Stretcher bars. Just a "hunk of wood"? Not really.
The difference in cost of cheap bars and good bars of the same size
may be four or five dollars. But the difference in the cost of framing
a piece on bad warped bars could be 40 or 50 dollars.
And that's only the start.
Let's back up a bit. What should a painter look for?
First, each of the four bars that make up the frame should be checked
for straightness. The painter should look to see that
the bars aren't twisted or warped. The next critical issue is the raised
edge. A canvas should be at least 1/8" to 3/16" above the wood,
except at the very edge. Anything less and the painting develops a halo
look. This can ruin a valuable piece of art.
Stretcher bars are generally made of pine. Pine is
good because it is soft and will accept staples or tacks very well.
Thin, inexpensive bars are made of the best grade of standard knot free
pine. The difficulty here is that it is almost impossible to get straight
pine in lengths over 36" that will not warp or twist.
When doing professional work, heavy duty bars should
be used and then only those made from lumber that is finger
jointed. The finger jointing is a process developed by the
lumber industry to achieve two goals: 1) one to use up short pieces
that would have become waste; and 2) to get longer stronger, straighter
pieces of lumber. Today we have learned that the "finger spliced"
lumber is much stronger and straighter although it has become more costly.
In order to develop a better piece of lumber, the cost is about 10%
higher than regular lumber. It does, however, allow us to make bars
up to 120" that are dead straight.
Bars are made in different weights or thicknesses. The standard lightweight
bars have a very thin edge and can create the "halo look". The Jack
Richeson & Co. lightweight bars are thicker and have a much
higher raised edge.
Jack Richeson also makes a medium weight bar that works well for painting
larger than 30". This bar has a high, raised edge.
Richeson then makes it's most popular heavy duty bar. This works well for paintings up to 120". Cross bars are always recommended
for paintings over 48".
Finally, Jack Richeson & Co. manufactures the bar used most often by museums. It is made of a combination of wood and aluminum.
It is available on special orders up to 24 feet long.
Stretching a canvas is the first step to creating a sound support
for a painting. Be sure to ask the staff at Wet Paint for assistance
in selecting the right stretchers for your work.
