How to Build Your Own Stretcher Bars and Stretch Your Own Canvas

I will explain how to build your own stretcher bars and stretch your own canvas for oil and acrylic paintings. Saves loads of money if you make an investment on some good tools.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mitre Saw (manual or electric)
• Tape Measure
• Industrial Strength Construction Glue or Wood Glue (I use Liquid Nails)
• Glue Gun
• Staple Gun (manual or electric)
• 1x2 pine wood that is 8 ft. long (or any length you desire sold at lumber stores and/or Home Depot)
• ¼ inch quarter round that is 8 ft. long (or matching length of your 1x2)
• Canvas Pliers (Optional)
• Rabbit Skin Glue

1. 
   QUARTER INCH QUARTER ROUNDS

   Buying ready made stretcher bars can be very expensive. If you have the right tools, you can learn how to stretch your own canvas on stretcher bars that you make yourself for under $4.00! It takes about $4.00 to make a canvas which at its largest would measure 24 x 24. To buy a ready made canvas this size at any art store would cost you at least $24.00 and even to buy one single stretcher bar 8 feet long would cost at the minimum $10.40 (and that is not including the canvas).
   
   If you are an artist in it for the long haul, it makes much more economic sense to invest in some tools to stretch your own canvas and even build your own frames farther down the road.
   
   Now I am going to explain how to build your own stretcher bars, stretch and prime your own canvas.
   
   Buy some quarter inch quarter rounds that are the same size as your 1x2. This is usually 8 ft. but can be 6ft. or 12ft.

2. 
   8 foot 1x2

   Get out your 8 ft. (or 6 ft. or 12 ft.) 1x2.

3. 
   Stretcher bar - quarter round glued to the 1x2

   Using your Industrial Strength Construction Glue and your glue gun, lay down a line of glue on one side of the 1x2 lengthwise. Then glue the quarter round with the round side facing towards the wood and the flat side facing outwards. It should look like the picture when you are done. This is your newly created stretcher bar. Let the glue set for 24 hours.

4. 
   Mitre Saw set to 45 degree angle

   Cut the stretcher bars at a 45 degree angle using the mitre saw.

5. 
   Stretcher bar cut and ready to glue to make a frame to stretch your canvas...

   You should cut the stretcher bar so that the longest side is the side with the quarter round. When you are done it should look like this.

6. 
   Stretcher bar frame and glue gun

   Glue the Stretcher bars together to make a frame. Let the glue set for 24 hours.

7. 
   Stretching the canvas on the frame

   Take the frame with the quarter round side down and place it on the canvas. Cut the canvas around the frame leaving 3 inches of cloth beyond the end of the frame. Take the staple gun and staple the canvas to the frame pulling as hard as you can so that the canvas is nice and tight.

8. 

   Now fold the corners as you would if you are wrapping a present….

9. 

   Fold again...

10. 

    Now staple the corners...

11. 

    Staple the rest of the canvas all along the sides.

12. 
    Canvas Pliers

    You can use Rabbit Skin Glue purchased at any Art Supply Store to make the canvas tight as a drum. You will need to allow about an hour to 2 hours to let it dry. If you do not want to use Rabbit Skin Glue, it is advised that you get Canvas Pliers and use them when you are stretching the canvas. They will pull the canvas a little tighter than you can with just your hands and then the canvas is ready for Gesso. Personally, I don’t use canvas pliers even though I have a pair, because I find the tightness of the rabbit skin glue to work wonders, and the tightness provided by the canvas pliers just cannot compare.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use extreme caution when using electric or manual saws. Make sure you know how to use electric saws properly.

Resources

• The Escape Artist

[cica]

on 5/6/2009 Good Instructions for the novice artist who understand the types of equipement mentioned.

[ridart]

on 1/15/2009 good

[ridart]

on 1/15/2009 [url=http://www.rida-painting-frame.com]stretcher bar[/url]

[ridart]

on 1/15/2009 wonderful lesson.