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Essential Information

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How To Assemble Your Stretchers

You will require: four stretcher bars, eight wedges, staple gun with minimum 8mm staples, rubber mallet, canvas pliers and clean hands!.

  1. Slide two corner pieces together and align the mitre to get a flush fit using a rubber mallet.
  2. Before adding opposite sides insert cross braces (if stretcher size requires bracing). If you are working in a size larger than 60" x 60" (150cm x 150cm) it is recommended that cross braces are added to support your frame. Additional cross braces should be added incrementally as your canvas size increases.
  3. Cut canvas large enough to fold around stretcher edge and cover the rear of the stretcher bar (add 80mm to the face dimensions for a 'Museum 45' frame).
  4. Begin attaching canvas to the frame, placing your first staple in the centre of two opposing stretcher bars. Use the canvas pliers on the opposite stretcher bar to pull the canvas taut. Ensure that you start this process on the most visible sides, as the corners will fold around the other two sides. This is only important where the finished picture is unframed and the sides are visible.
  5. At this stage, prepare the corners by pulling a corner of canvas tightly across the back of the stretcher towards the centre.
  6. Fold one of the canvas wings in and over.
  7. Fold the second wing of canvas in and position it over the first wing, creating a neat fold.
  8. Complete the stretching process by continuing to staple, spreading out incrementally from the centre position, working around the canvas progressively.
  9. Finish the corners by securing the fold to the stretcher using your staple gun.

Add the wedges in the corners of your frame, knocking them in with the mallet or a hammer to spread them slightly apart, making your canvas taut.

If you need assisitance with this process, please call us and we would be happy to help.

 

We offer a full range of stretcher profiles and sizes, from heavy duty 'Museum' bars to light duty 'Standard' bars. Please see the Classic Bars, Museum Bars and Standard Bars pages for more details and pricing.