Artist Surfaces - Stretchers

Stretchers

Our museum-quality stretchers are hand-crafted using selected lengths of kiln dried tulip wood, sourced from sustainable forestry.

Tulip wood is a low-emission hardwood with very few knots and the kiln drying process removes all moisture from the timber. It is durable, strong and has a low tendency to split when nailed or stapled.

When selecting our wood we look for a tight, even grain and as few knots as possible. These factors make it the perfect timber for stretchers as it is very strong and far more resistant to warping than other woods (which is also why it is a popular material for manufacturing billiard cues.)

Wooden Stretcher Profiles

Please click here to see our Stretcher Bar prices

Square Stretchers

We have two different depths of tulip wood stretcher bars. Both profiles include a quarter inch lip which gives the necessary clearance between canvas and underlying stretcher frame.

Profile	Depth	Width
Large	1¼ inch (34mm)	2 3/8 inches (60mm)
Small	7/8 inch (24mm)	1¾ inches (45mm)

We recommend that a crossbar is added for lengths over 40" (101cm) to provide extra stability.

For example, for a 40" x 30" you would need 1 crossbar across the shorter length, whilst for an 80" x 60", you would need 2 short crossbars and 1 long crossbar.

We can increase the total depth of the stretcher bars by adding beading to the profiles. Beading is available in ¼, ½, ¾, 1, 2 and 3 inch depths and is also made from our specially selected tulip wood.

Stretchers can be made to order in any shape and size. The largest single piece stretcher bar we can make is 12ft long - anything larger than this can be made in parts and joined with steel brackets.

 

Circular and Oval Stretchers

Our expert team of technicians can also make circular and elliptical stretchers. These special shapes are constructed using tulip wood or low emission Ecologique board at various depths with a ¼ inch lip to raise the canvas from the stretcher.

Due to the construction of circular and elliptical stretchers it is important to note that wedges cannot be used after stretching, this means therefore that the canvas or linen must be stretched extremely tightly and can only be stretched with un-primed or pre-sized canvas or linen. 

Welded Aluminium Stretcher Profiles

Aluminium stretchers are a fantastic alternative to traditional wooden supports.

Aluminium is an incredibly light-weight material, making the stretchers easy to relocate in the studio so they appeal to professional artists, particularly those working on a large scale.

Aluminium is an inert material and will not change or erode over time nor react to a shift in temperature or humidity which may vary in the different locations where artworks are stored or displayed, this means that they are therefore unwarpable.

Our Aluminium stretchers are incredibly strong and won’t break with even the fiercest stretching or sizing. As these stretchers have welded corners this means the corners cannot be knocked-out to tighten the canvas, the benefit of this is you’ll never change the dimensions of the frame after painting is complete.

Aluminium stretchers are welded in extruded box section and can be made to any size. The face of the section is angled to give the necessary clearance between canvas and underlying frame. Ply-wood fillets are screwed to the back, so that canvas or other fabrics can be stapled or tacked onto the back.