Resolved Filling out Canvas Float Frames

[Mary Beth van der Horst]

I feel like I'm lacking an incredibly basic piece of knowledge here.

Obviously many canvas float frames are different depths, and most of the time people like the canvas to be close to(but not quite flush) with the surface of the moulding. Not talking gaps, here, but the level of the painting face with the moulding face.

In order to elevate the canvas up to the desired level, what do you put behind it? Considering they're usually fitted with screws, my brain says no foamcore--that'll just get compressed or distorted when I try to drill through that layer... until I saw someone on Instagram the other day fitting a float and it looked like they just ATG'd strips of foamcore to the bottom surface of the float frame before dropping in and centering the canvas. Here I was agonizing about finding some wood strips or something that would be the perfect depth. But is everyone else just using pieces of foamcore??

 

[Al B]

Once in awhile you have to put a piece of foam core in, but I find it better not to.

 

[Ylva]

I have offset clips in many sizes and usually use that, the few times I sell a floater frame

 

[David Waldmann]

Our float frame mouldings are assembled and then finished on a per-order basis. This allows us to modify the depth as needed. We do that a LOT

We also can modify the width of the face or use a thicker or thinner platform. We do this less frequently but still fairly regularly.

Getting back to an answer, we do have customers that use strainer stock (D4S material) to raise the canvas. This would be either because they are using a pre-finished (not by us) floater, or they are trying to match existing frames.

 

[Jim Miller]

You can cut strips of matboard and stack them as needed to achieve the depth you want. You can drill through the stack to hold the pieces in position. Conservation matboard recommended.

 

[Mary Beth van der Horst]

OK heard. It sounds like the general consensus is using a denser material than foamcore when necessary. I've always tried to pair the right floater with the right depth stretcher in the past, but I recently had a design change after stretching the canvas, and rather than redo that mess, I've got to raise the canvas up by 1/2" to meet the customer's expectations with the new floater. I ended up finding some 1/4" x 3/4" pine for screen trim at Lowe's, but started second guessing if I'm overthinking everything. I feel better now, like I was on the right track. I may end up putting a layer of conservation mat board or just aluminum sealing tape between the wood spacers and the canvas to help acid migration still.

 

[wpfay]

I may end up putting a layer of conservation mat board or just aluminum sealing tape between the wood spacers and the canvas to help acid migration still.

I think you are overthinking this one.
Canvases stretched for floater frames have really good air flow all around the art, so any acid gasses generated from wooden components will quickly dissipate and not accelerate oxidation.
The only place you could effectively use metalized tape would be on the stretcher where the raw (unprimed) side of the canvas makes contact.

As far as crating lifts for the stretcher, I agree with Jim in principle about using non-donor materials, but I would not run them continuously around the back of the stretcher. I would only use them where the mechanical fasteners are attached. Cutting mat board coins with your CMC (maybe use a paper punch to make the center hole) gives you a bunch of washers to stack between the back of the stretcher and the lip of the floater. I have an old mechanical coin and circle cutter I use to do this.

 

[snafu]

I use plastic tubing I get from Home Depot

 

[Nikodeumus]

I use plastic tubing I get from Home Depot

That is very clever!

 

[Nikodeumus]

I have cut a "backfill frame" for lifting a canvas twice.
I used LJ strainer 70001.
Cut just slightly smaller than the canvas size, then painted the edges that would be visible from the front black.

 

[alacrity8]

I use stretcher bar, and strainer

 

[Rick Granick]

I use plastic tubing I get from Home Depot

Glad you posted that. I was just going to suggest it. Simple but effective.
Rick

 

[Worbeye]

I have offset clips in many sizes and usually use that, the few times I sell a floater frame

I'm with Ylva on this one, putting some offsets at various points on the frame help make a platform to sit on and not be obstructive

 

[Mary Beth van der Horst]

@Worbeye Ohhhhh... now I get it. Thank you for the picture. I really wasn't sure how it worked with just offsets before.

 

[Nikodeumus]

I'm with Ylva on this one, putting some offsets at various points on the frame help make a platform to sit on and not be obstructive

Smort!

 

[monkframe]

I had a customer come in with a digital photo print glued to a grey cardboard box as a sort of a gallery wrap. She wanted a floater, and I'm looking at this thing, which she treasured as it was a print of a photo she took in Sicily. There's nothing to go into, in terms of wood stretcher, so I glued the thing into the custom Neilsen chop I had ordered to fit it! Talk about anti-museum framing, she loved it. Sometimes we do whatever works.

 

[Dostie Bros.]

We keep a box of Larson bracer bar (item 6012) on hand for this very purpose, they are 1/2 thick and work well. Cut slightly smaller than the stretcher bars and screw right into the canvas stretcher, then screw through the bottom of the frame into the bracer bar.

 

[snafu]

I'm with Ylva on this one, putting some offsets at various points on the frame help make a platform to sit on and not be obstructive

The offsets are screwed to the floater frame.
How is the canvas held in place?

 

[Ylva]

The offsets are screwed to the floater frame.
How is the canvas held in place?

With the other side of the offsets, screwed into the stretcher bar

 

[Ylva]

Either way works, behind or top (depending on screw length and thickness of the bottom of floater frame of course.

 

[Echobelly]

I had a customer come in with a digital photo print glued to a grey cardboard box as a sort of a gallery wrap. She wanted a floater, and I'm looking at this thing, which she treasured as it was a print of a photo she took in Sicily. There's nothing to go into, in terms of wood stretcher, so I glued the thing into the custom Neilsen chop I had ordered to fit it! Talk about anti-museum framing, she loved it. Sometimes we do whatever works.

I'm working on one of those now, there's a website that sells digital prints basically on a pizza box, no wood. Of course the customer wants a floater. I screw from behind as if it were a wood stretcher, but put a bead of wood glue all around the bottom edge of the "painting". The screws hold it in place till the glue sets.

 

[Worbeye]

I use a screw long enough to go through the frame and into the stretcher bars of the canvas, it was hard to see in my other photo so here's a better one, and with how it looks finished in the back

The offsets are screwed to the floater frame.
How is the canvas held in place?

 

[monkframe]

I'm working on one of those now, there's a website that sells digital prints basically on a pizza box, no wood. Of course the customer wants a floater. I screw from behind as if it were a wood stretcher, but put a bead of wood glue all around the bottom edge of the "painting". The screws hold it in place till the glue sets.

That's good, I think I just positioned and weighted the one I did.