Suggestion How to incorporate a stretched canvas into a Nielsen 117

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Cavalier

Cavalier

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
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Apr 15, 2009
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Waterville, ME
So I made the mistake of showing a customer the Vivid 117 Cyber Green as a colour for her tree frog. She absolutely loves it and wants me to see if I can figure out a way to frame the canvas with it. If it were a panel, it would be a horse of a different colour, but it's a standard Fredricks' stretched canvas. She was willing to have it taken off the stretchers and mounted, but the canvas was actually very well stretched, and even though she got it from Costa Rica, it has the feeling of a real professional, not at all touristy.

Any ideas? She's REALLY in love with the Cyber green.
 
How thick is the canvas? If too thick for the frame, I would attach the canvas to a piece of masonite cut a shy half inch bigger than the canvas (center the canvas). Build up the masonite edges with foam board so it is equal to the height of the canvas. Place package into frame and call it a done deal.
 
The ready made versions of these frames don't have the back stuff in them, so if it's a standard size you can use one. Otherwise get your saw and welding equipment ready.
 
I was under the understanding that a stretched canvas would fit into a 117. Where is the hang up? Are the corners too thick on the canvas and need to be redone? Worst comes to worst you could restretch it onto a thin stretcher bar or strainer. But I thought the big selling point of the 117 was that they were designed to accommodate canvases.
 
Bob Doyle said:
But I thought the big selling point of the 117 was that they were designed to accommodate canvases.
Click to expand...

You are correct, but the thicker stretchers don't always fit.

I've also put a liner (or found a complimentary wood frame) around the canvas and then stacked the frames together. Metal around wood is pretty cool on the right piece.
 
OMG..I love that color too...Just gotta think of a painting that could carry it! Must be a deep stretcher,indeed. L.
 
Mik's idea will work well, but instead of Masonite of other chemically nasty sheeting, I'd screw Coroplast to the back of the stretcher using short screws and fender washers. You could also use the same material, lined wih 4-ply matboard, to make the filler strips on the inside of the frame's rabbet -- like shadowbox sides you can't see.
 
As I recall PaulSF did something with this frame, stacked in a floater frame.
 
The stretcher bars are too thick for the 117.

The customer came back in and decided to have it taken off the stretcher bars and have it mounted on Gatorboard. Apparently it was a tourist piece, albeit one of the better ones I've seen.
 
I have fit a canvas into a Nielsen Vivid frame, which I then stacked inside another Vivid, but the stretcher bars for the canvas were just the right size.

What you might do is put a liner on the stretched canvas, put the liner into the 117, and then put another wood frame around the 117. That way, the 117 provides an accent color. I know, 3 frames, may turn out too expensive, but it would look hella cool.
 
I usually just restretch on a thinner bar to fit inside the 117s. Because those colors are so totally cool - love the Vivids and also the Elements line.

Would use the Nielsen floaters more frequently but they are so severely limited to color. Dang. I could sell the heck out of Vivid floaters. YES!!!
 
If you have a table saw, you could stand the painting on edge and rip off just enough of the stretcher about 1/2 deep (Blade 1/2 inch up) to make it juuuuust fit under the lip of the frame.

I would suggest protecting the face of the canvas with a piece of scrap mat board to keep from scratching it on the fence.
 
Be very careful. You shouldn't even get close to the staples if you're taking say 1/8 off the back side of the stretcher bar.
 
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