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Stretching watercolour papers

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Bari Marsh

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I never had much luck stretching papers with gum tape so after a few experiments i came up the the following method,  plus once you have made the alterations to your board there are no costs involved. I milled a groove around my board 5mm wide and about 3mm deep a neat fit for a 3 core cable. big variations in cable sizes.

Bari Marsh

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Check cable is a good fit

Bari Marsh

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Soak paper and cut off corners lay on board

Bari Marsh

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Hammer cable into grooves

Bari Marsh

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Work your way round the board

Bari Marsh

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I have used this method for about five years and never had a problem....

Alan Bickley

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I’ve never had any issues using gummed tape, but it won’t stick down onto soaking wet paper which Is where most people go wrong! You need to drain the paper after soaking by holding it vertically, then use paper towels to get rid of all excess water - it needs to be damp, not wet!  Keep returning to it initially to check the tape isn’t lifting. Follow these simple rules and you can’t go wrong, or shouldn’t do! This idea above is based on the Ken Bromley Perfect Paper Stretcher, a similar principle of forcing cable, dowel or a similar object into a groove or channel. It’s fair to say that it doesn’t receive particularly good feedback from users, but I’ve never tried it so can’t comment. I believe the small sizes start at £30, so not a great outlay if it makes life easier! There are better ones on the market than the KB, more expensive but I just can’t recall the make, I bought one but sold it and went back to the traditional gummed tape method. However, if you really can’t get on with gummed tape and you’ve got the kit to make one as Bari has, then it’s probably worth a try! Keba Artmate is the name I couldn’t recall, Jackson’s Art sell them...

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by Alan Bickley

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Bari, I'm wondering if the method you've employed - which is very similar to the Ken Bromley method - would work so well on heavier paper; or if indeed you'd need to stretch heavy papers at all.  I've used all sorts of papers - and discovered that what suits one won't appeal to another.  I tried a Fabriano paper - not the more expensive one - soaked it, drained it, lay it on a board - and it curled up into a perfect scroll; I've used others which would stay more or less flat just by dampening them, having secured the corners alone with masking tape (which is normally very inclined to lift).   I haven't the tools to mill around a board, but if I had - I know I'd make an inglorious mess of it; so if I were to go this route, I'd get the Bromley or Keba system.  But congratulations on your ingenuity (and carpentry).  

Bari Marsh

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Hi Robert.  Yes it works on heavy paper you have to cut the corners off i built a ken Bromley board and found it only worked on light paper as my degree is in product design I'm forever in my workshop improving my equipment.  Is there not someone  with a man shed in your area it only takes a couple of minutes if you have the tools. 

Bari Marsh

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Don't know if you got my post Robert...not sure which part of the country you're in but I'm happy to make you a board it only takes minutes with the right tools and I have off cuts of wood ...just took Conway Castle off the board picture showing how the damp paper sets .