Large-scale artwork support with hardboard-framing discussion/question

It’s difficult to imagine a solution without seeing everything in person. I think you just might be up against something we all strive for. I want it large lite weight and flat.
Is their a reason your not working off a canvas stretched over a frame.
Good Luck

-- Aj

I’m not sure there would be any weight savings but the idea of a torsion box comes to mind. A google search on “torsion box construction” will illustrate the concept.

It may be that one could use thinner hardboard to recover some of the weight from the extra material.

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

I m not sure there would be any weight savings but the idea of a torsion box comes to mind. A google search on “torsion box construction” will illustrate the concept.

It may be that one could use thinner hardboard to recover some of the weight from the extra material.

- sras

Without having had given it a Google yet, it might just be helpful. If its something thatd obliviate some cross-member usage on a large scale, I could see some stability increase and weight saves.

Thank you for the recommendation, sras. I’ll check it out

It’s difficult to imagine a solution without seeing everything in person. I think you just might be up against something we all strive for. I want it large lite weight and flat.
Is their a reason your not working off a canvas stretched over a frame.
Good Luck

- Aj2

Right? Reading someone else say its a directive of many other creators at least makes me think ive got my head somewhat in the right direction. (Lol)

There’s a lot to the comparison and compromise to large scale stretched canvas and panels (hardboard), but a few key points are the cost, visual appeal and durability over time, with painting process being part and parcel of its use too.

Typically, you’re looking at around $650-1,000 for a havy-duty, big boy 12-20 oz. canvas from a supplier, not including shipping and construction when it gets home, whereas You’re chiming it at a grand total of about $70 from the hardware store for a hand made piece out of hardboard panel, if you know what you’re doing.

Also note the cost of either option in this case (art supports) logically has no reflection on actual quality in terms of archival-ability and overall structural integrity, and a great deal of artists actually recognize it as superior in those terms. The look too, imo, has a more modern presentation and i find lends itself to more modern work (i have a lot of stuff aimed at interior design.)

The labor element isn’t great on either if you’re making your own stuff, but hey it’s part of the fun. . . Right?

I’d go the Steve approach, very flat, stiff, and light weight for the end product. I’d have a hard time finding any hardboard over a standard 4’ x 8’ sheet however.

For glued up stacks of hardboard vs, just using pine, pine wins. It’d take too much time laminating up hardboard strips to get the same effect as pine.

I d go the Steve approach, very flat, stiff, and light weight for the end product. I d have a hard time finding any hardboard over a standard 4 x 8 sheet however.

For glued up stacks of hardboard vs, just using pine, pine wins. It d take too much time laminating up hardboard strips to get the same effect as pine.

- splintergroup

Yeap, I think you’re on the money there, splintergroup.

Hopefully I’m uploading this right:

Ok, so here are just a couple examples of stuff, just to get some visuals going. The first 2 pieces are what i was doing a while back before I started refining edgework and thinking bigger formats.

The last piece is halfway done, in both the art and the frame up itself, and its been my guinea pig for some 5’x7’’s here soon.

I had to do the ‘ole slats and clamps+water trick to straighten up some mistakes and cupping on the corners, but its leaning in the right direction.

Fortunately, the weight of it falls right on what a more robust canvas of this size, with say double fill weave at 20oz. Might likely weigh., with the additional “pro” of not having to eventually re-stretch or key back up later (to be fair, you wouldnt have to anyway for a decade at worst anyway with good stuff and proper set-up.)

I could shave off a few oz or so by bringing a bevel via router/chisel on the interior struts. As excessive as that might seem here, again we are trying to ring out weight savings where we can.

Last off, as much as I prefer the more shallow orientation on this (last) cradle versus the top, black guy’s “gallery wrap” profile, I fear there will be pretty obvious diminished returns on it going huge, but I hope I wrong yet again.

More food/thought, and please forgive the typos up top