When canvas offsets don't reach??

Get help and framing advice from the framing community
Post Reply
User avatar
nolonstacey
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed 23 Feb, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: Masham
Organisation: The Nolon Stacey Gallery
Interests: Artist
Location: Masham
Contact:

When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by nolonstacey »

I'm not sure if I'm missing something glaringly obvious here, but I've come across this problem a few times in the short period that I've been framing canvases. if the stretcher bars aren't as deep as the tray frame, so it needs raising up to align with the front of the frame, but also the stretcher bars aren't as wide as the base of the tray frame, then you couldn't use canvas offsets to raise up the canvas to align with the front of the frame. Assuming you don't build it up with foam board or anything, what is used? Would you re-stretch the canvas using deeper bars or use a different tray frame? I assumed there'd be a common way of doing this, but I haven't been able to find anything about it.

One thought I had was those nylon spacer washers that you can get in different heights?

Just in case none of that made any sense, I attached a terrible diagram to show what I mean
IMG_6778.jpg
Fruitini
Posts: 222
Joined: Fri 19 Oct, 2007 7:17 pm
Location: Devizes, Wiltshire
Organisation: Original Glory
Interests: Digital Art & Photography
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by Fruitini »

Couldn't you glue/pin a discreet little spacer/batten to the base of your tray frame to make up the difference and screw through both from the back?

Plumbers tape also makes a handy alternative when the canvas offsets aren't the right size.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/ced-all-roun ... lsrc=aw.ds
User avatar
nolonstacey
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed 23 Feb, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: Masham
Organisation: The Nolon Stacey Gallery
Interests: Artist
Location: Masham
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by nolonstacey »

Fruitini wrote: Tue 14 Feb, 2023 2:27 pm Couldn't you glue/pin a discreet little spacer/batten to the base of your tray frame to make up the difference and screw through both from the back?
I've used spacers before. Although it wasn't visible, it felt like a messy solution to me - but that's probably just me!
User avatar
JKX
Posts: 417
Joined: Sun 08 Jan, 2023 10:25 pm
Location: West Sussex
Organisation: None - retired
Interests: Gardening. Walking. DIY. Retired framer of 20 plus years, keeping my hand in.

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by JKX »

Spacers for me too, from all sorts of stuff I’d have in stock, probably off cuts of too, including oak slips, probably correx though.

I actually wouldn’t have a problem with the canvas set back a bit anyway.
John Turner

The ex framer Formerly Known As RoboFramer.
User avatar
nolonstacey
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed 23 Feb, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: Masham
Organisation: The Nolon Stacey Gallery
Interests: Artist
Location: Masham
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by nolonstacey »

JKX wrote: Tue 14 Feb, 2023 2:47 pm I actually wouldn’t have a problem with the canvas set back a bit anyway.
Me neither. I actually prefer it set back a little, but artists seem to always want it perfectly flush with the front of the frame.
vintage frames
Posts: 1359
Joined: Tue 12 Jun, 2012 6:05 pm
Location: West Wales
Organisation: https://www.dermotmcardle.co.uk/
Interests: Making picture frames
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by vintage frames »

Spacers are the obvious answer.
But if that seems a bit fiddly or you have a super fussy customer, you could make a 'drop-in' frame with one of the F series filets from R&H.
They come in a variety of thicknesses and coupled with some bits of board behind will give you lots of flexibility.
Affordable Gilding Course for Professional Framers-https://www.dermotmcardle.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/dermotmcardle/
User avatar
nolonstacey
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed 23 Feb, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: Masham
Organisation: The Nolon Stacey Gallery
Interests: Artist
Location: Masham
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by nolonstacey »

vintage frames wrote: Tue 14 Feb, 2023 4:08 pm Spacers are the obvious answer.
But if that seems a bit fiddly or you have a super fussy customer, you could make a 'drop-in' frame with one of the F series filets from R&H.
They come in a variety of thicknesses and coupled with some bits of board behind will give you lots of flexibility.
That’s a nice neat idea. Never managed to get R&H to open an account for me!
User avatar
prospero
Posts: 11497
Joined: Tue 05 Jun, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by prospero »

I don't do many floaters (hate them) but scraps of foamcore are good for this. I also use them as temporary spacers
on the sides to hold the canvas in alignment. Screw though (not too tight and slightly enlarged holes) from the back
and the remove the side spacers. :wink:
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
User avatar
nolonstacey
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed 23 Feb, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: Masham
Organisation: The Nolon Stacey Gallery
Interests: Artist
Location: Masham
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by nolonstacey »

prospero wrote: Wed 15 Feb, 2023 10:31 am I don't do many floaters (hate them) but scraps of foamcore are good for this. I also use them as temporary spacers
on the sides to hold the canvas in alignment. Screw though (not too tight and slightly enlarged holes) from the back
and the remove the side spacers. :wink:
I do already use them on the sides to hold the canvas in place, but hadn't thought about them to raise the canvas. Always got plenty of strips of that to hand!
Justintime
Posts: 1881
Joined: Sat 26 Sep, 2015 8:48 am
Location: West Wales
Organisation: George The Framer LLP
Interests: Gardening, design, electronic music, good food and beverages.
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by Justintime »

I bought this set of electronics spacers to try, after hearing about them on another group. Sadly their internal diameter was too small for my screws but I like the idea.
20230216_120854.jpg
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
Jon_Brooke
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri 16 Apr, 2021 9:55 pm
Location: Wareham
Organisation: Picture Frame Workshop
Interests: Running

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by Jon_Brooke »

I make a frame out of the appropriate size obeche spacer and glue flush to the inside edge of the frame - then you can fix to that if necessary.

If you're painting the frame then add the spacer frame first and paint that too.
User avatar
nolonstacey
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed 23 Feb, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: Masham
Organisation: The Nolon Stacey Gallery
Interests: Artist
Location: Masham
Contact:

Re: When canvas offsets don't reach??

Post by nolonstacey »

Justintime wrote: Thu 16 Feb, 2023 12:14 pm I bought this set of electronics spacers to try, after hearing about them on another group. Sadly their internal diameter was too small for my screws but I like the idea.20230216_120854.jpg
That's exactly what I was thinking of!
Post Reply