Has anyone used a ratchet strap canvas stretching tools

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Not your average framer
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Has anyone used a ratchet strap canvas stretching tools

Post by Not your average framer »

I've been looking at the possibility of making myself a ratchet strap operated canvas stretching tool. It seems pretty straight forward, but are they a worthwhile thing to have and do they save time when stretching canvases? I've no experience of anything like this at all, but I'm moving from one shop to another and while this will mean that I will have much more space, I need to turn some jobs around much faster make a larger set-up cover it's costs.

My thanks in anticipation,
Mark.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Chris_h
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Re: Has anyone used a ratchet strap canvas stretching tools

Post by Chris_h »

I had the quickmate one and it works fine, but I actually found it no easier than using a good set of handheld stretcher pliers and it was a little slower.
Not your average framer
Posts: 11013
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Has anyone used a ratchet strap canvas stretching tools

Post by Not your average framer »

Thanks Chris,

Mmmm, That's interesting! For me the really large canvases are a bit of a pain as at present I not only don't have much room, but I feel like I would cope better if I had an extra hand free.

I'm not particularly sure whether this will turn out to be an advantage, or not, but I am thinking that maybe the ratchet strap job might make life easier on the larger canvases and in veiw of what you have just said, the stretcher pliers might be a better solution for more manageable, smaller canvases.

I don't reckon that it would be much of a problem to make my own ratchet strap stretching tool at quite low cost, so it might still be something worth thinking about.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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