DIY Network

*Marathon Special: Enlarged Sports-Photo Display From "Major League Remodel Marathon" episode DMLR-M1

Johnny Bench turns one of his favorite career photos into large-scale wall art.

In this segment of the Major League Remodel Marathon, retired major-league legend Johnny Bench creates an impressive wall display from an ordinary black and white photo. One of Johnny's favorite photos features him in his catcher's stance. Using a specialized photo process, this black and white photograph is enlarged to create an even more impressive piece of wall art.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Johnny Bench shows off one of his favorite works of art -- "The Catcher."

• The photo was taken to a professional copy center where it could be scanned into a computer. The image could then be enlarged and printed onto a piece of canvas (figure A). After the printed canvas has been allowed to cure for 24 hours, the image is sprayed with a chemical coating that will protect the image from damage by UV light.

• To mount the enlarged image, two 1x4 poplar boards were cut to length using a chop saw. The boards are cut slightly oversized, to leave a 2-inch overhang on either side of the image. This will be used to create a simple "frame" for the canvas.

• Once the stock is cut to length, we opted to stain it in red oak and sprayed it with a protective polyurethane finish.

• Once the finish has dried, the canvas can be stapled from behind onto the top piece of frame (figure B).

• Position the top backing-board and fasten the two pieces together using wood screws (figure C).

• Repeat the steps to create the bottom portion of the frame.

• Pre-drill holes in the frame for mounting to the wall (figure D) and attach to the wall using wall-anchors and screws (figure E).

The cost of the photographic enlargement in this project was about $250. The canvas material allowed the simple framing technique and added only a nominal amount to the cost.