I hope this is the correct forum for this question. I am looking for a good pair of canvas pliers to be used for gallery wraps. Staples will be on the back of the stretchers and I will generally be using an Exhibition Type Canvas. I have seen a custom made pair which where really vise grips with a flange welded onto them. They actually looked very good, but for $300, I thought that was way too much money. Just looking for some recommendations for some alternatives.
Thanks for the info. Never heard of them before. Just went to their site and could not find any pliers, so they probably do not sell them. Will call them on Monday and see if they can recommend a good pair.
Try the Home Depot section for rain gutters and look for a pair of Wiss metal bending pliers. They come with flat 3.5 inch jaws and work fine for just a few dollars. If you want more grip try gluing a small strip of course sandpaper to the inside of the jaws.
I use them and they work great.
Trying to stretch with pliers seems to be a recipe for puckers and tears.
The way canvases for oil paintings are typically stretched is to first staple the canvas hand tight evenly to the frame then expand the frame at the corners with wedges that are hammered into place, tightening the canvas. If you get it hand snug when stapling it not much expansion is needed to get it tight.
A trick for finishing the back of a frame with a drumhead tight covering of brown wrapping paper it to cut the paper to size, glue it to the frame, then spray it with water. It shrinks as it dries drum tight.
Thanks for the information. Just looked at Homedepot and they now have the Klein brand, they are called seamers or tongs. Looks like they would work. However, I am not sure the straight pair would be able to use the stretcher as a fulcrum to get a good stretch. Would the offset pair work better using it upside down?
Very interesting method. Will the wedges in the corners actually tighten the entire frame? Also, as for the trick of wetting the brown paper, I like that. Maybe there is a way to do something like that with the actual canvas also.
cgardner wrote:
Trying to stretch with pliers seems to be a recipe for puckers and tears.
The way canvases for oil paintings are typically stretched is to first staple the canvas hand tight evenly to the frame then expand the frame at the corners with wedges that are hammered into place, tightening the canvas. If you get it hand snug when stapling it not much expansion is needed to get it tight.
A trick for finishing the back of a frame with a drumhead tight covering of brown wrapping paper it to cut the paper to size, glue it to the frame, then spray it with water. It shrinks as it dries drum tight....Show more →
Some stretcher bars aren't made to use wedges and you have to stretch with pliers. the wedges are nicer - especially to keep lines straight which can be downright hard with pliers. Another trick with the brown paper back is to use a sponge and water that has a small amount of elmers white glue dissolved in it. Helps make the paper even tougher when it dries. Just wipe the dilute glue water on with the sponge.
Very interesting method. Will the wedges in the corners actually tighten the entire frame? Also, as for the trick of wetting the brown paper, I like that. Maybe there is a way to do something like that with the actual canvas also.
Thanks,
Jim
You don't want to be wetting the canvas. Uh uh. Nope.
BubbaJon wrote:
You don't want to be wetting the canvas. Uh uh. Nope.
Why don't you want to spray the canvas. Spraying the back of the canvas with a light spray of water or "tighten up" will tighten up a sagging canvas. Changes in humidity can cause canvas to sag and a little spray on the back tightens things up nicely.
chez wrote:
Why don't you want to spray the canvas. Spraying the back of the canvas with a light spray of water or "tighten up" will tighten up a sagging canvas. Changes in humidity can cause canvas to sag and a little spray on the back tightens things up nicely.
Mainly because:
- from the back the canvas isn't sealed and can affect the ink (depends on canvas of course)
- canvas doesn't always shrink uniformly and can get wonky.
YMMV of course and if it works for you who am I to argue?
When streching injet canvas with pliers start from the center and work your way out, it will keep the lines straight. Inkjet canvas should not be streched as tight as canvas for oils. Oil canvases are normally streched hand tight, wedged to remove any sags and then coated with Gesso which causes the canvas to shrink. The only reason to stretch a canvas this tight is to enable you to press against it with brushes and pallet knives. Since the inkjet prints are already finished you only need to get them visably tight. Over tightening of inkjet canvas can cause lines from the strether to show through over time. The best strecher I ever saw was at a photo lab where they used to press prints onto canvas. It was two strips of wood with a carpet tack strip fastened to one side and a piece of hard sponge on the other. The two strips were hinged together and then mounted on the wall. One side of the canvas was stapled and then the other was clamped pulled and then stapled.
I have been using Holbein stretcher pliers for a number of years - Japanese made from Molybdenum alloy. They also have rubber grips. High quality, really great.
