WingedBlue Arts: Storing Stretched Canvas

Storing Stretched Canvases

Text and Artwork:
Copyright © 2009 Beth E Peterson.
All rights reserved.

Canvases are fragile things, always prone to having the fabric stretched and distorted if any object should lean on it or press against it. In addition, canvases should never be stored in such a way as there is not good ventilation and air circulation between the canvas and the floor & each other. Otherwise, they are prone to dry rot in hot dry climates, and mildew and mold growth in damper climates. Oil paintings, for the first six months or year after they have been completed, need to be stored in an area that is lit at least part of the time, such as daylight coming in through windows; if left to dry in darkness, the paint will yellow. Also, it is often inadvisable to store canvases with the painted surfaces against each other. Occasionally, both oil and acrylic paintings can stick together, even when they had appeared to be dry. (This is more likely to occur in a damp climate.) In peeling them away from each other, one or both are often damaged.

As you can see, storing stretched canvases can be a bit of a hassle, as many painters know. Here are some thoughts and tips on what to do with your stretched canvases once they are off the easel, or while they are waiting to go on.

Use Protection

Canvases are much more able to be stored with safety if a couple of relatively simple things are done. First, rather than screwing hangers or eye-screws directly into the back of the stretcher strips, it is often much better to screw them into the inner side of the stretcher strips. In this way they do not protrude, which also makes it unlikely that they will gouge into or press against a neighboring canvas. When being hung on a wall, it is easy (and usually better for the wall's surface) to attach two small rubber bumpers on the upper corners. This ensures that the hung painting is tipped slightly forward, which in turn reduces glare.

Another safety measure is to give each completed canvas a simple lattice frame. This really is simple, too. Merely get some firring or lattice strips (generally 1/4 inch thick is sturdy enough)at a local lumberyard. Cut it to fit the canvas in question, remembering to give allowance for the butt joint overlaps at the ends where needed. Once cut, sanding down and sealing the wood is a good idea, as that protects both the wood itself as well as the painting it is going to be attached to. Set each strip in place and nail it directly into the stretchers, using small finishing nails. The overhang of the lattice acts as a stop and further protection of the painting from dings, gouges, and pokes. In the illustration at left, the stretcher (orange) is placed in the middle of the piece of lattice stripping, and the resulting overhang (purple) at either side can be seen. Depending on the type of work you do, the lattice frame can either be a temporary or a permanent frame for the piece.

Stacking Canvases

Stacking canvases against a wall is a quick, easy storage solution that many of us employ at one time or another. There are tricks to stacking canvases, however, which will help reduce pokes and prods.

If you have to stack several completed canvases for any length of time, it is wise to remove any hardware such as eye-screws and wire or make sure that they are screwed into the inner surface of the stretcher bars. This ensures fewer pokes and scratches. Also, stack the canvases so that they are all facing one direction, thereby reducing the possibility of them sticking together. Canvases should be stacked so that the weight of the ones in front always passes from stretcher bar to stretcher bar or frame to frame. In order to accomplish this, canvases should be placed in alternate directions, as seen in the illustration, and with the larger pieces in the rear, moving to smaller pieces in front. Stacking largest to smallest gives the stack more stability, with less chance of paintings tipping or getting knocked over. In addition, although not shown in the illustration, if the stacked canvases are going to remain there for any length of time, they should be raised off the floor on a couple of 2x2's, in order to allow air to circulate underneath them.

Building a Canvas Rack

"Ah!" You say. "A storage rack sounds like a good thing!" And indeed, they are. And, if you have the tools and have done any woodworking at all, they are pretty easy to make.

This illustration shows the base of the rack that you could build. I suggest using 2x2" lumber, a jigsaw, a drill, wood screws, and carpenter's glue. Note that the joints are dogleg joints; they should be glued as well as screwed together. In setting up the screws, be sure to drill 1/8 inch diameter pilot holes first; this eliminates a lot of the potential splitting of the wood as you screw it together. Without the pilot holes, I can almost guarantee one or the other or both pieces of wood will split. Please note that I do not give any dimensions in inches....This is because different painters work in different sizes and have different needs. You will know best if you need a base which is 10 inches wide, 20 inches, or perhaps 30 inches. However, you'll see that I do designate the interior width dimension as "x". You need to know this measurement when it comes time to building the partitions.

Okay...now to begin the partitions. Note that the width of the outer dimension of the partition is the same as the width of the interior dimension of the base's width, both being labeled "x". As you can see, I am again using dogleg joints (glued and screwed, just like before), and for extra stability, since the rack will have no upper bar on its front face to help keep it from shifting, I am adding a diagonal support. Note: the diagonal support goes inside the frame of the partition. Otherwise, it can potentially poke into your canvas! This support could be made out of a 1x2 or a 2x2. Either way, You'll need to mark the desired angle (which may or may not be 45 degrees, depending on the proportions of your rack). After cutting the diagonal support, drill pilot holes for the screws, glue up the areas of the frame and support where they will be meeting, and then screw them together. (By the way, don't run your drill through the glue; do your drilling beforehand. The glue can ruin the drill bit.)

Create as many partitions as you desire, depending on how many paintings you're going to put in each partitioned opening as well as how many paintings you are planning on storing. Be sure when making your plans, to account for leaning space. Even in a rack, stretched canvases need room to lean back onto the supporting partition. Otherwise, it is very easy for the front surface of the painting to hit and/or rub against the facing partition and become damaged. Allow the glue on all the partitions and on the base to dry thoroughly before moving on.

a highly simplified overview of finished rack

This illustration shows an extremely simplified rack. Notice, I have only included the two end partitions, and these don't even have their diagonal supports! But this illustration does give you a good sense of how the rack will go together. Note, the base is in blue, the two partitions shown are in green, the upper back cross bar is in red, and the rack's back diagonal support bar is in purple.

If you look closely, you will see that the partitions are slotted into the base. Since the interior dimension of the base and outer dimension of the partition should be the same, the fit should be very snug. After doing a dry fit to ensure it will fit, glue up the two surfaces where they meet and slide the partition in. Since it should be quite snug, the partitions should hold firmly in place without the use of screws, especially once the glue has dried. (If done properly, the glue will be stronger than the wood once it is dry.) If you find during the dry fit that the partition is too wide by a hair or two, simply sand it down til it fits. If it is more than 1/16th of an inch too small, seriously consider re-doing the partition.

After the partitions are all in place, it is time to cut the upper back cross bar (in red). Note that this cross bar is set below the dogleg joints of the partitions. This gives you ample space to set a screw through the bar and into each partition without interfering with the joint. At this point it would be great to get some help. Have two friends hold the cross bar in it's final position while you drill the pilot holes through the bar and into the wood of the partitions. In this way, you are certain that the holes will line up...as long as you keep which end is which straight :-) Smear on the glue, then screw the bar into place.

Lastly, measure and cut the rack's back diagonal support bar. Glue and screw the angled ends into the upper and lower back cross bars, similarly as you did with the partitions' diagonal supports. Drill your pilot holes where each partition passes across the diagonal back bar, then screw them together. (At this point, I wouldn't worry about trying to get the glue in there. The screws should act as enough of a stabilizer.)

If you are really into woodworking, perfectionism, or want this rack to simply look nice, sand it down and give it a good finish with either a sealant or paint. This will also protect the wood from rot, as well as protect any canvases from the acids that wood inherently contains.

And there you have it. Beth's take on storing canvases. See! I can talk a long time on nearly anything!! ~WEG~