How to Make a Large Screen for Silk Screening
The tradition of silk screening is usually attributed to the ancient Chinese and Egyptians, who used stencils for printing on fabrics and walls. Today, the process is somewhat changed, although the basic concept remains the same. Modern silk screening requires the use of a framed mesh screen, on which a chemical stencil is created. Most art stores carry basic supplies for silk screening, including small frames suitable for printing on clothing. Larger frames, often used for printing on walls and full fabric sheets, however, must be made by hand. To make your own large screen for silk screening, complete the following instructions.
Things You'll Need
- Thick 2-inch wide pieces of wood
- Saw
- Wood glue
- Staple gun
- Router
- 1/8-inch router bit
- Sandpaper
- Polyurethane
- Screen, mesh or silk
- Thumbtacks
- Stretch wedge cord
- Cord setter
Instructions
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Determine the size of the screen that you will need for your silk screening project by length and width. Add 2 inches to each measurement to account for the width of the wood, then determine the wood thickness that you will need. The larger the screen, the thicker your wood pieces must be in order to hold the frame's shape. For example, a small, photocopy paper-size screen needs wood only 1 inch in thickness, but a large 6-foot by 6-foot screen will require wood that is at least 4 inches thick.
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Cut 4 lengths of 2-inch-wide wood pieces in the dimensions you need for each side of your silk screening frame. Mark the center width of each piece and create a straight 1/8-inch by 1/4-inch groove there, along the length, using the router.
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3
Cut each corner of the wood pieces into a diagonal edge, so that the pieces fit easily together. Glue the corners together, making sure that the grooves match perfectly and that you do not get glue into the grooves. Let the glue dry, then staple the corners on each side of the groove, on both sides of the frame, with the staple gun.
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Sand any rough edges of the frame, then coat the frame with polyurethane and let it dry completely.
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Stretch your screen tightly over the groove side of the frame, and tack it in place with thumbtacks on the far side of the groove. Cut away some of the excess screen material, leaving a little on the edges. Take a stretch cord for your screen in the dimensions of your groove, then work the cord into the groove with the cord setter. Pull the thumbtacks out of the wood, and trim away the rest of the excess material from the edges.
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Tips & Warnings
Strong woods for making silk screen frames include cyprus, spruce and white pine, although you can use just about any type of wood.
