Mold stretcher bars (new Member)

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C

Coldfish

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Posts
2
Loc
Hallandale, FL
Hi everyone. My Name is Mike and I m new at the Grumble....
I own a company that specialized in canvas printing and
stretching. I know that some of the G members are not "big" fans of the Gallery Wrap but we found ourselves stretching 10-15 canvases a day.
Until today we bought 3/4" and heavy duty Fredrix like stretcher bars and easily join them together with an electric staple gun.
Since we see a demand for actual frames I would like to purchase a
V nailer joiner machine and a mitre saw and a trimmer which we will use for both joining the stretcher bars and the frames.
I am a bit confused as there are so many options and price ranges that I am not sure what will work best for us (on average of 10-20 frames a day).


Thanks in advance,

mike
 
Saws: Pistorious, CTD, Ledsome

Underpinners: Fletcher, ITW-AMP, Casesse
 
Um... You want to use a V-Nailer to join Stretcher bars? Canvas is supposed to expand and contract, how can it move if you join it with a solid joint? Stretcher bars are supposed to have flexible joints. (At least with canvas paintings.)

Does anyone know if posters on canvas are that much different?

As for which kind... why don't you go to the convention in Atlanta this september, and see them. That way you can talk to the salesmen and get more information. (Then go to the Omni Bar, and meet with the Grumbler's and ask some more questions.) :)
 
Welcome to the Grumble, Mike. As Susan said the stretchers should not be permanetly joined but should have some type of expansion capability for when the canvas loosens up, which it will, down the line. Although, in reality, I doubt that very many giclee print service vendors are doing this.

You sound as though you are potentially conscientious enough to want to do it "the right way" though. Using the grooved stretchers you have been using is perfectly acceptable as long as you are printing in sizes that you are able to get standard size stretchers.

If you do a search on this forum you'll find a fair number of threads relating to the proper use of stretchers.

However, you just may learn more than you wanted to and wish you hadn't gone down that path!

If you do proceed to take the right approach in your stretching I would use it as a selling and marketing point of your services because I think you'll be one of the few willing to do it properly.

Hope you come back to the Grumble often.
 
Susan’s right; if you V-Nail a stretcher, it becomes a “strainer” i.e. fixed, immovable corners.

I prefer working with strainers. One does not have to worry about the support going out of square. It take a finer touch to get the tension of the canvas jes’ so, but with a bit of experience, I believe that a strainer gives you as good if not better support for the canvas.

And, strainer stock is less expensive than stretcher bars which generally come in fixed, standard sizes.
 
I belive it is the stretcher bars that expand & contract due to humidity, the canvas used on oil paintings does not move. If the canvas appears to be sagging or drum tight, that is a function of the wood stretcher bars taking on or giving of moisture.

When we stretch oil paintings we always square up the stretcher bars, staple them and then stretch. After we are satisfied with the results of this procedure, we put in the wedges and remove the staples, if the piece seems to sag or tighten, it is very easy to adjust by manipulating the wedges.

Certainly not the only answer, but it works for us and we get to use strainers for what they are meant to be. Best of luck!!!
 
Stretcher = Expandable by "keying out", which retensions a canvas gone slack, without having to restretch it. Each corner of the stratcher bars has a provision for expansion. Stretchers also have a special profile that prevents the back of the canvas's face from touching more than about 1/4" of the bars.

Strainer = Plain wood, or perhaps the same special profile as stretcher bars, with mitered / joined corners. No provisions for expansion.
 
Hey Mike, I am new to the forum also, tho I have been lurking for a time.

I also stretch quite a bit of canvas, as my frame shop is part of a graphics shop that does large format printing. While I believe there is a purpose for both types of inner frames (stretcher or strainer) for the canvas prints I prefer the strainer bars. I get mine from Linen Liners and cut it with a chop saw, join with a v-nailer. I do a substantial amount of gallery wraps this way and am pleased with the results. I do use a different saw (framesquare) for my frames than the strainer, saves changing blades constantly and such, because I do so much many of them.

Where in Florida is your city?
 
Welcome to the Grumble Mike.
Here is another "best" way to do stretchers properly:

First, assemble the 4 bars and install the 8 keys in the corners loosley.

Measure across both widths and both lengths (Just because the bar is stamped with a size doesn't mean when you join them tightly that it will be exactly that size)

After the frame is adjusted to the right size, measure across the diagonals to assure that it's square.

Tap the keys in until they are snug and insert small headed nails or tacks through the stretcher bars into the keys form the back side only.

If you temporairly staple on some cardboard corner braces the assebly will remain square as you stretch your canvas.

NOW - stretch your canvas.

Later - when the canvas has sagged for what ever reason, you can pull the nails out slightly and re-tension the canvas with the keys.

You should back the stretcher frame with something like foam board or coroplast to prevent damage to the back of the canvas. This backing should be screwed on with oversized holes to allow for expansion and contraction from changes in humidity. If you staple the backing on, it will most likely bow or buckle.
 
Hi everyone,
thanks a lot for the info.
I think I will keep stretching the canvas with stretcher bars as it is less time consuming and this way our customers will be able to adjust the canvas when it looses the tension. However, from my experience for the last 4 years the canvas es did not lose any tension.....

Thanks,

Mike
Hallandale, FL
 
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