The Framers Forum

I use a few different methods of fixing canvases into frames.

One artist has taken to using much thicker stretcher bars. This results in me having to attach an additional thickness to the frame moulding so the frame can sit flush to the wall.

I normally use 49mm spring clips to secure a canvas, but these are not long enough for this new style.

I cant find any clips that are longer (don't like Z-clips). Are there any suppliers of longer spring clips or any other commonly used attaching fixings that people use.

Many thanks
Robert

Some framers use the Fletcher Terry multi-points and screws. Also the old school framers often use screw eyes and screws to do this. Lion also do some bendable brass plates. Just a possible idea! I like the canvas offset brackets from Lion, but i have not used any for ages. How deep are your canvases? I have quite a good stock of helpfully priced wide, but thin mouldings which I some times use to project out of the rear of frames which are not deep enough for what needs to go in them and this usually works for me! I have a headless piner to attached one of these moulding insiner the frame rebate and I add a spacer behind the sight edge to hide the sdded piece of moulding. Having had a stroke I was not able to use a hammer for ages. This is getting better now, but I think that I need more practice before I go back to Z clips!

I do quite a good bit of stacked moulding frames so extending mouldings which are not deep enough is something which I am doing all the time and I can do this seemlessly an without any visible join lines. I have a suface planer table which flushes the outer faces of both pieces of moulding too exactly the same level, which is o.k., if like me most of your frames are handfinished, but if you are using factory finishe mouldings, this is not much help!

We just tend to use canvas offsets these days. You can get different size ones from Lion so it’s worth keeping various sizes in stock.

I used to use the spring clips from Lion, but the latest batch appear to be made of very brittle steel and have the
unfortunate habit of snapping near the screw hole when under tension. I've switched to using the bendy plates.
They do require that you put one tiny screw into the stretcher bar. One thing I like is they have a bit of 'give' and
the canvas is not pressed against the rebate.

Yup we also use the canvas offsets for most canvases. Where we can’t make the standard sizes work I have found metal plumbers tape to be a very useful at making up the inbetween sizes. Screwfix do it and it’s not expensive. Found it useful for various jobs and installations around the workshop.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ced-all-rou ... lsrc=aw.ds

I did not at first know what the plumbers tape was unti I checked the link. WOW, that's great idea, I think that really beats canvas offsets every time! What ever size you need it's no problem! Nice one Fruitini, it could be the best idea for ages!