Stretching a very large canvas

[Not your average framer]

I've taken in a very large canvas stretching job about 4 ft by 7ft and I'm currently scratching my head and trying to decide what to do about stretcher bars, etc.

I probably will fabricate something myself with plenty of cross braces, but I've never stretched anything this size before, so any tips would be most welcome.

[framejunkie]

For jobs of this nature I always buy in bespoke stretchers from John Jones. The highest spec ones are of Poplar(tulip), which has quite a low acid content and stays pretty straight. Problems with using John Jones are that they often have a long lead time, and are expensive(but worth every penny). Not sure if they deliver outside London, though.

I'd seriously recommend only using proper wedged stretchers for a job this big. (See the current 'Relaxing Canvas???' thread in General Discussion). If you bang out a rigid frame yourself you're heading for a world of pain.

Others in the Southwest may know a supplier of bespoke stretchers nearer to you.

One other tip - its often hard to know how much a particular canvas will stretch so hard to order the stretchers just the right size. I would always order bars a few mm longer than the apparent unstretched dimensions, but give the thing a tug to assess its elasticity.

If the customer is not willing to pay for this sort of job to be done my way, I'd probably turn it down. You can waste days of your life and end up making a loss sorting these types of jobs out when the compromised/budget method doesn't work.

G'luck

[CanvasChris]

You could try Russell & Chapple or Pegasus Art Shop. Both have superb quality frames off the shelf. The R&C ones are a 36 x 59 profile and the Pegasus are a 45mm square profile (M45) and do sizes upto 3m!!! and all have matching braces. All are laminated kiln dried pine and are virtually warp free.

The M45's are the ones used by DeMontfort Art for their stable of artists..... and so do I

[CanvasChris]

Links...


http://www.russellandchapple.co.uk/arti ... ers&down=2

http://www.pegasusart.co.uk/index.php?p ... nt=16&pg=1

[Not your average framer]

Thanks for the tips. I knew this would not be easy, so I quoted £200 t0 £300 to do the job. It is only being stretched (as a box style canvas) and thankfully not being framed.

I'm a little un-nerved by the fact that is is a giclee on a normal giclee weight of canvas, so I have to take care how I stretch it.

[CanvasChris]

You'll be fine. Don't do it too tight and let the wedges do their job

[Not your average framer]

Thanks Chris,

Can you give me some idea of turn around times for getting the stretchers made?
Thanks,
Mark

[Martin Harrold]

Harris Moore in Birmingham make up stretcher bars to any size, with appropriate bracing, I think quite quickly and at reasonable prices. They also make custom sized artists blank canvases.
Ring the Lion office and they'll give you their tel. no.

[The Jolly Good Framer #1]

Thanks for the info Martin.
Just had a quick google.
http://www.harrismoorecanvases.co.uk/ca ... cher-bars/

[markw]

I often stretch canvases of this size - I order stretcher bars in from Renaissance Mouldings. For deeper box canvas mouldings then Harris Moore are good. Your pricing looks about right for standard depth bars with crossbraces.

[Not your average framer]

Many thanks to all, for your very helpful advice.