Make Art Canvas Stretching Pliers

[Downeast Thunder]

Art Canvas Stretching Pliers are an essential tool for artists that stretch their own canvas. BUT - There is no need to shell out 25 bucks or so.......

Many artists are painters, using both; oil and acrylic paints with a preference for painting on canvas. The canvas may be stretched over a wooden frame, or perhaps stretched about a piece of hardboard. In either case, the canvas must be stretched such that the fabric is taut, leaving a flat, smooth, painting surface. Small sized canvas can be stretched easily without special canvas stretching pliers, but such pliers are an essential tool when stretching larger canvas by yourself (without an extra pair of hands handy).

Canvas stretching pliers are a specialized tool and are usually only found in art supply stores. They really aren’t anything special, but their uniqueness comes with a hefty price tag of around $25.00 on average. In addition, they appear to be of poor quality, and probably made in China.

This video shows you how I easily made my own art canvas stretching pliers by welding a couple of steel flat bar scraps to an old pair of slip-joint pliers. You can do the something similar and save some money yourself. If you don’t have a welder, you might have a friend or neighbor that can help you out. If not, you might use plywood or hardwood strips instead of steel flat bar and bond them to pliers with a good, strong epoxy.

Here's the video:

[mklotz]

In the absence of a welder, could seaming pliers be used?

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-inch...mer-66654.html

[Downeast Thunder]

Thanks for your input, mklotz.

I think they would probably work well enough. I haven't tried them. I do have a pair of those from another manufacturer, but they are much too wide to be practical. The ones HFT has looks like they would do the trick though.

[DIYer]

Thanks Downeast Thunder! We've added your Canvas Stretching Pliers to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: Downeast Thunder's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Canvas Stretching Pliers by Downeast Thunder

tags: pliers

[ranald]

Thanks for a really obvious solution that I missed. I used to work for a framer and when she closed & sold shop (she had bleeding probs & could not afford a small cut from glass etc), I asked to purchase her pliars and a couple of other hand tools: she decided to keep them & I could borrow anytime. I hate to borrow & I've been stung too many times to ever lend again-I always offer to do the job rather than lend. Besides whenever I call her she is unavailable & usually sailing around the pacific--ha ha good on her but not so great for me, if I were to borrow.

Cheers,
Ranald