• Kit stretcher bars (Easy to assemble, all you need, reduced S/H)
• Assembled stretcher bars (Professionally assembled, ready to go)
• Kit stretcher bars and matching canvas (High quality cotton, double primed, pre-cut to size)
• Assembled stretcher bars and mounted canvas (High quality cotton, double primed, stretched and ready to paint on)

• Normal Duty (Series N)
• Heavy Duty (Series H)
• Expansion Bolt (Series E) Stretcher Bars
  
  

Much like a human face, the fabric on stretcher bars is effected by gravity and sags over time. Both linen and cotton duck show their sensitivity to heat and cold by expanding and contracting. This happens twice a day or more in most environments. Over time, the fabric fatigues and begins to loose its resiliency. Traditionally, the wooden keys hammered into the corners of the stretcher bars have been used to further expand the bars and take up the fabric slack. Wooden keys allow conservators the choice of direction in expanding the bars, but can take a painting out of square, or worse yet, damage the painting because of rough handling.

A more modern alternative, the expansion bolt stretcher bars, allow infinite control of every joint, conservators can expand or contract the stretcher bars equally in both directions, always keeping the painting square. Our expansion bolts have copper-plated steel dowels that eliminate rusting issues and prevent any chemical interactions with the metal or wood.

John Annesley Company offers our customers both wood keyed and expansion bolt solutions in a variety of depths and configurations. All our stretcher bars are made from solid basswood which is a very light weight and straight grain hardwood with an almost neutral PH. What this means is that the stretchers are light, strong, guaranteed to be warp free, and are much less likely, than stretchers made form others woods, to react with paints in any negative fashion. Plus we provide a variety of edge treatments for our stretchers, allowing for a variety of framing options and painting techniques. We build to standard, fractional and metric sizes up to 40 feet! Standard thicknesses range from 1" to 2-1/2".

Our most popular normal duty stretcher bars are strong, museum quality stretchers consisting of a 3/4" thick by 1-3/4" wide, kiln-dried basswood body beautifully crafted to exacting tolerances. These stretcher bars are totally free of knots and other physical defects. All joints are expandable through the use of traditional wooden-keyed system. There are double slip mortise and tenon miter joints in each corner, Plus mortise and tenon bracing. Bracing stock is 3/4" X 1-3/4".

Normal Duty Stretcher Bars, (N1) 3/8" Bead
This option raises the fabric 3/8" off the stretcher bars and braces giving a total thickness of 1-1/8". It's a good option for the artist who has a light to moderate touch.

Normal Duty Stretcher Bars, (N2) 1/4" Bead
This option allows for a wide variety of framing options due to its thin, 1" profile, and was developed specifically for restretching of existing paintings where the commercial stretcher bars have failed. Usually we have limited excess fabric to stretch with or to use as a tacking edge.

Normal Duty Stretcher Bars, (N3) Thin Wraparound
The 1-3/4" deep wraparound option raises fabric 5/8" off the stretcher bars, and allows fabric to be tacked in the back of the stretcher. This means the sides can be painted, and framing is optional. The 3/8" recess in back of the stretcher allows for tacking of extra fabric and provides space for a protective backing, should one be desired. The locking "T" section created by joining the inner and outer pieces of wood together makes an extremely strong stretcher with three times the tensile strength and warp resistance of a single length of wood. Artists who use a moderate to heavy touch should consider using the N3 option in order to prevent the appearance of lines in the paint film which can occur as a result of pressing stretched fabric into contact with the body of the stretcher bars or braces.

Regular Stretcher Bars (N0)
Providing the thinnest profile available while still maintaining some integrity and strength. All braces are mortised and tenon - a wood keyed system.

Our most popular Heavy Duty Stretcher Bars are traditional wood-keyed stretcher bars, made to exacting tolerances. Corner joints are adjustable in each direction, with the supplied wooden keys. The braces are tenoned to fit into the mortise of the stretcher. They are recessed to back of the stretcher, and are expandable via the supplied wooden keys.

Heavy Duty Stretcher Bars, (H1) 3/8" Bead
Overall thickness is 1-1/8", 2-1/2" wide. Bracing is 3/4" x 2-1/2". This profile is designed for the artist who possesses a light touch in their painting technique.

Heavy Duty Stretcher Bars, (H2) 1/4" Bead
Overall thickness is 1", 2-1/2" wide. Bracing is 3/4" x 2-1/2". This profile is designed for the painting conservator, for the restretching of existing works.

Heavy Duty Stretcher Bars, (H3) 1-3/4" Thin Wraparound
The thin wraparound option is a 1-3/4" deep interlocking t-section added to the stretcher which provides added rigidity, as well as allowing fabric to be stretched over it and tacked in the back. This leaves the sides clean, eliminating the need for framing. The face edge of these stretcher bars has a beveled edge which raises fabric 5/8" off the stretcher bars and braces. Artists with a heavy touch will not hit the braces while working. The bracing is not only recessed from the face, but also recessed from the back by 3/8" to allow for the tacking of excess fabric.

Heavy Duty Stretcher Bars, (H4) 2-1/2" Deep Wraparound
Overall is 3" wide x 2-1/2" deep. Same as above with the following differences: Raises fabric 1-1/4" off the stretcher bars and braces, and has a 1/2" recess in back. It tends to make a bolder statement when hanging on the wall.

Our most popular Expansion Bolt Stretcher Bar System comes in custom sizes from tiny to huge multi-piece installations. The overall beauty in the design and workmanship of this product has led to many to tell us that we should hang it on the wall as a work of art in its own right!

The precision mechanical hardware in this product's joints allows control of fabric tautness with unparalleled precision. Worldwide this Annesley "Museum Bar" is used by conservators. They have found that the expansion system eliminates the need for restretching as the fabric relaxes over time. The joints are located at all four corners and also where braces meet the outside bars. This means the bars are infinitely adjustable to a maximum expansion of 3/8" per joint, or 3/4" per dimension.

The incredible strength of our expansion bolt stretcher bars is further enhanced by:

• Two copper-plated internal steel dowels that keep each joint aligned and provide rigidity.
• Strong, integral bracing that prevents twisting, sagging and warping -- guaranteed.
• And extra width (over 3") that provides strength where stretcher bars need it most.

Our range of profile thicknesses allows for a variety of framing options in various applications. This product is in use by museums worldwide!

Expansion Bolt Stretcher Bar, (E1) 3/8" bead
Overall thickness is 1-1/8", 3-1/8" wide. Bracing is 3-1/8". This profile is designed for the artist who possesses a light touch in their painting technique.

Expansion Bolt, (E2) 1/4" bead
Overall thickness is 1", 3-1/8" wide. Bracing is 3-1/8". This profile is designed for the painting conservator, for the restretching of existing works.

Expansion Bolt, (E3) Thin Wraparound
This thin wraparound option is a 1-3/4" deep interlocking t-section added to the stretcher which provides added rigidity, as well as allowing fabric to be stretched over it and tacked in the back. This leaves the sides clean, eliminating the need for framing. The face edge of these stretcher bars has a beveled edge which raises fabric 5/8" off the stretcher bars and braces. Artists with a heavy touch will not hit the braces while working. The bracing is not only recessed from the face, but also recessed from the back by 3/8" to allow for the tacking of excess fabric.

Expansion Bolt, (E4) Deep Wraparound
Providing a depth of 2-1/2" this product is the same as above with the following differences: Raises fabric 1-1/4" off the stretcher bars and braces, and has a 1/2" recess in back. It tends to make a bolder statement when hanging on the wall.