An Inexpensive Method Needing no Power Tools.

I have built large stretchers that have lasted 30 plus years from "2 x 2"'s found at many home improvement stores. You will have to look for the really straight ones, but you will likely find them. Of course if you are not painting very large, a bend in the middle of an 8 foot long 2 x 2 is not necessarily a problem. Just be sure to find the ones with the straightest grain pattern, and fewest knots. This will ensure that the stretcher remains straight.

Use the wood soon. Do not let it sit around and do not lean it up against a wall. Store it flat.

Canvas must be raised up off the stretcher or it will leave a mark where it touches the wood (where the brush presses the canvas against the stretcher as you paint). So, for this method of stretcher construction, you will use quarter round (also found at home improvement stores). It is a long piece of moulding, curved on one side, with two other flat sides at a 90 degree angle. You will use brad nails (a brad nail gun and compressor can be bought for around $150 - worth the money! - and you can get a stapler for stretching the canvas, too) and glue to affix the quarter round to the stretcher sides. A flat side goes against the outside edge of the stretcher curved edge goes to the INSIDE.

Quarter round comes in 1/2" and 3/4". I definitely recommend the 3/4".

The sides do not have to be mitred. You can just butt them together and nail them if you do not have a power drill. Perhaps you may not think this is a great idea, but some of the frames I made in my college days with this method are the ones that are still holding up. I did not use a drill, screws, etc. Just nails, glue and wood. To brace the corners, you can cut short pieces of 2 x 2 at 45 degrees, and nail them in each corner. How big these need to be depends upon how large your frame is. And if the frame is 4 feet on a side, you need to put a brace across the long side, in the middle.

A tip for you that will help a lot: you can buy 90 degree clamps at home improvement stores. They will hold the wooden bars together while you screw or nail them. A couple of these will make you stretcher building job 100% easier. AND, they will help you achieve actual rectangles! The clamps do not cost too much, and are well worth the money!

This method is guaranteed to work. I made many frames this way. If you want you can substitute masonite triangles in the corners. They do give a lot of strength, but I never liked them because they made the sides of the frame look a little bit uneven, and I liked to wrap the canvas around the edge and staple on the back. That way I could paint the edge and not frame the large paintings. When I say large, I mean up to 4 x 8 feet.

This will get you started down the path of building stretchers. I will be adding the method we use at Texas Tech University School of Art woodshop, in the next couple of days. If you have more questions or suggestions, email them.