@soundtherapyradio Aaahh I made this 3 years ago, so my memory is hazy, but I think I cut the shorter brace to size, then 2 pieces to fit around that for the longer brace, then screwed them all together through the square Masonite plate in the center.
If I were to do it again, instead of building a "t" brace as shown here, I'd build triangle braces in a big diamond with the corners meeting at the midpoints of each side. And possibly keep the shorter crossbrace as well, for a canvas this large.
thanks. i've streched canvas before. but when i got to larger sizes they got flimsy. i like the support you use in the back. now i will go big in my paintings. thanks you so much for good detailed insturctions. i
Hi there; thanks for posting this; very interesting and useful. I have just bought a 3' x 5' 20th century canvas only oil painting. As naturally the canvas is already painted would you do anything differently. (i.e. will I damage the painting if I use the method you demonstrate. Thanks; Simon in UK
@simon1000000000 Yes I would use the same method, but of course I'd take great care. Many people stretch their canvases after painting them. The one thing I'd especially watch out for is to make sure you build your armature to fit the dimensions of the painting so the edges line up *exactly.* If you accidentally stretch part of the painting over that sharp corner, that's where you could actually damage the painting by creating a crease in the paint. (Based on personal experience!)
@Taylorlaurencecook Oh gosh it's hard to say, but I'll take a stab at it. Materials (NOT including any tools) include 1x3's, quarter rounds, wood glue, wire brads, sheet of masonite, screws, canvas, staples, gesso. For a canvas of this size, maybe $80-$90 for materials. It could vary quite widely though depending how you figure it. It doesn't take a whole sheet of masonite to make those corner braces, but you have to buy a whole sheet from the store. Buy canvas in bulk for discounts. Etc.
@RadicalEel Wow. Well, I'm horrible at constructing just about anything so I would probably screw it up if I tried. At least screw up stretching the canvas properly. Well thank you for the helpful information and keep up the good work! Your a very talented artist! =0)
Could you comment some on the canvas you use? I mean was it 10oz or 12oz cotton duck? Do you ever use the bulk fabric duck sold at fabric stores? I just wasted hundreds of dollars and weeks of hard work trying oil-primed (expensive) linen. I'm back to good old cotton canvas.
@biggestdigger Hi, it was 12oz cotton duck, and I bought it in huge quantities online from Dick Blick. You have to pay oversize shipping charges if you are getting the larger rolls, but the price discount makes it worth it if you are buying a lot of it at once! Go to Dick Blick's website and search for "Blick No. 12 Heavy Weight Canvas"
looking at all your efforts and rational videos, i really like them so much, i my self is actually an Artist, we have many methods of stretching, nevertheless you may need an assistance of doing so, i always have friends around to do this job, because stretching can be very frustrating deed :)
This is one of the best armature (stretcher bar) designs I've ever seen. Those store bought stretcher bars are usually so cheaply made and many don't even fit together properly. I just did a gallery wrap on the bars from a major online art supplier and had to rework them with coarse sandpaper before they were even slightly usable. But even then the corners are not true and....well, you know. I'm an old timer in this craft but still learning. It's time to start making my own bars. Thanks
@ninjaofthe9seas I always staple on the back, because I like to continue my painting onto the sides and display it unframed aka "gallery-wrapped."
You could staple the sides, but it looks ugly. Even if I knew I was going to frame the piece for sure, I'd still probably staple on the back just so the sides would always look pretty even if someone takes the frame off in the future.
With store-bought canvases, staples on the sides scream "cheap!" and "low quality!" I'm very anti-side-staples!
@DirtyHotdogWater Any large hardware store like Lowe's or Home Depot. They will be near the baseboards, crown molding, and all that stuff. They usually come in 6', 8', 10', 12' lengths.
@RadicalEel Thank you so much. Is the canvas frame made of oak wood? I am wondering how you assembled the frame and cross bars and how you drilled the holes in without the wood cracking? Amazing job by the way.
@DirtyHotdogWater This canvas is made of poplar, but I've used pine a lot too with great success. Oak is beautiful, but also more expensive, and remember, this wood only needs to be sturdy and straight--nobody will ever see it.
I measured & carefully cut all the pieces, then assembled them with the help of a miter clamp. As for the wood cracking...when in doubt, drill pilot holes!
Looks like I maybe need to make another video.......
@hellakooked Oh no, sorry I missed this question! Yes, but I'm sorry to say I don't remember what it is...I got it from some copyright-free database a long time ago and don't think I have the file anymore...
It depends on the size of the wood you're using. The canvas should wrap completely around the sides and the back of the frame so you can staple on the back.
The wood for this frame was 1.5" deep and 3" wide. That's 4.5" extra canvas on each side. (48" x 72" frame, 57" x 81" canvas.)
Always make sure there's enough canvas to grab and pull while stretching. When in doubt, use more canvas rather than less--you can always trim excess.
Deadnicholas, that's the stupidest comment I've ever heard regarding stretching canvas. Relax for God's sake,..IT WON'T SAG. Her stretcher bars are as good as any you can buy, actually..better. We have a famous modern artist that live right outside of town..(Marco Spalatin). He's been building and displaying his own stretcher bars for 40 years and does it in the SAME way. I like how she braced the joints with masonite.The homemade bars and braces are kind of a work of Art in an of themselves.
I very much admire your DIY mentality, but it is unfortunate that when your large heavy canvas begins to sag over time, the owner will have to pay somebody else to have it removed from the bars and restretched, potentially risking the integrity of the painting itself. With professionally made stretcher bars, the corners and braces can be keyed to get the canvas nice and tight again. I, like some of the others, am curious as to what you are putting on this canvas that you labor over. :)
deadnicholas, my collectors know to contact me directly if there's ever a problem with a painting.
The corners are cut at 45 degree angles, so they could be shimmed if needed. For slight sagging, I could also remove some of the staples, stretch the canvas a bit tighter, and re-staple, no problem. I'd gladly re-stretch a whole canvas if the need ever arose--there would be no need for them to pay somebody else to do this.
There's a link to the finished painting in the sidebar.
Additionally, if the surface of one of my paintings is ever damaged, I will gladly patch scratches or small tears in the canvas, and touch up the paint.
Hmm, a one hour project at most. I've been making 8' x 8' frames like this for several years--but use 2"x2" rather than your 1"x3" and plywood triangles. Don't usually use 1/4 round--unnecessary if you stretch tight enough.
Best to use rabbitskin glue to tighten up the frame then gesso if you need a white canvas.
Thanks! Yeah, someone else already pointed that out. I don't know anything about wood hardness or the Janka scale. In my relative inexperience I was comparing poplar to pine (the other wood I've used for this purpose) and poplar is *much* harder and heavier than pine. I can't imagine ever using Lignum Vitae to build a frame. :-)
@Str8Bmxin I've heard it's much much quicker if you have a pneumatic staple gun, rather than my dinky hand stapler. But since I'm a tightwad and I don't mass-produce these, I'll stick with the tools I have. :D
Thanks paintedskywoman! In future though, I think I will build a diamond-shaped bracing structure, rather than cross-shaped. Adding triangle bracing to this design would be a big improvement! But yeah, for all intents & purposes, this is probably fine. A painting just hangs on the wall, after all.
Thank you misternylon! I will have to make a video showing a close-up of how I fold my corners. I know what you mean about the thickness of the canvas there--I am still learning these things myself.
I've had a few students stumble onto your video, thanks for posting it, sometimes the harder wood makes it difficult no matter what staples...Thanks again.
Fairly helpful video, especially seeing the stretcher tool. A couple of points, it is all filmed from quite far away and would be nice to see how the corners can be done as this is a difficult area for most people new to stretching. Even after 16 years I still find these problematic from time to time (depending on the thickness of the canvas, it is often worth cutting out a v shaped wedge to cut down the thickness and corner 'build up')
Thanks for this video, helped me with streching my screen material for the Movie screen.
Just a FYI But popular is a soft wood. Very soft. A hard wood is somthing like oak or cherry. IT is extremly expensive and would almost be impossible to staple.
Good point about the wood--I guess I was saying poplar is the hardest wood I have ever used for this purpose--compared to poplar, pine is like butter.
I would make a picture frame out of oak or cherry, but not the armature part.
checked the painting out, really cool
deadeyeslave 6 months ago
How did you do the center cross brace?
soundtherapyradio 7 months ago
@soundtherapyradio Aaahh I made this 3 years ago, so my memory is hazy, but I think I cut the shorter brace to size, then 2 pieces to fit around that for the longer brace, then screwed them all together through the square Masonite plate in the center.
If I were to do it again, instead of building a "t" brace as shown here, I'd build triangle braces in a big diamond with the corners meeting at the midpoints of each side. And possibly keep the shorter crossbrace as well, for a canvas this large.
RadicalEel 7 months ago
I heard if you complain about how long it takes to stretch a canvas you should create burritos at taco bell instead.
kilnmaster 10 months ago
Nice fram you built, and great suggestion about the quarter round.
It would have been good if you shows us how to use the canvas stretcher tool.
I guess I can watch someone elses video to see how to use that tool.
RoadKillGrover 10 months ago
great video,,
cortesnyc 1 year ago
i prefer to buy big canvases most of time
1964narges 1 year ago
thanks. i've streched canvas before. but when i got to larger sizes they got flimsy. i like the support you use in the back. now i will go big in my paintings. thanks you so much for good detailed insturctions. i
learningartagain 1 year ago
Hi there; thanks for posting this; very interesting and useful. I have just bought a 3' x 5' 20th century canvas only oil painting. As naturally the canvas is already painted would you do anything differently. (i.e. will I damage the painting if I use the method you demonstrate. Thanks; Simon in UK
simon1000000000 1 year ago
@simon1000000000 Yes I would use the same method, but of course I'd take great care. Many people stretch their canvases after painting them. The one thing I'd especially watch out for is to make sure you build your armature to fit the dimensions of the painting so the edges line up *exactly.* If you accidentally stretch part of the painting over that sharp corner, that's where you could actually damage the painting by creating a crease in the paint. (Based on personal experience!)
RadicalEel 1 year ago
For the canvas you constructed in this video, what would you say the final cost for all your materials was? Just a rough estimate.
Taylorlaurencecook 1 year ago
@Taylorlaurencecook Oh gosh it's hard to say, but I'll take a stab at it. Materials (NOT including any tools) include 1x3's, quarter rounds, wood glue, wire brads, sheet of masonite, screws, canvas, staples, gesso. For a canvas of this size, maybe $80-$90 for materials. It could vary quite widely though depending how you figure it. It doesn't take a whole sheet of masonite to make those corner braces, but you have to buy a whole sheet from the store. Buy canvas in bulk for discounts. Etc.
RadicalEel 1 year ago
@RadicalEel Wow. Well, I'm horrible at constructing just about anything so I would probably screw it up if I tried. At least screw up stretching the canvas properly. Well thank you for the helpful information and keep up the good work! Your a very talented artist! =0)
Taylorlaurencecook 1 year ago
I also use poplar! It seems nearly everyone else uses pine; I never understood that.
BorgEntertainment 1 year ago
@BorgEntertainment Poplar is just nicer!
RadicalEel 1 year ago
Hi, nice video.
Could you comment some on the canvas you use? I mean was it 10oz or 12oz cotton duck? Do you ever use the bulk fabric duck sold at fabric stores? I just wasted hundreds of dollars and weeks of hard work trying oil-primed (expensive) linen. I'm back to good old cotton canvas.
biggestdigger 1 year ago
@biggestdigger Hi, it was 12oz cotton duck, and I bought it in huge quantities online from Dick Blick. You have to pay oversize shipping charges if you are getting the larger rolls, but the price discount makes it worth it if you are buying a lot of it at once! Go to Dick Blick's website and search for "Blick No. 12 Heavy Weight Canvas"
RadicalEel 1 year ago
hi
looking at all your efforts and rational videos, i really like them so much, i my self is actually an Artist, we have many methods of stretching, nevertheless you may need an assistance of doing so, i always have friends around to do this job, because stretching can be very frustrating deed :)
good luck, bye for now.
samridawaser 1 year ago
@samridawaser Thank you for watching! Good luck to you in all your future projects as well!
RadicalEel 1 year ago
I would like to see that finished painting
teakey 1 year ago
@teakey There is a link to it in the video description.
RadicalEel 1 year ago
This is one of the best armature (stretcher bar) designs I've ever seen. Those store bought stretcher bars are usually so cheaply made and many don't even fit together properly. I just did a gallery wrap on the bars from a major online art supplier and had to rework them with coarse sandpaper before they were even slightly usable. But even then the corners are not true and....well, you know. I'm an old timer in this craft but still learning. It's time to start making my own bars. Thanks
MichiganTreasure 1 year ago
@MichiganTreasure I've had similar experiences with store-bought stretchers. You'll never go back!
RadicalEel 1 year ago
YAY ART! making your own canvas is so much better than buying the art store ones :P
lAbnormall 1 year ago
so question, does it matter if you staple it on the sides or on the back? i've seen videos that do both so, which is better?
ninjaofthe9seas 1 year ago
@ninjaofthe9seas I always staple on the back, because I like to continue my painting onto the sides and display it unframed aka "gallery-wrapped."
You could staple the sides, but it looks ugly. Even if I knew I was going to frame the piece for sure, I'd still probably staple on the back just so the sides would always look pretty even if someone takes the frame off in the future.
With store-bought canvases, staples on the sides scream "cheap!" and "low quality!" I'm very anti-side-staples!
RadicalEel 1 year ago
Hi there. Great video! Where do you get those quarter rounds?
DirtyHotdogWater 1 year ago
@DirtyHotdogWater Any large hardware store like Lowe's or Home Depot. They will be near the baseboards, crown molding, and all that stuff. They usually come in 6', 8', 10', 12' lengths.
RadicalEel 1 year ago
@RadicalEel Thank you so much. Is the canvas frame made of oak wood? I am wondering how you assembled the frame and cross bars and how you drilled the holes in without the wood cracking? Amazing job by the way.
DirtyHotdogWater 1 year ago
@DirtyHotdogWater This canvas is made of poplar, but I've used pine a lot too with great success. Oak is beautiful, but also more expensive, and remember, this wood only needs to be sturdy and straight--nobody will ever see it.
I measured & carefully cut all the pieces, then assembled them with the help of a miter clamp. As for the wood cracking...when in doubt, drill pilot holes!
Looks like I maybe need to make another video.......
RadicalEel 1 year ago
GREAT video! Short, informitive, and wonderful design!
fatheramo 1 year ago
THANK YOU!
metaFLICK 1 year ago
Great design with the masonite.
Is there backround music playing in this video?
It sounds cool.
hellakooked 1 year ago
@hellakooked Oh no, sorry I missed this question! Yes, but I'm sorry to say I don't remember what it is...I got it from some copyright-free database a long time ago and don't think I have the file anymore...
RadicalEel 1 year ago
Good video--very helpful. Thanks for posting!
voluminot 2 years ago
AY! I wanna see the tree lol
DealingInArt 2 years ago
@DealingInArt The link to the finished painting is in the video description!
RadicalEel 1 year ago
nice video....
kkisachemist 2 years ago
What are the recommended measurements for the canvas??? like how much larger than the frame??
Mazun 2 years ago
It depends on the size of the wood you're using. The canvas should wrap completely around the sides and the back of the frame so you can staple on the back.
The wood for this frame was 1.5" deep and 3" wide. That's 4.5" extra canvas on each side. (48" x 72" frame, 57" x 81" canvas.)
Always make sure there's enough canvas to grab and pull while stretching. When in doubt, use more canvas rather than less--you can always trim excess.
RadicalEel 2 years ago
your painting makes my smile, thankyou
jamese101 2 years ago
I loved that you made this quickly with just enough information.
mpyche1 2 years ago
Deadnicholas, that's the stupidest comment I've ever heard regarding stretching canvas. Relax for God's sake,..IT WON'T SAG. Her stretcher bars are as good as any you can buy, actually..better. We have a famous modern artist that live right outside of town..(Marco Spalatin). He's been building and displaying his own stretcher bars for 40 years and does it in the SAME way. I like how she braced the joints with masonite.The homemade bars and braces are kind of a work of Art in an of themselves.
brushfour 2 years ago
I very much admire your DIY mentality, but it is unfortunate that when your large heavy canvas begins to sag over time, the owner will have to pay somebody else to have it removed from the bars and restretched, potentially risking the integrity of the painting itself. With professionally made stretcher bars, the corners and braces can be keyed to get the canvas nice and tight again. I, like some of the others, am curious as to what you are putting on this canvas that you labor over. :)
deadnicholas 2 years ago
deadnicholas, my collectors know to contact me directly if there's ever a problem with a painting.
The corners are cut at 45 degree angles, so they could be shimmed if needed. For slight sagging, I could also remove some of the staples, stretch the canvas a bit tighter, and re-staple, no problem. I'd gladly re-stretch a whole canvas if the need ever arose--there would be no need for them to pay somebody else to do this.
There's a link to the finished painting in the sidebar.
RadicalEel 2 years ago
Additionally, if the surface of one of my paintings is ever damaged, I will gladly patch scratches or small tears in the canvas, and touch up the paint.
RadicalEel 2 years ago
Your work ethic rocks, just like your finished painting. Exquisite.
deadnicholas 2 years ago 2
Hmm, a one hour project at most. I've been making 8' x 8' frames like this for several years--but use 2"x2" rather than your 1"x3" and plywood triangles. Don't usually use 1/4 round--unnecessary if you stretch tight enough.
Best to use rabbitskin glue to tighten up the frame then gesso if you need a white canvas.
Bruno
brunoTeer 2 years ago
brunoTeer,
You sound like an expert, while I've only made a few of these. Can you please post some instructional videos?
RadicalEel 2 years ago
When you used pine in the past did you find that it warped more easily and didnt hold up as well?
sidneyhop 2 years ago
No, I've never had a problem with pine warping. I do make sure to get the higher-grade pine boards though.
RadicalEel 2 years ago
Nice job.
But I would just like to point out that Poplar isn't at all a hard wood.
It only rates about 500 on the Janka hardness scale. The hardest wood is Lignum Vitae wich is rated at 4500.
RobSwindol 2 years ago
Thanks! Yeah, someone else already pointed that out. I don't know anything about wood hardness or the Janka scale. In my relative inexperience I was comparing poplar to pine (the other wood I've used for this purpose) and poplar is *much* harder and heavier than pine. I can't imagine ever using Lignum Vitae to build a frame. :-)
RadicalEel 2 years ago
dang!! should it really take several hours.. I though 30 mins top...
Str8Bmxin 2 years ago
@Str8Bmxin I've heard it's much much quicker if you have a pneumatic staple gun, rather than my dinky hand stapler. But since I'm a tightwad and I don't mass-produce these, I'll stick with the tools I have. :D
RadicalEel 1 year ago
I would like to see a close up of the corner fold you use.
AsaPhotography 2 years ago
AsaPhotography, I'm short on time but will add this to my list of future videos to make.
RadicalEel 2 years ago
Impressive. The 1/4 inch rounds are nailed as well I imagine? Do you use (gorilla glue), nails, or possibly both for the 1/4 rounds? Anyway, cool.
Dharmadejavu 3 years ago
Thanks! I use very thin wire brads, spaced about a foot apart (or whatever makes sense) and good old carpenter's wood glue.
RadicalEel 3 years ago
Hey, thanks. I was at the hardware store on Sunday debating about doing a giant canvas. Now I have to do it, don't I.
Dharmadejavu 3 years ago
That is the most well structured frame I have ever seen. That baby ain't moving...ever!
paintedskywoman 3 years ago
Thanks paintedskywoman! In future though, I think I will build a diamond-shaped bracing structure, rather than cross-shaped. Adding triangle bracing to this design would be a big improvement! But yeah, for all intents & purposes, this is probably fine. A painting just hangs on the wall, after all.
RadicalEel 2 years ago
Thank you misternylon! I will have to make a video showing a close-up of how I fold my corners. I know what you mean about the thickness of the canvas there--I am still learning these things myself.
RadicalEel 3 years ago
pollobionico, you may be right--I am still experimenting with my methods. Thanks!
RadicalEel 3 years ago
I've had a few students stumble onto your video, thanks for posting it, sometimes the harder wood makes it difficult no matter what staples...Thanks again.
pollobionico 2 years ago
Fairly helpful video, especially seeing the stretcher tool. A couple of points, it is all filmed from quite far away and would be nice to see how the corners can be done as this is a difficult area for most people new to stretching. Even after 16 years I still find these problematic from time to time (depending on the thickness of the canvas, it is often worth cutting out a v shaped wedge to cut down the thickness and corner 'build up')
Do we get to see the finished painting?
misternylon 3 years ago
Staples too long.
pollobionico 3 years ago
Thanks for this video, helped me with streching my screen material for the Movie screen.
Just a FYI But popular is a soft wood. Very soft. A hard wood is somthing like oak or cherry. IT is extremly expensive and would almost be impossible to staple.
123456bzb 3 years ago
You're welcome!
Good point about the wood--I guess I was saying poplar is the hardest wood I have ever used for this purpose--compared to poplar, pine is like butter.
I would make a picture frame out of oak or cherry, but not the armature part.
RadicalEel 3 years ago
Post videos of you painting Shirah, Katrina, Shenaz, Karen, Kenna, Cristina, and Ellie.
schoolbusfan 3 years ago
I would if I could, but I can't, sorry. I did not record the painting process for any of those paintings and therefore have no footage to post. :-(
I'll post more portrait-painting demos in the future though, so keep watching...
RadicalEel 3 years ago
That is okay. Take your time and upload when you have time to do so. :)
schoolbusfan 3 years ago