I have an order of 5 canvas' to stretch. 3 are 13x36 and 2 are 13x25. I really really do not like to stretch canvas because of the pain I get in my hands. Sometimes I use canvas pliers but there's only 1/2" of canvas to wrap so I will be using hands. I'm wondering how you all price wrapping canvas on your stretchers. Also if you have any tips to make this easier.
Stretching canvas on bars
- Thread starter piper
- Start date
framah
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Charge more for them giving you canvas that is too small and thus needs you to use your hands to pull it. PITA factor is involved here.
Whatever you normally charge to do the job, add another $20 PER PIECE for the hand cramps.
Whatever you normally charge to do the job, add another $20 PER PIECE for the hand cramps.
Rob Markoff
PFG, Picture Framing God
Are you using stretcher bars or strainer bars? With so little selvedge there is no way you can get a proper stretch on a strainer. It is not the painting's fault!
Are you pinning the canvas to the bars first? You will find it much easier to pin, adjust, leave on the bars for a few hours to a day, then staple and key the bars much easier on your hands and especially on the painting.
Repeat after me - canvas pliers are evil, canvas pliers are evil.
They have no place in stretching other than for unstretched canvas. It is entirely too easy to pull the canvas out from under the paint. You may not see the damage you have caused immediately, but it is very possible to damage a canvas without knowing that you have done so.
I think you should also learn to strip line using Beva 371 2.5mm film and 8XX polyester. It is the proper way to extend a tacking margin that is too small.
In my experience, too many framers try to "make it work" and:
- build a fixed strainer bar (and call it a stretcher because that's what is easiest to get) then over pull the painting onto it
- use a pre-manufactured bar that is not the right size (especially to restretch paintings from Europe that were originally painted on metric bars)
- order bars that are too large and force the painting onto them
- or just do not understand how to put a painting onto a keyable or mechanical bar and gently key it to tension
You CAN order keyable stretcher bars that are fractional inch bars to the correct size just like a chop.
http://www.fosterplaningmill.com/default2.asp?active_page_id=80 is one resource.
www.simonliuinc.com makes beautiful mechanical stretchers. And there others.
Are you pinning the canvas to the bars first? You will find it much easier to pin, adjust, leave on the bars for a few hours to a day, then staple and key the bars much easier on your hands and especially on the painting.
Repeat after me - canvas pliers are evil, canvas pliers are evil.
They have no place in stretching other than for unstretched canvas. It is entirely too easy to pull the canvas out from under the paint. You may not see the damage you have caused immediately, but it is very possible to damage a canvas without knowing that you have done so.
I think you should also learn to strip line using Beva 371 2.5mm film and 8XX polyester. It is the proper way to extend a tacking margin that is too small.
In my experience, too many framers try to "make it work" and:
- build a fixed strainer bar (and call it a stretcher because that's what is easiest to get) then over pull the painting onto it
- use a pre-manufactured bar that is not the right size (especially to restretch paintings from Europe that were originally painted on metric bars)
- order bars that are too large and force the painting onto them
- or just do not understand how to put a painting onto a keyable or mechanical bar and gently key it to tension
You CAN order keyable stretcher bars that are fractional inch bars to the correct size just like a chop.
http://www.fosterplaningmill.com/default2.asp?active_page_id=80 is one resource.
www.simonliuinc.com makes beautiful mechanical stretchers. And there others.
Dan Berg
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Tons of tips. So many that its hard to cover everything in an 8 hour workshop.
Are they inkjet prints on canvas?
Are they inkjet prints on canvas?