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STRETCHING THE CANVAS

Now to show you how I go about stretching the canvas before sealing it.
I first "offer up" the canvas to see I have the longest side running along the longest side of the wooden paint frame. I then tack one corner.

For all this stretching work I use one inch long, plasterboard, large headed, sheradised nails. The zinc coating stops them rusting. These nails have small rings (teeth) around the shank which help them stay in firmly.
When used to stretch canvas I never hammer these nails fully home but leave at least half protruding as they will be taken out once the canvas has been prepared.

In this case I chose to tack the top left corner (It's up to you which corner you start).

Pulling very hard (Arrow) from this fixed point I then tacked about every two feet along the top. Don't drive the nails in too far as these are temporary and you will probably be pulling them out in a minute!

Now,again pulling as hard as I could, downwards this time along the left side, I tacked every two feet down to about half way and then stopped.

I then moved across to the right and pulling as I hard as I could at an angle from the fixed top left corner then tacked down the right hand side until I reached the half way stage.

Turing my attention to the bottom I then tacked the middle (Pulling directly down from the top. I then tacked either side along the bottom.

Psst How did I get that arrow behind the steps? Aint PaintShopPro marvelous?

Finally, by pulling from the top corners I completed temporarily tacking both sides to the bottom.

Now I returned to the top left corner and started to nail along the top about every six inches. Pulling upwards and along as hard as I could as I worked. Now you will discover that some of your original tacking will leave loose canvas so remove these temporary nails and continue your six inch nailing.

Here is a photo taken looking along the top of the frame. Note, if convenient, I do not nail on the front of the frame but bend the canvas over and nail along the edge.

The canvas surrounding the nails will be uselessly creased once the sealing has dried so will have to be cut off and not used.

Note how the nails protrude so they can easily be removed later with a claw hammer.

Footnote. Although I did have to nail along the front face of the frame along the bottom in this case.

I continue nailing all the way around the canvas in the same order which I did the original temporary tacking. I cannot emphasise enough that all the time you should be pulling hard to stretch the canvas as you nail. So that when the cloth has been fully stretched it is tight, like a drum, with no wrinkles.

Now you are ready to seal >>

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