Extra Large Stretchers

The larger the canvas, the more important it is to have it supported on a professionally made stretcher. Large canvases are more prone to twisting and sagging and it is only by using a fully keyable, heavy-duty stretcher that it is possible to maintain rigid support and proper tension on the canvas over the life of the painting.

 

We specialize in making very large stretchers and have extensive experience with frame dimensions over 30 feet across! We have developed extra-strong, laminated stretcher bar profiles and sectional, easy-to-assemble splice joints that make it possible to create fully keyable stretchers of any size.

 

 

Features of our Large Stretcher Frames

 

Laminated heavy-duty stretcher bars for added strength and straightness
As many artists have discovered, it is very difficult to make a straight stretcher bar longer than 8 feet out of solid wood. The longer the bars, the more likely it is that the wood will bow or twist and make the stretcher frame unusable. We have found that the only reliable way to make long stretcher bars strong and straight is to laminate two or more lengths of wood together. Every heavy-duty bar we use in our large frames has been glued and set in clamped jigs to produce very strong, straight and stable stretcher components.

More info on our Heavy Duty Bars
Finger-jointed clear white pine for greater stability
To further improve the structural stability of the stretchers, we use finger jointed clear white pine for our long laminated stretcher bars. Finger jointed wood is widely used in the window and door manufacturing industry where straight components are critical. Our finger jointed wood is made up of short lengths of clear pine which are finger jointed and glued together to produce very strong, straight and stable bars. The superior strength and straightness comes from the random grain pattern which is created by gluing blocks of wood end to end.
Double tongue & groove friction joints for stronger corners on frames
All of our large heavy-duty stretchers have extra-strong, double tongue & groove friction joints at the corners of the frame. Each corner of our large stretchers actually has four tongue & groove, fully keyable, friction-fit joints.
Heavy-duty cross-braces for maximum support and clearance
On all of our large frames, we use 3/4” x 3” pine braces which provide excellent support for the stretchers while still allowing the required amount of clearance from the canvas.		  
Flush bolted sectional designs for ease of shipping and assembly
The only practical way to ship a large stretcher with any dimension over 8 feet is to make the long bars and braces in shorter sections that are bolted together. We use flush mounted hex-head connector bolts for fastening all splice joints (where short bar or brace lengths overlap) and dado joints (where braces intersect).

 

Fully Keyed Bars and Braces
Since large canvases are more prone to sagging over time, it is especially important to have the canvas supported by a stretcher frame which can be “keyed-out” to maintain the required tension. All of our large stretcher frames are made with keyable corner and brace joints.

  
Folding Stretchers for Easy Transportation With our flush-bolted sectional frame designs, it is possible to fold a large canvas in two or more panels without having to remove the canvas. This saves a considerable amount of time and effort in situations where large paintings must be moved to new locations.  
Easy Assembly - Instructions and tools provided 
With each stretcher frame shipped, we include detailed instructions along with the hardware (bolts) and tools (hex key) required for assembly. Every frame is assembled in our shop before shipping and each joint and stretcher bar & brace component is labeled to facilitate reassembly. A large stretcher frame (10’ x 20’) typically would take about one hour to assemble.		  

Use Gravity Bars for Proper Installation

Because of the increased weight and dimensions of large canvases, it is important to provide proper support to avoid damaging the art work.   Hanging the painting using gravity bars is an excellent and simple way to accomplish this.  The top half of the gravity bars are typically fastened to the vertical or horizontal braces on the stretcher frame.  The spacing of the gravity bars should be about 3 to 4 feet across the width of the frame.  The bottom half of the gravity bar system is fastened to the wall.  The force of gravity holds the painting securely against the wall.

  

 

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