Things You'll Need:
- Silk Screen Fabric
- Silk Screen Frames
- 1/4-inch Cotton Cords (if Using Pre-routered Frame)
- Duct Tape Or Tuck Tape
- Sponges
- Bowls Of Water
- Scissors
- Spoons
- Scissors
- Hammers Or Mallet And Wooden Wedge (if Using Pre-routered Frame)
- Staple Guns And Staples (if Using Plain Frame)
- Sponges
- Spoons
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Step 1
Buy a piece of silk-screen fabric that is at least 2 inches larger than your frame (all the way around). 200x mesh nylon is a good, all-around choice.
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Step 2
Immerse it in water and have a sponge handy to keep it moist during the stretching process.
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Step 3
Cut between four and eight 1-inch lengths of rope and one piece that is the circumference of the frame.
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Step 4
Put the frame down on your work surface, groove side up.
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Step 5
Center the wet fabric over the frame.
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Step 6
Take a 1-inch length of rope; place it over the groove in the middle of one side (so that the fabric is sandwiched between the rope and the frame); then use a small wooden wedge and a hammer or mallet to gently tap it into the groove (leave one end sticking up so that you can remove it easily).
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Step 7
Turn the frame around (or move around the table); pull the fabric taut; and do the same thing to the opposite side; then do the other two sides. On a small frame, four pieces of rope will be sufficient; on a larger frame, you'll probably need eight.
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Step 8
Start in one corner and gently tap the long length of rope part way into the groove, pulling the fabric taut as you go and removing the 1-inch rope lengths as you come to them. Remember to keep the fabric moist (use the sponge) so that it will stretch.
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Step 9
Test for firmness. If any area is loose or if visible waves appear in the middle of the fabric, you'll need to pull the cord out, restretch and retamp.
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Step 10
Start in one corner and tap the rope all the way to the bottom of the groove. Be careful not to rip the screen material, especially as you go around the corners.
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Step 11
Trim the excess fabric to within 1/2 inch of the groove.
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Step 1
Buy a piece of silk-screen fabric that is at least 2 inches larger than your frame (all the way around). 200x mesh nylon is a good, all-around choice.
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Step 2
Immerse it in water and have a sponge handy to keep it moist during the stretching process.
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Step 3
Put the frame down on your work surface, clean side up.
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Step 4
Center the wet fabric over the frame.
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Step 5
Use a staple gun to attach the fabric to the frame.
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Step 6
Staple the middle of one side and then pull fabric taut and staple the middle of the opposite side.
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Step 7
Work from the center of the first side toward the corners, a few staples at a time; then duplicate on the opposite side.
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Step 8
Begin at the centers of the other two sides. Continue stretching and stapling all around the edge. Remember to keep the fabric moist (use the sponge) so that it will stretch evenly.
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Step 9
Hammer staples in and trim the excess fabric to within 1/2 inch of the staples.
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Step 1
Place the silk screen on your work surface flat side up and cover the entire frame in tape to seal.
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Step 2
Apply two or more overlapping lengths of tape on all sides to cover the loose fabric edge and extend about 2 inches over the screen window (so that you have what looks like a window frame of tape).
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Step 3
Apply tape to inside corners.
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Step 4
Turn the screen over.
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Step 5
Apply tape inside the inset (called the well), matching the tape to the first side. Apply tape to the inside corners all around the screen, tucking in the tape tightly to make square corners.
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Step 6
Apply tape to any visible wood.
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Step 7
Take a spoon and use the bowl to rub down the tape all along the well to seal the two tape frames together.
Comments
timhsouthern said
on 11/20/2007 Also don't forget that your screen is wet if it's wavy leave it till it is dry as well as the frame. Also the screen will need at least a day to come back to a natural taughtness. Don't panic if your screen is wavy. give it a day and see how it is then. then adjust if needed.
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 Rather than using rope, I use screen bead -- the kind you would use for window screen.
And I have found that the screen tool used for window screen works well too, rather than hammering in the rope.
I have also found that the nylon mesh screen is too stretchy. I use polyester mesh that is easily available at fabric shops.
(They call it chiffon -- used for bridal veils)
Anonymous said
on 8/6/2006 I used to use a staple gun to secure my screens. This was thought to be a good idea until I noticed the screen starting to rip at the staples. The best method I have found is to staple the screen then put 2 part epoxy around the edge of the screen where the staples are. This is a similar method to that used by Pocono screens. Epoxy reinforcing will not rip and is unaffected by chemicals used in the silk screening process. I highly suggest epoxy, other methods rip.
Anonymous said
on 6/30/2006 I use an upholstery stapler to fasten the silk fabric to a wooden frame. It is much easier than hammering the rope.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 There will be no bleach left on the screen after it's rinsed off and dried, so there is no problem using bleach! Bleach is simply water with chlorine (a gas) dissolved in it. If you let bleach sit out, uncovered, in a bowl, after a few hours all the chlorine will come out of solution and you'll basically have just water.