My KEBAartmate. Stretching Paper for Watercolour.

Has any one else used a KEBAartmate?
Every so often I have a watercolour phase. I think I'm entering one now. There's two boat paintings that I've completed and the third one is on it's way, delayed for the next few days while I get work ready for some up and coming shows.
For the first two paintings I used a conventional paper stretching method, essentially gumstrip sticking down wet paper.

Look what I found. A KEBAartmate!

But then I realised somewhere in a corner of the studio lurked a  very handy device for stretching paper, a KEBAartmate. So after a quick forage I came up with this piece of kit bought several years ago, and like all good gadgets abandoned at the back of a cupboard.

How the KEBAartmate works.

Basically it's a piece of equipment that clamps the paper tight whilst it's drying. You paint with the paper gripped in it's frame.

When the bolts are undone the frame opens out.
This is how the paper is clamped.

Of course as with everything there are pros and cons.

In it's favour:

No need for gum strip.

If you get it right the result is reliable.

Fairly simple to use.

Takes no longer that traditional methods.

Nice to have a board/boards totally for watercolour.

Against:

The biggest disadvantage is that you are restricted to the specific size of the boards. ( In my kit there are two boards)

The allen key for tightening up the bolts is very loosable.

Takes up quite bit of space, and like lego you don't want to loose any of the bits!

However:

It is a lovely thing to use. It feels nice in the hand and has a neatness and compactness about it that is very pleasing.

I'm glad I bought it but it is by no means a piece of essential kit.

Have you used one? What did you think of it? A comment in the box below is always welcome!