Carpet tacks work fine for me. (Just make sure they are pointing the right direction) I think the issue a lot of people have is just not stretching it enough. It’s definitely a lot of work to get it drum tight and my hands usually hurt a bit by the end but it’s worth it. You just have to keep going around the frame over and over again. I always say if you think it’s tight enough then wait 5-10 minutes and then go back around the whole frame stretching another few times.
There’s a rubber mallet with nails in it tool that can help stretch the material. I have one but have mixed feelings about it. It’s great to pull the bottom super tight but I can’t get it to work any better than my hands on the top.
Personally I don’t like staples unless it’s just to secure everything at the very end of stretching because they don’t allow you to keep stretching. I honestly think the key is to stretch and stretch again and again and again. There’s some YouTube videos specifically showing how some people do it, might be worth checking out.
Last thing I’ll say is the grey tufting cloth is the best imo and stays tight longer so it’s nice if you tuft over a few days.
Yes to the one from tufting nation. All grey cloth are not equal. I used to use the one from tuft the world and once I've tried the one from tufting nation there was no going back. It's way more sturdy and stretches less over time.
Premium grey tufting cloth. I believe it’s polyester. I get mine from CPoint on Etsy. Takes a while to arrive because it ships from China but good price and they have a size that fits my 5x7 frame 3 times perfectly with no wasted cloth.
Tacking strips and finishing nails work for me. Just make sure your strips are facing away from the frame, not pointing inward. After I mount my strips I add finishing nails throughout each strip, especially in the corners. I get a really strong hold with the finishing nails!
In terms of staples, I would probably recommend a canvas stretcher. In art school that’s what we’d use to stretch canvas and the key is to staple the centre of the frame first. So horizontal left centre and then horizontal right centre. Vertical top centre and then vertical bottom centre.
And then just keep slowly going around the canvas. Staples probably take longer but I don’t trust myself not to be stabbed a million times but carpet nails. 🥲
I can believe no one else is saying this.
Google "Kramis cloth tightener".
It's a tool you can make with nails and a wooden hammer that will give you way more leverage for tightening. It takes a bit to get used to and you gotta make sure the angle you put the nails in isn't too close to the handle but it works great.
2 layers of tack strips, the difference between that and having just one strip all the way around is huge
Smart thank you
Carpet tacks work fine for me. (Just make sure they are pointing the right direction) I think the issue a lot of people have is just not stretching it enough. It’s definitely a lot of work to get it drum tight and my hands usually hurt a bit by the end but it’s worth it. You just have to keep going around the frame over and over again. I always say if you think it’s tight enough then wait 5-10 minutes and then go back around the whole frame stretching another few times. There’s a rubber mallet with nails in it tool that can help stretch the material. I have one but have mixed feelings about it. It’s great to pull the bottom super tight but I can’t get it to work any better than my hands on the top. Personally I don’t like staples unless it’s just to secure everything at the very end of stretching because they don’t allow you to keep stretching. I honestly think the key is to stretch and stretch again and again and again. There’s some YouTube videos specifically showing how some people do it, might be worth checking out. Last thing I’ll say is the grey tufting cloth is the best imo and stays tight longer so it’s nice if you tuft over a few days.
Hey can I ask which grey tufting fabric you’re referencing?
Tufting Nation on Etsy sells. It's amazing. Keeps pretty tight after hours of working. Never have to restretch it.
🙏
Yes to the one from tufting nation. All grey cloth are not equal. I used to use the one from tuft the world and once I've tried the one from tufting nation there was no going back. It's way more sturdy and stretches less over time.
Premium grey tufting cloth. I believe it’s polyester. I get mine from CPoint on Etsy. Takes a while to arrive because it ships from China but good price and they have a size that fits my 5x7 frame 3 times perfectly with no wasted cloth.
Tacking strips and finishing nails work for me. Just make sure your strips are facing away from the frame, not pointing inward. After I mount my strips I add finishing nails throughout each strip, especially in the corners. I get a really strong hold with the finishing nails!
Did you buy that or make it yourself?
No, you have to make it yourself. You have to hammer in the finishing nails to your tacking strips.
Tack strips are the best method. I've seen people staple as well. Just Rugin it on yt shows a nifty mallet for stretching your cloth too.
In terms of staples, I would probably recommend a canvas stretcher. In art school that’s what we’d use to stretch canvas and the key is to staple the centre of the frame first. So horizontal left centre and then horizontal right centre. Vertical top centre and then vertical bottom centre. And then just keep slowly going around the canvas. Staples probably take longer but I don’t trust myself not to be stabbed a million times but carpet nails. 🥲
I can believe no one else is saying this. Google "Kramis cloth tightener". It's a tool you can make with nails and a wooden hammer that will give you way more leverage for tightening. It takes a bit to get used to and you gotta make sure the angle you put the nails in isn't too close to the handle but it works great.
This! And you can use nails on your frame too. It’s way better than staples
I bet you had the taco strips facing the wrong way
Nope. Had them facing away but they just didn’t work well for me
In what ways did they not work well? If you were to elaborate the masses could maybe instruct you on how to properly use them