Make Cloth Rigid (spray application)

[bwf]

I have a very large (16'x20') piece of canvas that is hanging from a wooden frame in a wavy pattern. I need to make this fairly rigid...so I assume that some sort of spray could accomplish this (preferably something available from Lowes or Home Depot). I thought about maybe spray polyurethane or some specific type of spray glue, but hoped that someone else has run into this before and could suggest the least expensive (and maybe low fumes?) way to make my fabric rigid without taking it down. Thanks!

 

[AdamBair]

How shiny can this surface be? I would try heavy starch first. Get a gallon or three of water boiling, and mix in as much corn starch as you can get to dissolve (stir constantly), then when it cools, paint on or soak you fabric and then shape it before it dries.

 

[sk8rsdad]

Have you looked at Rosco FoamCoat or FlexCoat?

 

[Footer]

White Glue/water and a hudson sprayer should do it for you. Your going to have to soak it completly, but when it dries it will be hard. Try it on a patch and see if it does what you want it to. You want to mix the glue and water just enough to make the stuff spray. Do a test area first to make sure it holds well enough with your fabric choice.

 

[gafftaper]

What is the cloth made of? Some fabrics are going to shrink when you do any of these tricks and you will loose your wavy pattern.

 

[kicknargel]

How shiny can this surface be? I would try heavy starch first. Get a gallon or three of water boiling, and mix in as much corn starch as you can get to dissolve (stir constantly), then when it cools, paint on or soak you fabric and then shape it before it dries.

I like to use liquid laundry starch, so as not to mess around with boiling big pots of water.

Nicholas Kargel
You Want What? Productions INC
scenic and lighting design and construction in Denver, CO

www.youwantwhatproductions.com

 

[Tex]

Gafftaper hit it. If your fabric is cotton or some other natural fiber, it will shrink or "size" when you put glue or starch on it. This is a good thing if you've got sagging muslin on a flat frame, but not so much if you want to keep your waves. I would go with the Rosco FlexCoat or you could try some clear acrylic or polyurethane spray.

 

[bwf]

I am using canvas, and had actually already tried soaking it in a watery mixture of mortar powder...which did help, but not nearly enough. I am not worried about shrinking at this point, because it should have already shrunk with that first treatment. The boiling pot of cornstarch sounds a bit more involved than what i hoped for (though might be the best way to try this next time), so i think i will either try the spray starch suggestion or the polyurethane suggestion. Do the Rosco products dry completely hard, or are they flexible? I want this to be as solidly hard as possible. I am not worried about the sheen, as i can spray the back side. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUGGESTIONS!

 

[BrianWolfe]

For inexpensive and rigid: starch would be the cheapest, white glue would be more rigid but more expensive, sprayed on urethane would be the best but more expensive.

 

[MaddMaxx]

I have had great results mixing white glue and PL (urethane tube glue) with water based poly clear coat. I use a drill driven mixer. Makes a product similar to that used by cloth winged airplane restorers. What they actually use is very flammable.