I decided to take the challenge and make my own linen panels.
This was a big deal for me because I've bought plenty of panels at the local craft store and online. So based on my discussion with Charles Muench and the instructions in Kevin MacPherson's book "Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light & Color" I started assembling the needed supplies.
I bought a gallon of glue called "Miracle Muck" and some Claessen's #66 Oil-primed linen from Sourcetek (canvaspanels.com). Note that Miracle Muck will be ruined if it's frozen, so Sourcetek will not ship during the winter. Also, I built 32 panels and used less than 1/4 of the gallon...so expect a full years supply of panels from one purchase. High quality panels are made with 1/8" Baltic Birch plywood panels. I purchased the wood at Lowes in 2' x 4' panels and used a table saw to cut to size.
After cutting the panels, I laid them out on the linen and arranged them for the most economical fit. Kevin MacPherson recommends adding a 1/2" border to each canvas panel to aid in gluing and allowing for shrinkage. In this photo I'm tracing the board onto the backside of the canvas.
I spread the glue evenly within the pencil outline, making sure that the corners and edges are completely covered.
Working a brayer roller over the surface, I apply pressure to the canvas to help bind it to the board. Then I stacked same size panels together and placed books on top overnight.
The finished panels came out looking good. I made several sizes which included 6"x 6", 6"x 8", 8"x 8", 8"x 10", 9"x 12".
Overall construction costs came to $120. If I purchased the same panels online I would have spent $215 plus shipping costs.
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