The Framers Forum

Hi to you all again,
I have a canvas I need to frame and the moulding the client has chosen is not as deep as the canvas. I have obviously seen these done before, but I would love to know what the forum thinks about this and the best way of fixing the canvas within the frame that looks clean, and neat with obviously maximum protection for the back of the canvas. As always, any ideas/opinions/expertise very welcome! Thanks.

I asked the same question a few months back and the answers were,

Use copper Z clips,
Tabs into side of canvas then staple these into the frame.
Spring clips, screwed to back of frame.
Fletcher Multimaster then screw the tabs to back of the frame with hole in the tab.

I have been using Z clips, ( painful into your finger ) !!!

Tabs and staples, which have worked fine, until today when I treated myself to Multimaster and think I have found the perfect tool for the job......

I agree, a thumbs up for the Multimaster, maybe not the traditional way of securing the back but it works for me

We use canvas offsets, have a look on the lion website. They come in different depths depending how far your canvas protrudes.

Traditional method is Z clips, I find the Multimaster tabs pull out. I also steer customers to mouldings which are befitting the artwork, so deep canvases are best in a deep rebate moulding, wide moulding (so yo don't see the edge of the canvas) or a L shaped canvas box moulding which frames the canvas but allows you to see the sides of the canvas ie arqadia 611167348



In this instance the canvas is screwed in from the underside of the moulding, so it can be taken out at a later stage (don't glue).

Hope this helps

Alistair

I think the canvas off sets mentioned by China shop are easily the best method!

Sometimes if there is a wide space between the canvas and the frame rebate (basically if there is a wide thin slip) I have used the straight 4 hole repair plates, these can be bent to the required shape and screwed to the canvas and frame.

I also use the flexitab/fletcher point and staple method but only on jobs that are on a budget. I am not that happy about firing points into a canvas and possibly weakening the structure.

not sure if this is helpful - but what about using screw eyes - use these for our double frames but the inner frame could be a canvas frame ?

Canvas offsets are the best by a mile.......zero damage to the canvas......job done........and you can quote me on that

I am framing a big canvas which should have been in



However the moulding is not square by a long shot. The angles instead of being 90 deg are more like 80/100 thus when you come to put it in one of these mouldings you would need a gap of about 40mm in one corner and 5 in another. Canvases and artist's don't necessarily go well together especially ones they have stretched. I couldn't re stretch due to the very flakey and unstable nature of the impasto acrylic so I am having to put a generous slip over it, painted of white



and a deep box moulding.



I will have to build a trapezoid rebate glued to the slip to support the picture, some how.

Cheers

AG

easypopsgcf wrote:Canvas offsets are the best by a mile.......zero damage to the canvas......job done........and you can quote me on that

There. I did.


Better than Z-cl*ps.

I still like spring clips for 'normal' depth canvases though.

Had a lady in yesterday with a 12x10 canvas photo on 45mm deep stretchers. "What can you do with this?", she asked.

(Stick it down to a board that's what)

AG. I have had wonky canvases such as you describe. I did one using a L moulding upside down. You get a good wide rebate then.

I didn't think of that considering it was an L moulding I had ordered for it . Anyway I have made and painted the slip so I will do it that way. If I get a chance I will post up a picture later today.

Cheers

Alistair

:

I didn't see it mentioned here, but it's possible to add another piece of moulding to the back of the frame to extend the rebate. It could be another moulding, or a rectangular section of timber painted a similar colour to the main moulding.

I often use this method and usually glue and screw/nail the wood to the back of the frame!