Make Your Own Canvas Pt.1: The ONLY Way to Build Stretcher Bars
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2014
- Buy My Reference Packs: www.artstation.com/meadmclean...
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A pretty good miter saw if you're just doing simple stretchers: amzn.to/2QH2Hq1 (affiliate)
A cheap and decent speed square: amzn.to/2W8mJLp (affiliate)
This video goes through the whole process of making your own top-notch stretcher bar. Part 2 here: • How to Stretch Canvas:...
Disclaimer: Use power tools at your own risk. Work safely, and read the manuals!
I've watched a lot of videos about making frames for canvas, and this is The best. I wanted something easy, but sturdy with a nice bevel. This is the way I will always do it from now on. Thanks!
Thanks man. I also make shadow box frames for them using a similar method, but I haven't made a video about that yet. I guess I should do that too.
Excellent tutorial! I really like how you gave little hints and tips throughout the video.
Thank you. I try to pepper tips here and there to make it interesting.
Best quality build I've watched. Thank you Mead I'm getting ready to build my first stretcher bar and you just gave me all the confidence I need.
Glad to help. Let me know if you hit a snag or have further questions.
Thank you, this is so thorough and easy to follow!
You're welcome. Let me know how I can help.
I’ve used comercial stretcher bars for over 25 years and have some woodworking knowledge and the tools to make things. With covid restrictions in place I’m not able to make it to an art supply store but the hardware store is open. I bought two clear pine boards 1x4x8 and ripped them in half. While it wasn’t without its challenges, with your instructions I was able to make a decent frame to stretch canvas on. I can’t wait to explore this more..cheers!
Awesome. The hardware store is your best friend when art stores are closed or far away. There are lots of potential painting surfaces. I will even prime heavier paper and paint on that at times.
Very instructive and great tips. Thanks!
You're welcome. Let me know how else I can help
This was really enlightening, thank you!
You're welcome. There are other methods depending on the tools you have available. Lately I've just been using a circular saw for almost everything, and it's almost more precise.
Thanks for the instruction! My mother is an artist and has stretched her own canvas for years (she paints huge), but she's too old now to do her own. I hate seeing her paint on little store bought canvas!
My first art teacher can't paint any more. It's really sad.
I hope you make some canvases for her. There's nothing like a large canvas.
Great Tutorial. I am just starting to print inkjet canvas and this was just the information I needed. Well done.
Thanks. The main thing is to just watch the canvas tension as you stretch.
Thanks a this is a life saver!
You're welcome.
Suggestion on setting your rip fence: measure from the slot for your cross cut guide to the fence at each end of the fence, then check your distance to the saw blade to the fence to confirm the depth of cut. This keeps the work square to the blade, preventing binding and kick back. Plus it gives a smother more consistent cut. Also a good quality blade is essential.
Always a good safety tip. Works best on a decent saw.
Excellent video.
Thanks!
Awesome. Thanks. BTW If you set the blade height so it just passes thru the wood, it's much safer.
I know--it's just not as dramatic on film (kidding). I have a new saw now with a better guard. The guard on this saw kept catching the wood and causing it to kick back, so I took it off for a more predictable feed. It was a calculated risk at the time: use an unsafe guard or use an unsafe but more stable unguarded blade. Both were bad options.
Thank you SO MUCH!!
Every other video I found for a "stretcher" was stapling mitered edges together and calling it a strecher! I was losing my mind!
This is going to be a great help; I'd like to make some custom sized frames for embroidery, and maybe a few frames for the partner sometime (though they prefer gessoed wood over canvas).
You're welcome. Let me know if you have questions.
Thanks for the video
You're welcome.
You are good teacher…thanks
Thanks for the compliment. Let me know how I can help.
thanks for the video
You're welcome.
Thanks for the video. I'm familiar with ratchet straps. What strap are you using when squaring up? I like the simplicity of it.
+ahartis I just use the most basic 1" webbing straps. They don't have a ratchet on them. Any hardware store should have them.
I can tell from your rugged seasoned weatherd hands your a professional bench joiner
Yes. Yes I am.
Great instructional video. I'd like to watch parts 2 and 3 but can't seem to find them.... Also, if I am constructing 48" x 60" canvases where and how do I attach cross bars? Thanks
I've got new vids to explain all of that. You may have watched before I recorded the other parts.
Table saw safety and confidence is crucial, was scary to watch, but thanks for the info
+SayWhaat everybody always freaks out about this, but the blade guard and splitter on this machine is god-awful and caused repeated kickbacks from boards getting hung up. I have since gotten a better one.
12:23 i was about to get a heart attack .. glad it dint kickback ..
great job .. stay safe 😊
The table saw pictured had a sub-par guard that would cause kickback 1/3rd of the time. I replaced it with a circular saw and a long metal bar to use as a guide.
Thanks for the video. What about the wedges at the corners?
There are no wedges. Older comments debate the stretcher/strainer bars options to death. My take is: stretch correctly, store correctly, and you don't need to adjust tension.
Thanks for showing us your method! I was wondering how large you can go without having to build cross-braces? For instance, I want to stretch a 48 x 32 inch canvas.
+Ola Sarri general recommendation would be about 4 feet in any direction. You can tell by the way the bars feel. If they have any flop in them, use crossbars.
Excellent, will try this next time I build stretchers!
This is a good method up to a certain size. Around 5ft or so, dimensionally, I ran into needing excessive struts or too wide of inner ribs to keep everything stable.
Fine method most of the time though.
That's weird. I've done stuff over 8' with corner braces and one cross bar to support the center.
Is there any reason in particular you choose to use select pine over another wood, specifically poplar?
I don't find a need for hardwoods in the understructure. Frames, yes, use poplar, aspen, oak, or whatever local hardwood you have. Pine is also lightweight, which is good.
I would add that if you buy your wood in 2X thickness and cut your 1X2 from it you will be able to get quarter sawn material. A normal 2x8 will yield 2 quarter sawn sticks from each edge.
True. Ripping 2x4s can be tougher depending on the saw. The wood quality is also not as good and tends to be more warped.
Could you use STURDY frame from a thrift store? A picture frame that has a stretcher-like bevel?
That's a good question. Frames are usually composite wrapped in a decorative veneer. That makes them pretty weak, all things considered. If it's a solid wood frame (rare), you could probably reinforce it some and try it out.
Great video! If I am stretching a finished canvas (already painted and no more painting required) do I still need the inside bevel for the stretcher bars?
Maybe? I would probably do that anyway, even though it's not too necessary. It might cast shadows in raking light.
No. If you painted on an unstretch canvas, you don't need the bevel. The bevel is to keep from hitting the bar when you paint, leaving an unsightly line.
did you have to put nails because how do you avoid hitting them when you cut miters?
+Joe Luz not that hard to avoid them. Just look before you cut.
What do you suggest for the staple length for a large frame 1 inch thick wooden bars? And if you can post the link to buy the strap? Thank you.
I'll have to get back to you on the strap. I just get them at the hardware store. Staples I just use the standard 3/8" ones
@@MeadMcLeanthank you so much. I found that strap on Amazon but I ordered a clamp set.
Awe man! The ONLY way?
Not the ONLY way. It's hyperbole. But it's the most reasonable way I've used, since I don't like to change the tension on canvas and it fights warping.
Thanks so much for these videos - they're fantastic! Have you ever had a chance to work on a video for how to prime your own canvas? You mention it at the beginning of this, but it seems there's no video for this one yet. (I know, there are a ton of other resources on this, but the methods vary widely, and hey, I trust you!)
Thank you!! I look forward to it.
Yeah. The general idea is to prime from the center outward. Never dilute your gesso. Do 3-4 layers. Don't sand.
great video. the only thing I have to say is you want to sand your miters where you glue. you will have a better glue joint that way seeing as you are doing a simple butt joint.
The problem with sanding the miters is that you inevitably change the angle slightly, thus creating an incredibly annoying gap that's tough to deal with. I don't find that not sanding has created any problems. If you wanted to get really picky with it, you could use a biscuit joiner, but I've found that that's overkill for more purposes.
Do you take out the staples/ brads before beveling, or are they short enough that it doesnt matter?
I leave the brads in. Usually you won't hit them. If you do, the saw goes right through them. You can also mark the general area of your cuts first and put the brads on either side.
Do you measure from the very end when sizing. In the video I didn’t see where you put the end of the measuring tape.
Yes. Measure from the very longest point of the stretcher. Make sure both sets of bars are the same length. Then measure corner to corner on the outside when they are assembled together. If the two corner to corner measurements are identical, then it's square.
Just got started watching your video. My question is the two boards that were cut in the beginning look like they have an angle on one end. What angle was this? 45? Are the angles just cut on one end?
I cut 45 degree angles for the corners. The bevel on the bars themselves is about 20 degrees.
Hi, around 3:34 when you first show the 1x2's it looks like one end has a miter cut. Is that something you did?
Yes. It's possible to do on a table saw or with a circular saw with a guide. You can also buy triangular cut moulding and glue/nail it to a 1x2.
So after you glue and stable it, how is it going to stretch (expand) when you need to tighten your canvas?
You don't. This has been discussed to death in other comments. The short version is if you stretch correctly, you don't need to keep stretching later.
cool
Thanks
Not only is this not theONLY way, but it is far from the BEST way! I was hoping for a tutorial on the joints used for real stretcher bars (this is just a frame) that can be expanded with 'keys' to retension the canvas if necessary. I haven't found that yet. I guess I'll keep looking.
Ron Tocknell Painters as early as Titian and as late as Rembrandt were very likely using "strainers" and NOT keyed stretchers. Titian is known to have used canvas because he painted some extremely large pieces and canvas allowed light-weight transport when needed.
Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" is 142.9 in × 172.0 in (not sure if that measurement is before or after it had to be cut) and was most likely originally on a strainer and NOT a keyed stretcher. Keyed stretchers only started to appear around the 18th century. And yes, painting on panel was common early on but the earliest paintings on canvas actually date to the 14th century (1300s).
Yes, using a keyed stretcher might help to prevent cracking but I don't think it is the only, or even the best way to prevent cracking. I am sure that Bouguereau was painting on keyed stretchers but I also know that many of his paintings are severely cracked. I once saw Caravaggio's "Supper at Emaus", a relatively large and much older painting than Bouguereau's, and it had insignificant damage due to cracking.
The best way to prevent cracking is to follow the rule of fat over lean and to paint with the least amount of layers possible. Seeing Caravaggio's paintings in person you come to realize that he was painting in a very simple and straightforward technique that used perhaps no more than 3 or 4 layers while anyone who's seen Bouguereau can tell right away that he was painting in many, many layers and glazing/scumbling heavily. Bouguereau was practically asking for his paintings to crack.
I find it troubling to insist on something that simply isn't true. And to think that there is such a thing as the secrets of the Masters (keyed vs not keyed). There are no secrets...only common sense.
Here is a very good history of stretchers/strainers:
www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/PSG_Stretchers_and_Strainers_-_II._Factors_to_Consider
Besides Caravaggio, within 3 seconds of walking into any museum that holds early European paintings you can spot paintings on canvas by lesser known artists that have virtually no damage...paintings that were very likely done on strainers and NOT on keyed stretchers. I would also venture to say that if restorers encountered keyed stretchers they were very likely not original to the paintings.
On paintings that are pre 18th Century, this would certainly be true. But the keyed bridle joint came into use about mid 18th Century and, by the 19th Century, they had become the standard. So you're right in that many of the keyed stretcher bars encountered by restorers were not original to the painting... and there is a reason these painting were transferred onto keyed frames (usually glued to a more robust canvas support).It was done to address the inevitable sagging.
From my experience, the only reason I've seen for re-tension is an improper stretching job in the first place. Generally, it's uneven tension that's the problem. Typically, this is caused by starting the center too tight and loosening as you approach the corners. You see ripples around or over the edges. The other problem is storage--anywhere that varies too much in humidity and temperature is tough on canvas.
I've never had to use keys and don't know anyone who ever has. I did experiment with them once, and if you use them enough to make a difference, you then, have a mess.
Hey quick question, So what If I don't have all these saw tools, How could one still make his/her own stretcher bars?
How about a skilsaw?
You can use hand tools. 1x2's come ready-made. You can get a miter box for $20. A hand planer is pretty cheap. You can use a hammer and nails instead of a nail gun. This is what I did for several years.
Very nice. But how do you stretch it? The corners are glued...
You stretch the canvas. Movable corners=warp.
What about the expanding mitre and wedges🤔
It's unnecessary if you stretch the canvas correctly in the first place.
There are ways to do this with dowels and turnbuckles.
Mead: thanks so much for sharing your valuable experience with all of us. I've made several picture frames for my wife's art but have only just recently decided to try making stretchers (I didn't even know they were called that). After quite a bit of searching, I finally stumbled upon this series by you. Amazing and packed with so much good info! The only question I have for you is pretty simple: when you say 1" x 2", do you mean actual or nominal dimensions? Up here in Nortthern Ontario, Canada a so-called 1 x 2 White Pine dressed 4-sides board is actually 3/4" x 1-1/2", although lately it's more like 11/16" x 1-1/2". Gary
I meant the nominal dimensions. It would be crazy difficult to get an actual 1x2". You would have to get it custom milled from a 2x4". Hope everything works and you make some good bars.
@@MeadMcLean -- even more amazing that you are answering a many years old topic within hours, Mead! Thanks for clarifying that quite obvious detail. I do expect to make my first Mead McLean style stretcher within a few weeks. It'll probably be a 4' x 5' one so I'll get to try most aspects of your system. I had ordered a roll of 61" x 25' double-primed canvas before seeing your video on priming, so don't know if I'll do the extra Gesso treatment you advise or not; I probably should. Gary
Do you have really small hands or are those 1x2s really big. They look so much bigger than the furring strip 1x2s.
Furring strips are probably even smaller than the standard 1x2. I also sometimes cut down a 1x4 to make two 1x2s, and they wind up being a bit wider that way.
Really helpful video. Do you think it would work equally well to bevel the edges using a router?
Yeah. There's a few ways. Lately I've just used a circular saw.
@@MeadMcLean Thanks. I guess the saw is better in terms of dust though, so I might invest in a saw..
I got a battery powered circular saw, and it's awesome. I use a guide with it to make the cut, and it's actually more precise than with the table saw
@@MeadMcLean Oh nice, so is the guide just the adjustable guide plate on the saw itself? Or did you make some sort of jig
I used a bit of 1x2 and 2 clamps to make one. They have guides you can buy though
Hi Mead. I'm new to your channel. I'm an artist and decided to start making my own canvas panel. Just purchased a table saw and a miter saw along with other needed tools to get the job done! Barron Arts in Brooklyn, NYC makes the best canvas panels. Custom built to order. But expensive and worth it. However, DIY brings bring the cost down by huge amounts. Can you help me?
Hopefully! What questions do you have?
So, tell us about that piano register on your wall.
People kept leaving pianos at the studio. We'd rip them apart and use bits for sculptures or whatever.
I like the design quite a lot and will definitely start making my own stretchers. But gluing end grain doesn't work because of the nature of wood fibers. End grain is essentially a bundle of straws. Wood glue works by bonding with the fibers. That's why long grain glue bonds are so strong. If properly glued the wood will sheer off before the glue bond breaks. I think an improvement to this design would be to route out a sufficient sort of tongue and groove type joint at the corners so the glue can do its job. Otherwise you're on borrowed time with end grain glue ups.
But thanks for the video! I'm inspired to make my own and save money for better oil paints!
I used to do biscuit joining, but I've never encountered a noticeable difference. Maybe if you over-stretch the canvas. If strength is a worry, a frame will also help.
In reviewing comments on this one, I came across this again and realized I didn't fully respond. When I take stretchers apart, because they're stapled and glued, I have to remove the staples first then bang them multiple times with a hammer to get the glue to break, and sometimes it splinters the wood with the glue remaining in place. Worrying about engineering these things is massive overkill. We're talking small amounts of distributed forces, after all.
I cross my hands on chop saw all the time, that is a good safety tip though.
I used to cross my hands as well! ... Now i refrain from risking the one hand I have left
Well...don't cross your arms either.
Hi Mead - thanks for the great tutorial! Question on construction for deeper stretcher frames. I am going to build a bunch of these for my wife, some upwards of 4sqft. She wants the profiles to project 3.5in from the wall. I'm concerned about how structurally sound the joints would be along the sides. Aside from the angled supports that you demonstrated in one of your other videos (already planning to incorporate those), do you have additional suggestions for deep frames like this?
Last thing I want is for her to sell a piece and the frame fails... Many thanks!
You'll probably find increased structural integrity with a greater depth. The main thing is to make sure that your blade is at a perfect 90 degree angle upwards (use the speed square or a machinist square to line it up if it's a double bevel miter saw). You can also add crossbars that go across the center at a 90 degree angle, if needed.
@@MeadMcLean Thanks for getting back with me so quickly, especially on an 8 year old post (as pointed out by Gary)! Glad to be wrong on joint strength, and I suspect I will be smugly laughed at when I get home. I was thinking about adding cross bars, especially on the bigger frames. One other quick question on material/wood selection; what are your thoughts on using ripped cabinet quality plywood over the "better boards," and should I stop myself from even considering subbing in (much cheaper) furring strips in parts of this process?
Yeah good questions. And yep, I'm still running the channel (it's a big long-term project). I would use furring strips as a minimum. Store-bought canvases use finger-joint moulding, but if you use furring strips, you may have to do more to correct the warping. You might also need extra bracing.
@@MeadMcLean I figured that would be your suggestion (they are cheap pieces of wood for a reason). Thanks again for the help!
No problem. Maybe the adage is: furring strips for practice, good stuff for professional work.
Is there way to add canvas keys to this design?
No. If you get the initial tension right, you won't need them.
what kind of staples are you using?
Just the standard t-50 3/8" staples. Those are probably even a bit too strong, but they tend to set pretty well, so I continue to use them.
First of all, I find your method very convincing. I tried other methods too. Wasn't pleased with the outcome though. Your video is quite old now which means you have years of experience and I read in a comment that you still do it the same way. Now, I guess you have some paintings which are years old which leads me to the question: how have they aged? Are there any issues with the canvas? I highly doubt the wood makes any problems. One more question. Somewhere you said you use 1x2 inch wood. Are the two pieces of the L the same or could I use a slightly smaller piece for the part that lifts the canvas? Would make the construction a little bit cheaper ... Thank you for sharing such valuable information
So far everything has aged fine. I don't think anything has warped too badly, but then I do keep everything in climate control. I just use 1x4's that I cut down the middle to make two 1x2's. If you didn't have a table saw, you could buy two 1x2's and some 1/4 round moulding or the moulding that's triangular and attach it to the 1x2 L to create the same thing. The strength comes from the symmetry of it, so if you used a 1x2 and a piece of 1/4 round moulding, it would definitely warp. And yes, I still make everything the same way. Haven't changed it since I first learned the technique in 2004.
@@MeadMcLean since 2004 rests the case for me. I'll follow your steps
what are the tools you use?
Any 45 degree miter saw, a speed square, a tape measure, some straps or strap clamps, a nail gun, a staple gun. You could do it just as well with simpler tools.
Don't you want to size the frame based on available canvas size?
You can get canvas almost any size. Rolls come in huge dimensions, you can use dropcloths in a pinch, and if you really need to do something big, I've heard of artists hiring sail-makers.
I appreciate the craftsmanship but have you ever heard of quarter round?
Exactly how my painting professor taught us back in the late 70's. It adds that lift for the canvas, and eliminates the need to bevel the 1x2. They are also a little less weighty on a finished large canvas. I can't find anything on CZcams for using quarter rounds, so I'm happy to see someone else asking the question. We were also given the option of using brick moulding, minus the quarter round.
+Janet Wise used to use quarter round. The bars warp and at least one corner will pop off the wall. There aren't 2 directions of structural support with quarter round. This is why you use the method of 1x2s in an L shape. They won't warp unless left in a highly humid area.
Yes. I stopped using quarter round. It's good for studies, practice, throwaway paintings, etc. The problem is that there is nothing to keep it from warping with only quarter round. Typically, a corner will pop off the wall when you hang it up. This is why I switched to the L-shaped bars. They have more structural integrity.
Thanks so much, Mead
I think he was saying use quarter round on top of the 1x2 and glue it down essentially creating an L shape. However quarter round is notoriously warped to begin with so wrangling it in place can be a pain. Great Video by the way
This is GREAT! Thank you!
I have a question, and I apologize for being dense, but can you clarify exactly what it means to “oppose the warp”? That’s not self-evident to me. I have watched your video over and over, sketching out arrows when you stack the wood strips and gesture how one warp goes “this way”, and the other warp going “this way”. But I still don’t get the concept. Could you respond with a word descript of what we are trying to do there. I think if you give me more words to explain, then I will understand what you are doing in the video. Hope you get a chance to respond-I’ve got my strips cut, just waiting to understand how to configure them so as to oppose the warps! THANK YOU!
Okay I just thought of another way to ask my question- Are we arranging the warps so that they arch concavely toward the center of the panel or canvas?
That just means that when the wood warps, you want to make it flare outward from the center of the L in both directions so that the warp of each board corrects the other rather than pulling in the same direction.
Yeah. The side ones should bend inward toward the center of the canvas/panel. The back ones should bend inward toward the front surface of the canvas/panel.
@@MeadMcLean Thank you Mead, for putting effort into sharing your knowledge. Wonderful to have the "mystery" removed and have a step by step plan to build stretchers. I'm with @sonambolma20032000 on this question, and am glad she asked it... I see your replies, but would it be possible to add a sketch in the comments? or a link to a sketch, a quick one, that visualizes your answer: "The side ones should bend inward toward the center of the canvas/panel. The back ones should bend inward toward the front surface of the canvas/panel." For example... the "bend"; if I were to place a piece of wood on a flat surface with the "bend" FACING UP... would the middle of the board be UP and a gap appear between the middle of the bar and the surface, or would the ends of the bar be UP, allowing the bar to rock.
Maybe another way to ask this... for the SIDE, does the concave side face the center of the canvas, or does the convex side face the center of the canvas? I apologize for not getting it from the description provided.
Your question makes sense. My answer wasn't as clear as it should be. Maybe it doesn't matter which way you oppose the warping, but I prefer to do this:
From the SIDE: the center of the board goes concave to the center of the canvas.
From the BACK: the board you put on the floor. The center would go concave in the center, bending up toward where the canvas will go, so the middle will lift off the ground.
I took a workshop on building stretchers while at art school and this is not how I learned to do this. You need a table saw and a mitre saw. 1" x 2" clear pine are beveled at 45degrees on the inside so that the canvas does not touch the wood. There is no need for an L shape. Corners are beveled with a mitre saw and are glued and nailed. You need a mitre vice to assemble, glue and nail the pieces. Cross pieces are cut to size with a mitre saw and a dado blade.
The problem with this is that the canvas tension will absolutely warp the bars. One of the corners will pop off the wall when it's hanging.
What I want to know is what additional bracing would be needed if painting VERY large(?). I've tried probably every single other method and always eventually get warp or, as in the case of using quarter rounds, unsightly and unprofessional looking separation. There may be a million ways to build stretchers just to get started but as more people invest in your work your methods SHOULD change and improve (key word: INVEST). Yeah, for a canvas so small this may seem like overkill but building it solid at the outset means never having to think anout it again. But I hope you will elaborate more on this method for canvases on a grander scale. For very large pieces even this attention to detail can't cut it. Thanks for sharing. I will continue to watch your films.
+Blossom Blossom Good question. I would turn the L opposite and bevel the long side. This would make the depth about 3" and give you more structural support because the corner is stabilized on a longer edge. If it's really, really big, you might go with a 4" depth. On a 4" depth, you could also turn your diagonal supports up as well. You may also have to add straight crossbars as well and use diagonals to support the crossbars. It could get very elaborate.
I really appreciate the thought of making this video, but, for someone with zero woodworking experience you've lost me at which way to put the boards before gluing (less than 5 minutes in). The only reason I decided to tell you is because I've never seen someone with so many views but so few ratings, which could be for the same reason - that people appreciate your efforts but got lost quickly if they're not already a woodworker. Perhaps you could do a second one for people with no woodworking experience? Just a thought. In any case, sincerely, thank you very much! I appreciate you. (Fyi, I already stretch my own but do not make my own. Can you tell me what the cost savings is? I'm assuming it's huge! Especially since purchasing a 1x2 of pine is nominal! It's just the other stuff. Lol.
I assume you mean the bit about opposing the warp? Most of the time, the wood will curve in a long C-shape. You put the center of the C's together. So it will look like the ends aren't even touching each other. This allows for the 1x2s to bend each other straight. I have some old footage I may be able to put together for some more basic methods too. I do things a bit differently now as well.
As for reactions on here, there's just no telling how/why people react. So far it's mostly been positive.
Savings is big overall for the quality, especially if you're making big pieces. The savings is less if you're making small canvases. If you're just learning, acrylic on paper is cheap and good for throwaway studies.
why not adjust the gun so the nails are just below the surface
At the time, I was using an electric nail gun that wasn't powerful enough to push the nails all the way through.
Why don't you just rip 1x4s at a slight angle so the have the angle the need so the canvas doesn't touch a 90°? 1 less step.
If you don't do the L-shape, the canvas will warp and at least one corner will pull off the wall.
You lost me at the table saw bevel section of the video.... i dont have one!!! regards
That's fine. You can just use a circular saw with a guide on it. A circular saw is cheaper and potentially safer with less of a kickback potential. These days, I just use a battery powered circular saw for the bevel cuts and the 45 degree cuts.
It seems to me like you're doing this backwards...not to mention it's a bit of overkill for the size of canvas you're building. I build the "L" shape bars too but I use them with 6 or 8 by 10ft canvases where there is a real risk of warping. A tiny 18"x 24" canvas or even a 24"x 36" canvas doesn't really require the "L" shape.
And by backwards I meant it is simpler to cut the bevel on the table saw before making the two-piece "L" shape bar...then proceed to make the 45 miter joint.
I do the L first because they can be used for panels or canvases. Sometimes you just need a panel. It's also a bit easier to put the L together when everything is 90 degrees.
The L shape with a bevel is good no matter what the size because it allows air to get between the canvas and bars reducing moisture which will ultimately deteriorate the canvas.
Measure twice, Cut once.
My shop teacher used to say: You can't cut a board longer.
@@MeadMcLean My dad used to say "I cut it twice and it's still too short!".
Yet another DIY stretcher-bar lesson that requires industrial equipment ;D)
Not true. You can miter with a hand saw and miter box, rip the angle with a circular saw and guide (or use corner round on top of the L), tack the L with nails, and keep the strap clamp the same.
Basically what you did was making a box with a faceframe the hardest way
Not really. The "face" part in your example is actually inset within the outer perimeter created by the beveled boards, so it's not really a face. A face frame is more of a cabinet maker's thing, and it's not effective with something this narrow/shallow, even if this were done with a face framing method, which it's not. If the perimeter were constructed first, then the other boards inset at 90 degrees, it would be a royal pain to get it all to line up perfectly. If you did it the other way around, creating the inset first, they would warp like crazy and you'd still have to have beyond precise cuts to get it to fit. Believe me, what's in this video is the way to do it unless you want to just buy pre-made bars or full canvases.
@@MeadMcLean no offense meant but you mean with little access to a proper shop. With the addition of a dado set a few jigs and a jointer you could rip down a couple of 2x3 and ended up with a professional quality frame. Hell if you just used biscuits instead of just glue and nails you'd have a better end product.
Nobody ever really has access to a proper shop. I've done it every which way, and I don't find biscuits to add any noticeable stability. They just end up being an extra step, an extra tool, and more time involved. I also think artists would rather spend more time painting than in the wood shop, so this simplifies the process a lot. Also, the L's in 1x2's can be used as panel supports if you don't bevel them. I used to just make a bunch of un-beveled L's and keep them around until I needed to make a canvas or a panel.
The next video I'm working on for stretcher bars is how to do this process without any power tools. There was a 2-year period where I just made these by hand, and it actually didn't take much longer as long as I kept my saw sharp.
Ohhh, DON'T staple my hand, tx so much. You could have said that before we started stapling.
Btw, any tips on how to get a staple out of a hand? cheers
Never seen anyone staple their hand, but a co-worker of mine did put a nail through this finger with a nail gun. Fortunately it wasn't through the joint, so he healed up in a couple of months without issue. Just gotta be aware and undistracted, and that will help avoid most safety issues.
Idk, Mead, that was a little robotic of a reply. I guess I have to let you off since you don't know me, but not one lol? haha I was oc joking. Now, I'm in the same position as you, idk you so I'm actually not sure if you were following along or trying to be polite about a viewer's stupid question, lmao.
I really liked the video. I'm a big picture guy.(no pun intended) So when i'm getting into details I need it explained well and thoroughly. Mission accomplished, hands and fingers all good. q=-D Tx, man.
Now.... time to create a masterpiece!
Peace
I've heard pulling helps? But for real if it does happen, leave it in there and head to an ER. The worst thing you can do with a puncture is try to remove it (if you do, it will bleed like crazy).
No worries. I knew you were joking. I'm working on a video about priming canvas, which seems simple, but there are a few common mistakes I see that run counter to the point of priming. Eventually, I'll do a traditional rabbit skin glue and oil gesso priming video.