Gripper Strips

These tough gripper strips are a perfect addition to your punch needle, rug hooking or needlework frame. By adding a gripper strip to each side of your frame, you’ll be able to easily attach and stretch your fabric to the right tautness everytime. Perfect for punch needle projects which rely on properly stretched fabric for even loops and uniform pile heights.

Gripper strips have fine, sharp metal teeth which are angled in one direction to hook onto your fabric and hold it tightly in place. To maximise their grip, the gripper strips should be added to a curved surface to open up the teeth on the strip for maximum hold. These gripper strips are manufactured in different PPSI (Points Per Square Inch), you should choose your gripper strip PPSI according to the type of fabric you work with:

• A 300 PPSI strip is best for stretching burlap / hessian and loose weave primitive linens.
• A 380 PPSI strip is best for stretching monks cloth and linen.
• A 480 PPSI strip is best for stretching very fine linens and weavers cloth.

All gripper strips sold by Tuftbox come in 1 metre lengths and are shipped to you flat with a 1 metre long piece of very thick (2.5 cm depth) recycled foam which you can use to cover the sharp teeth of the strips.

• Before handling your gripper strips ensure you are wearing protective clothing with long sleeves, thick protective gloves and premium safety goggles to protect your eyes. 
• It is safer to have a friend or loved one to help you when affixing your gripper strips to your frame, make sure your helper is also wearing the right protective gear. If you are installing alone, plastic spring clamps are helpful for holding the strips in place as you attach them to your frame.
• If you need to cut your gripper strips to the right size for your DIY frame, you will need strong snips that are capable of cutting through metal and leather, such as straight tin snips. 
• Cut the length of your gripper strips to the size of the inside edge of each side of your frame. Do not attempt to cut the width of your gripper strips to try to make them thinner. 
• Make sure the metal teeth (spikes) on your gripper strips face outwards, pointing away from the centre of your frame. You need the angle of the teeth to face in the right direction to hook and hold onto your fabric.
• Secure your gripper strips to a wooden frame using a heavy duty staple gun and staples suitable for working with wood.
• Start stapling your strips to your frame by affixing the inside edge of the strip first, starting in the middle of the strip and working to each end. Then you can stretch and staple the outside edge of each strip to your frame (this is where a friend or clamps come in handy!)