Building Your Own Canvas Supports

Making your own canvases instead of buying them premade is more cost effective in the long run. Plus, it allows for specific and unconventional dimensions you can’t find in stores.

Two Frames I Made During this Tutorial. The canvas will be stretched over them.

In college, when I first learned how to build canvas supports, I was taught on a very big, expensive Sawstop table saw. After graduating I no longer had access to table saws, and the smaller bench saws I would borrow from neighbors didn’t feel as safe as the one’s at school. 

A little while ago I came across a Youtube video that I haven’t been able to find since, of an artist who uses a power hand planer instead. I tried it out and am very happy with the results.

Here are the steps to building your own canvas frame:

To start, get some 1x2s from a lumber or hardware store. I was making two frames, so I bought some 8ft and 6ft nicer quality pine boards.

Measure and cut the dimensions needed for each side, leaving a few extra inches.

A sawed section of a 1x2 board in a table vice. My miter box is in the back.

Take the planer and run it along one edge a few times to bevel it. I bought a used table vice to hold the board in place, but having someone hold the board works as well.

The angle only needs to be around 10 degrees to work, but I like to bevel my edges a little more so I know the canvas will only touch along the edge.

Notice how the top edge is sloped or beveled. One side is higher than the other.

Next use a miter saw or miter box to cut 45 degree angles at the edge of each board. It’s important to make sure the highest part of the bevel is on the outside, so the wood

slopes inward (if that makes sense).

Here I'm using a spring clamp to hold the wood to the miter box

I use corner clamps to be extra sure the boards meet at a right angle. However, it’s not entirely necessary with this process if you glue the corners with a wood glue. I usually go with clamps if I ever need to take the frame apart to ship.

Corner clamps to hold the boards in place.

Then I'm going to put one screw in each corner. When screwing frames together, it’s better to drill a pilot hole first, so the wood doesn’t splinter. To select the right drill bit, hold the screw you are using over the bits until you find one that is slightly smaller than the shaft of the screw.

Holding up the screw to the drill bits in order to find the correct size.

Drill the pilot hole so it goes through both boards.

Drilling a pilot hole first

Then the screw. It should go in pretty easily. You'll also see and feel the boards tighten together from the screw.

Screwing the screw into the pilot hole we just drilled

Next, measure the inside dimensions of one of the sides. It doesn’t matter which one first.

Tape measure along inside edge

Cut one of the boards to that measurement and fit it inside the frame as shown. 

The board is set perpendicular to the beveled board.

Next, drill pilot holes to screw the two pieces of wood together. To keep the wood in place while drilling, you can use F or C clamps.

C Clamp holding the two boards together

I like to put one screw in the ends and a few in the side. This step squares up the edges of the canvas and makes it sturdier. 

Drilling pilot hole in edge of board in addition to along the edges.

Then measure the distance of the inside of the other pair of sides and repeat the same steps as above.

Now, we need to cut supports to go in the center. Since this painting was larger, I needed three supports. I measured the distance needed and made sure each board fit before cutting the others. Sometimes you have to squeeze the boards in at an angle to get them to fit. But it’s better if they’re snug and actually supportive then too small with a gap between the two pieces of wood.

Placement of supports in frame

To attach these center supports I used a  spring clamp to hold the wood in place.

Spring clamp holding boards together

In this case, the drill isn’t long enough to reach where the screw has to go. So first, I use the biggest drill bit to drill a hole into the wood. You don't want to drill all the way in. In this case I only drilled until I reached the second board. (If we consider the outside most piece one.) This is the step were safety glasses are the most important. Big wood shavings can going flying up into your face.

Largest drill bit centered (as best as possible)

Then I switch it out for the smaller bit and drill the pilot hole as usual. I’m also using longer screws here. It’s important to be careful and drill the pilot holes as straight as possible so the screw doesn’t come out the side of the wood.

Make sure the screw is long enough to fit in the wood

Smaller pilot hole drilled into the center of the larger hole that was drilled so the screw fits.

Once all the supports are in, you have to cut even more supports that go along the center of the canvas. In this method they are offset so it is easier to screw the wood in place. Make sure to measure the distance correctly. Then use the spring clamps and larger drill bit as necessary. 

Placement of additional supports. Only necessary for larger paintings.

Finally, the support of the canvas is done. Next, it’s time to stretch!

But that can wait for another tutorial.