How to Make a Silk Screen Frame
Printing a silk screen is a lot of fun. But before you do it, you need to make a frame. It's worth putting a bit of effort into this step, because a well-built frame will last a lifetime.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Brushes
- Polyurethane Finishes
- Wood : Pre-routered Framing Material Or Kiln-dried 2x2s
- Wood Glues
- 1-inch Wood Screws
- C-clamps
- Medium-grit Sandpaper
- Miter Saws
- Variable-speed Drills
-
Choose Supplies
-
1
Decide how large your frame will be.
-
2
Choose a type of frame. Your options, essentially, are two: framing wood that is pre-routered for stretching the silk screen (and often precut in standard sizes), and plain wood (2-by-2) that you buy at a hardware store or lumberyard. Option 1 is easier but more expensive.
-
3
Buy your supplies.
Build a Frame from Pre-routered Wood
-
1
Cut wood to the desired size, unless it's precut, using a mitre saw.
-
2
Join pieces two at a time to form corners, using screws and wood glue.
-
3
Allow to dry.
-
4
Coat with polyurethane finish to seal and protect the wood.
Build a Frame From Scratch
-
1
Buy kiln-dried lumber (2-by-2). Eyeball it to choose the least-warped pieces.
-
2
Cut to the desired length, using a mitre saw. If you're an experienced carpenter, try lap-joint construction for greater stability.
-
3
Join pieces two at a time to form corners, using screws and wood glue.
-
4
Allow the frame to dry.
-
5
Sand any sharp corners or edges to protect your fabric.
-
6
Coat with polyurethane finish to seal and protect the wood.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Pre-routered wood stock will have a groove cut into it for placing rope to stretch the silk screen fabric.
Try using angle braces on the non-grooved side for greater stability.
Sanding the inside corners where the grooves meet up will protect your fabric.
Try using angle braces on the corners for greater stability.
Check twice before you mitre - cutting in the wrong direction is a common mistake.
Related Searches
Comments
-
aaroger
Sep 05, 2010
To stretch the screen i use window screen spline that you can get from the hardware store. Use a window screen tool (roller) also from the hardware store. Put the spline over the fabric and use the roller to push the spline into the dado slot in your frame. Works well. Also you do not need to get the fabric from art supply houses - you can use organza from the fabric store. I have done many screens that way and it works well. -
timhsouthern
Nov 18, 2007
Is there any articles about how to Stretch the screen to the frame? I sue the Speedball Frames that are pre-routered and I am tryning to put new screens into the frame. I ahve having great difficulty getting equal tension. Any Suggestions?
-
Jun 30, 2006
We have made a silk screen frame from an old cupboard door, the ones with the center insert. Or, if you need a larger one, use an old window frame without the glass.
-
Jun 30, 2006
We have made a silk screen frame from an old cupboard door, the ones with the center insert. Or, if you need a larger one, use an old window frame without the glass.
-
Nov 22, 2005
Take a two by two (long enough so that you can saw all needed pieces from it) and using a table saw, put a groove down the middle the width of the string you're using to tighten the screen. Then using a radial saw, cut 45-degree angles to make the frame.
