strip lining canvass with BEVA and polyester mesh
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- Start date
GeneWilliams
Grumbler
This is a very useful tool for framing canvases that do not have enough tacking margin to stretch the canvas in the first place. BEVA is a heat activated adhesive strip that is fully reversible with heat. The poly is then attached to to other side of the BEVA strip, giving you a tacking margin! It takes minutes to do, however the materials are expensive.
How do I know this? The San Diego Chapter of the PPFA held a educational seminar and I attended. A month later a canvas that had deteriorated around it's edges came into my shop. Instead of saying "this canvas needs to be sent out to a conservator," or "I'm sorry, I can't stretch this and I'm not willing to glue it to a substrate," I said "We can take care of this for you." Plus I solf them a $750.00 frame!
Take the class!!!!!
Gene Williams, CPF
Mitre & Bevel
How do I know this? The San Diego Chapter of the PPFA held a educational seminar and I attended. A month later a canvas that had deteriorated around it's edges came into my shop. Instead of saying "this canvas needs to be sent out to a conservator," or "I'm sorry, I can't stretch this and I'm not willing to glue it to a substrate," I said "We can take care of this for you." Plus I solf them a $750.00 frame!
Take the class!!!!!
Gene Williams, CPF
Mitre & Bevel
Framerguy
PFG, Picture Framing God
Gene,
When you say the materials are "expensive", how expensive are they?
And how do they come packaged as far as quantity goes?
Where does one order these strips?
Does the BEVA go on the reverse of the canvas with the polyester extender strip attaching to it on the front side of the canvas or by butting up against the canvas?
This sounds like a product that would be very useful to a framer and I am wondering if it could also be used to extend the edges of cross stitch and other fabric pieces that come in with very little or no margins on them?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Framerguy
When you say the materials are "expensive", how expensive are they?
And how do they come packaged as far as quantity goes?
Where does one order these strips?
Does the BEVA go on the reverse of the canvas with the polyester extender strip attaching to it on the front side of the canvas or by butting up against the canvas?
This sounds like a product that would be very useful to a framer and I am wondering if it could also be used to extend the edges of cross stitch and other fabric pieces that come in with very little or no margins on them?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Framerguy
Rebecca
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Hi Framerguy,
That's a good question about the needle work, and the answer is no. Beva would be too strong and invasive.
Hand stitching add-on handling edges in a zig-zag stitch is still the best answer for robust textiles.
I hope the PPFA is using a paintings conservator to teach the class, or at the very least has one readily available for consultation. It's always good to learn new skills, but its also good to have a sense of where the skill set limits are.
Rebecca
Did that sound snooty? It wasn't intended that way. Mental note to insert appropriate gremlin...
[ 10-13-2003, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Rebecca ]
That's a good question about the needle work, and the answer is no. Beva would be too strong and invasive.
Hand stitching add-on handling edges in a zig-zag stitch is still the best answer for robust textiles.
I hope the PPFA is using a paintings conservator to teach the class, or at the very least has one readily available for consultation. It's always good to learn new skills, but its also good to have a sense of where the skill set limits are.
Rebecca
Did that sound snooty? It wasn't intended that way. Mental note to insert appropriate gremlin...
[ 10-13-2003, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Rebecca ]
Framerguy
PFG, Picture Framing God
Thanks Rebecca, I did some searching on the net and came up with BEVA 371 adhesive sheeting at the Talas website
Gene was right. The cost of a 27"x20' roll is about $95.00 and you haven't bought the polyester mesh yet. But, it still seems like a good product for lengthening the margins of canvasses.
Rebecca, does the mesh hold up under the strain of stretching? I have to put quite a bit of tension on some canvasses to get them taut. Will the mesh hold up to this kind of constant tension?
Framerguy
Gene was right. The cost of a 27"x20' roll is about $95.00 and you haven't bought the polyester mesh yet. But, it still seems like a good product for lengthening the margins of canvasses.
Rebecca, does the mesh hold up under the strain of stretching? I have to put quite a bit of tension on some canvasses to get them taut. Will the mesh hold up to this kind of constant tension?
Framerguy
Rebecca
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Ah, and think of that $95 in 3rd world Canadian dollars!
About the mesh, I'm not sure what it is, so don't know about strength. I think the paintings conservators around here use polyester sail cloth - thin but strong. That should be pretty easy to get in Florida
. The Beva bond is very strong, and should stand up to the necessary stretching.
I think one problem might be judging the strength of the canvas right next to the strip lining. It would be such a drag to have the canvas split there , after having strengthened the tacking edge.
I'll ask some painting conservators about the lining materials they use, and if adjacent tearing could be a problem.
Rebecca
About the mesh, I'm not sure what it is, so don't know about strength. I think the paintings conservators around here use polyester sail cloth - thin but strong. That should be pretty easy to get in Florida
. The Beva bond is very strong, and should stand up to the necessary stretching. I think one problem might be judging the strength of the canvas right next to the strip lining. It would be such a drag to have the canvas split there , after having strengthened the tacking edge.
I'll ask some painting conservators about the lining materials they use, and if adjacent tearing could be a problem.
Rebecca
This seems to fit the bill for textiles also
Beva 371 Solution
The only adhesive specifically formulated to meet the requirements of art conservation professionals, and since 1970 is the most widely used over the world. This material has been extensively tested and published in professional literature. Developed as a relining adhesive has now found numerous other applications, such as mounting of paper to canvas, textile to textile, canvas to wood. Can be applied by brush, roller, or thinned and sprayed into place. BEVA can be removed from absorbent surfaces using hexane or acetone, provided these solvents do not damage the artwork involved. It is also reversible by heat and low-aromatic solvents.
This material ships as a hazardous material.
Beva 371 Solution
The only adhesive specifically formulated to meet the requirements of art conservation professionals, and since 1970 is the most widely used over the world. This material has been extensively tested and published in professional literature. Developed as a relining adhesive has now found numerous other applications, such as mounting of paper to canvas, textile to textile, canvas to wood. Can be applied by brush, roller, or thinned and sprayed into place. BEVA can be removed from absorbent surfaces using hexane or acetone, provided these solvents do not damage the artwork involved. It is also reversible by heat and low-aromatic solvents.
This material ships as a hazardous material.
Rebecca
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Gumby, I think the info in your post is supplied by the manufacturer, who would have a certain bias..
There aren't many textile or paper conservators who would use BEVA. Certainly not for normal mainstream applications. There are usually better alternatives available.
One of its tackifiers is derived from wood resin, so there are yellowing concerns.
Rebecca
There aren't many textile or paper conservators who would use BEVA. Certainly not for normal mainstream applications. There are usually better alternatives available.
One of its tackifiers is derived from wood resin, so there are yellowing concerns.
Rebecca
preservator
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Rebecca's cautions should be headed, here. Any old
canvas that has lost its tacking margins is likely to have weakened fabric, everywhere. Will
the remaining cotton or linen be strong enough
to bond to the new material without pulling it
apart when the stretching begins? If this expensive material were applied to the entire
back of the old canvas, would stretching lead
to the creation of puckers or losses of bond?
Old canvases are extremely tricky, since the glue
layer between the fabric and the paint so often
becomes brittle and likely to flake. Conservators
are extensively trained to take on the risks of
such items and they should take care of works of
art and artifacts that are broken or degraded.
Remember that such jobs are all labor (low profit)
and no materials (high profit). When the value of
the item justifies the costs of conservation, it
will also justify the use of a new frame, rewarding the framer handsomely.
Hugh
canvas that has lost its tacking margins is likely to have weakened fabric, everywhere. Will
the remaining cotton or linen be strong enough
to bond to the new material without pulling it
apart when the stretching begins? If this expensive material were applied to the entire
back of the old canvas, would stretching lead
to the creation of puckers or losses of bond?
Old canvases are extremely tricky, since the glue
layer between the fabric and the paint so often
becomes brittle and likely to flake. Conservators
are extensively trained to take on the risks of
such items and they should take care of works of
art and artifacts that are broken or degraded.
Remember that such jobs are all labor (low profit)
and no materials (high profit). When the value of
the item justifies the costs of conservation, it
will also justify the use of a new frame, rewarding the framer handsomely.
Hugh
Rebecca
This is a huge problem in our world. Anything can be said in vague enough terms to be very miss leading. So even after doing research, experience still figures in just to sort out the half truths.
BY the way I am planning to continue my education. I have a BA. What was your undergraduate degree in and where did you get your conservation degree and in what area did you specialize?
This is a huge problem in our world. Anything can be said in vague enough terms to be very miss leading. So even after doing research, experience still figures in just to sort out the half truths.
BY the way I am planning to continue my education. I have a BA. What was your undergraduate degree in and where did you get your conservation degree and in what area did you specialize?
Rebecca
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Thanks Hugh -
Very clearly put.
James, my educational path was way too convoluted for efficiency - I don't recommend it to anyone! BA in English Lit, and one year leather and fiber arts. Had to go back for a diploma in Art History and my maths and science. Art Conservation school (MA) at Cooperstown NY (now in Buffalo), specialized in paper after a serious flirtation with objects. Never did cotton to paintings - too scary for me, all those glazes, blanching problems, cracking - brrr.
http://aic.stanford.edu/become/
This explains how to become a conservator in the US, but there are other options (Canada, Europe) depending on mobility and language skills. If that interests you e-mail and I'll send you the list.
It is still possible to apprentice train, but this is increasingly rare. Still, if there is someone reputable near you.. There is the Intermuseum Conservation Associates in Oberlin 440 775 7331 that may have some ideas too.
Good Luck,
Rebecca
Very clearly put.
James, my educational path was way too convoluted for efficiency - I don't recommend it to anyone! BA in English Lit, and one year leather and fiber arts. Had to go back for a diploma in Art History and my maths and science. Art Conservation school (MA) at Cooperstown NY (now in Buffalo), specialized in paper after a serious flirtation with objects. Never did cotton to paintings - too scary for me, all those glazes, blanching problems, cracking - brrr.
http://aic.stanford.edu/become/
This explains how to become a conservator in the US, but there are other options (Canada, Europe) depending on mobility and language skills. If that interests you e-mail and I'll send you the list.
It is still possible to apprentice train, but this is increasingly rare. Still, if there is someone reputable near you.. There is the Intermuseum Conservation Associates in Oberlin 440 775 7331 that may have some ideas too.
Good Luck,
Rebecca
Rob Markoff
PFG, Picture Framing God
Well, since I am the one teaching the class in New England on the 27th, I guess I should jump in.
Rebecca and Hugh's points are well taken.....and, the conservators who introduced me to the world of BEVA and polyester mesh have also cautioned me that BEVA in the wrong hands can be a very bad thing......but then so can Nori paste, Hayaku hinging tissue, Micro Dot hinging or other framing materials currently available. What we need is a common sense approach to the proper use of the materials.
That being said, as framers, we also have to MAKE A LIVING. In my shop, I am regularly faced with "tourist" paintings that were purchased while in third world countries, or NEW European paintings that were painted on canvas that had no selvage and were removed from the stretcher bars and rolled for transportation. Not everyone/everything can afford/wants to spend or needs to go to a conservator for stretching.
The two examples above are a perfect case in point. First of all, the conservators I use are extremely busy and would probably decline to work on these examples. And, if they did, it would be WEEKS befoer they could get to them.
Secondly, I KNOW that the clients who only paid a few dollars for a "souvenier" of their trip are not about to pay what a conservator would charge for strip lining and stretching. Yet, as a framer, I do not want to lose the potential framing revenue that can come from a properly stretched painting.
For paintings not otherwise in need of conservation, the proper use of BEVA and polyester mesh by a competant framer to strip line new paintings or "tourist" paintings is a "tool" that competant framers should know about and have at their disposal.
Surely it is a better method than others I have read where other framers have suggested "sewing" strips of cloth to the edges of a canvas so it could be stretched. Mechanically sewing anything to the edges of a painting is inferior because the holes punched in the edges of the canvas are "perforating" the edge making it potentially weak and subject to tearing. It also yields a non uniform tension where the canvas cannot be stretched and tensioned properly.
Those San Diego PPFA Chapter members who attended the workshop we offered (taught by a professional painting conservator) learned SO much, including using BEVA and polyester mesh for strip lining, sources and proper use of keyable and mechanically adjustable stretcher bars, proper stretching techniques, proper insertion of stretcher keys and much more. These topics will be covered in New England on October 27th and I PROMISE that I will make sure that everyone who attends understands that I am in no way suggesting that framers use this technique in lieu of proper conservation.
Rebecca and Hugh's points are well taken.....and, the conservators who introduced me to the world of BEVA and polyester mesh have also cautioned me that BEVA in the wrong hands can be a very bad thing......but then so can Nori paste, Hayaku hinging tissue, Micro Dot hinging or other framing materials currently available. What we need is a common sense approach to the proper use of the materials.
That being said, as framers, we also have to MAKE A LIVING. In my shop, I am regularly faced with "tourist" paintings that were purchased while in third world countries, or NEW European paintings that were painted on canvas that had no selvage and were removed from the stretcher bars and rolled for transportation. Not everyone/everything can afford/wants to spend or needs to go to a conservator for stretching.
The two examples above are a perfect case in point. First of all, the conservators I use are extremely busy and would probably decline to work on these examples. And, if they did, it would be WEEKS befoer they could get to them.
Secondly, I KNOW that the clients who only paid a few dollars for a "souvenier" of their trip are not about to pay what a conservator would charge for strip lining and stretching. Yet, as a framer, I do not want to lose the potential framing revenue that can come from a properly stretched painting.
For paintings not otherwise in need of conservation, the proper use of BEVA and polyester mesh by a competant framer to strip line new paintings or "tourist" paintings is a "tool" that competant framers should know about and have at their disposal.
Surely it is a better method than others I have read where other framers have suggested "sewing" strips of cloth to the edges of a canvas so it could be stretched. Mechanically sewing anything to the edges of a painting is inferior because the holes punched in the edges of the canvas are "perforating" the edge making it potentially weak and subject to tearing. It also yields a non uniform tension where the canvas cannot be stretched and tensioned properly.
Those San Diego PPFA Chapter members who attended the workshop we offered (taught by a professional painting conservator) learned SO much, including using BEVA and polyester mesh for strip lining, sources and proper use of keyable and mechanically adjustable stretcher bars, proper stretching techniques, proper insertion of stretcher keys and much more. These topics will be covered in New England on October 27th and I PROMISE that I will make sure that everyone who attends understands that I am in no way suggesting that framers use this technique in lieu of proper conservation.
This sounds like so many of the procedures discussed here with much passion - very useful when used in the appropriate circumstances.
preservator
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
If the strip lining technique were restricted to
marginless "tourist" paintings that issue from
painting factories abroad in dizzying numbers,
it would fill a gap that exists between those
items and antique canvases which should be sent
to a conservator. It is up to framers to know the
difference and to realize that the risks they
would encounter if they used it in the wrong place
would not enhance their profit picture. We famers
are a bright and insightful lot and can be expected to grasp that difference.
As to the question about studying preservation,
there is no formal program for preservation as
it applies to framing. The conservation program
at Winterthur does have a Preventitive Conservation minor, but all preservation programs
are in architecture or librarial preservation.
Reading the literature that exists on the subject,
and working with conservators and practicing such
techniques as proper hinging, edge support, spacing, and sequestration for art, before putting
them into practice are the best ways to learn.
The information found on the AIC and CCA web sites
and membership in one of the local conservation guilds (details are at the AIC web site) can be essentially helpful. PPFA, PFM, and other courses
are also vital. Anyone who has worked with a wide
variety of framers will realize that this profession has attracted a great number of folks
who had successful careers in other areas, before
they came to framing and the skills and experiences they bring to the field can help to
inform all of us.
Something that one finds in working with conservators is a ready acceptance of criticism
and collaborative problem solving. Nothing is
true because anyone simply said so, and each of
us must evaluate the information we are given
and make the best use of it that we can. Here,
the Grumble and Hitch Hikers are critical resources; forums in which ideas and questions
can be put out for common examination and evaluation.
Hugh
marginless "tourist" paintings that issue from
painting factories abroad in dizzying numbers,
it would fill a gap that exists between those
items and antique canvases which should be sent
to a conservator. It is up to framers to know the
difference and to realize that the risks they
would encounter if they used it in the wrong place
would not enhance their profit picture. We famers
are a bright and insightful lot and can be expected to grasp that difference.
As to the question about studying preservation,
there is no formal program for preservation as
it applies to framing. The conservation program
at Winterthur does have a Preventitive Conservation minor, but all preservation programs
are in architecture or librarial preservation.
Reading the literature that exists on the subject,
and working with conservators and practicing such
techniques as proper hinging, edge support, spacing, and sequestration for art, before putting
them into practice are the best ways to learn.
The information found on the AIC and CCA web sites
and membership in one of the local conservation guilds (details are at the AIC web site) can be essentially helpful. PPFA, PFM, and other courses
are also vital. Anyone who has worked with a wide
variety of framers will realize that this profession has attracted a great number of folks
who had successful careers in other areas, before
they came to framing and the skills and experiences they bring to the field can help to
inform all of us.
Something that one finds in working with conservators is a ready acceptance of criticism
and collaborative problem solving. Nothing is
true because anyone simply said so, and each of
us must evaluate the information we are given
and make the best use of it that we can. Here,
the Grumble and Hitch Hikers are critical resources; forums in which ideas and questions
can be put out for common examination and evaluation.
Hugh