Thanks for the help folks! :)
 
Andrew.... thank you for posting the link to the Tate article. Very informative.
 
Just wanted to report that I was able to use the Frank's Fabric glue to do the striplining of the canvas. It worked really well and the bond was very strong. Was able to restretch the canvas to a proper tautness and remove almost all of the rippling caused by the dimples. Customer was very pleased.

Thanks again to all of you for your advice. Will get some BEVA onboard for the next job, but wanted to report that the Frank's worked very well too. :)
 
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