Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

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DEEPJOY
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Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by DEEPJOY »

Hi All

Anyone used the Mainline All Size stretcher bars? What is the verdict?

They look simple, albeit a wee bit more expensive.
Are they just a friction fit?
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by Ed209 »

I have used them it was my first time canvas stretching had five to do all went very smoothly had no problems with the Mainline system can’t really give you a comparison to others as they are the only ones I have ever used. Bought a box of them and the joining bits and some support bars just in case.


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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by Ed209 »

Seems a good system as you can join off cuts with the appropriate joining bit


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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by DEEPJOY »

Thanks Ed

Do you glue or staple once joined or are they just friction fit?
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by Not your average framer »

I have not tried these at all, but the Mainline rep has demonstrated them to me. It's quite an impressive system, but I'm not sure how effective the triangular wedges are. When I am fully installed in my new premises and finances are good, I must try these myself to see how they are with an actual framing job.

I'm not particularly bothered about price comparisons, but more interested in how much this will help to make life a little easier. After all, the majority of costs on a canvas stretching job are going to be labour related and not so much materials related.

Also I don't think that it is too much of an issue, when you need to consider securing the corner wedges. I have a couple of long spreader clamps (from machine mart), which can be configured to spread the inside of the stretcher bars and then wood screws could be inserted behind the 45 degree corners of the wedges to prevent the wedges moving.

The advantage of doing this is that if the wedges need tightening again at a later date, you simply undo the screws and start again. Works for me!
Mark Lacey

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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by Ed209 »

Friction fit no stapling or gluing required
I found the whole system very easy to use and they felt firm and secure once assembled
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by BaBaZa »

After chatting to Mark on the phone I thought this instructional video may be of interest:

https://mainlinemouldings.com/index.php ... Stretchers
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by prospero »

Neat idea. :D

One drawback is that you can't adjust the tension in one direction only. Knocking the triangle in forces the corner in two
directions. OK on most canvases, but occasionally you need to impart tension in one direction and you can only do this
with double-mortised corners where you have 8 keys.
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by Not your average framer »

It appears that I may have replied to the wrong thread about asking Mainline about their all size stretcher bars. So with apologies, I therefore have cut and pasted my reply into the correct thread.

I phoned up Mainline the other day to check out their prices for their own stretcher bar system. Obviously they are not as cheap as more basic bars bought by length and cut by own morso and joined on your underpinner.

However, the outside corner pieces are 25 pence each in packs of 20, the inside corner wedges are also 25 pence each in packs of 20. You can use you waste by joining left over bits together with their joining bits at 32 pence each again in packs of 20.

I don't know that this system is faster, or better in any way compared to other options, but I may get some to give it a try at some time. They suggest that there is enough friction in the corner fixing to not need to glue the corners, but they also said that some people apply a spot of glue anyway.

I know that there are other systems out there for other suppliers and don't know how any two suppliers systems are likely to compare and I'm certainly not interested in doing any comparisons, but if anyone wants to mention other suppliers systems this would be helpful in terms of maintaining balance.
Mark Lacey
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by prospero »

:lol:

It appears that I did the same as Mark and followed on from his reply. So this is my reply transplanted from
where it was to where it should be.




I've used the system that has one slot on the inside. Mostly from Wessex. It comes in three sizes....

The middle one is quite hefty stuff and has two slots so you can use it whichever way according to the depth you want.
I've had mixed results with it. The slots can vary in width which makes getting a good fit with the triangles tricky. I make my
own triangles and the thickness is critical. 5.5mm ply from Wickes works the best. But in some batches of stretcher I have had to
widen out the slot a tad with a table saw. The slot are also not quite deep enough and the corners can twist as you tension them.

The small version is much better. Slots more accurate and deeper. Great for smaller jobs and you can put it ply cross-bracers on long rails.
I assemble the rails with staples back and front to hold it all square and push in the triangles. Mostly they only need a light tap after the
canvas is mounted. ** To stop the triangles loosening I put in some small woodscrews in the slot.

The big version is massive. :P Suitable for something enormous. I got some but never used it on a canvas but it does adapt into
a nice moulding if you add a smaller moulding on the inside to form a rebate. And it's quite cheap. :wink:
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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by Not your average framer »

That means that so far, we have systems / mouldings by length from Mainline, Wessex and I know that Simons also offer a slotted moulding and an acompanying flat section for cutting up to make the triangular corner wedges. Anyone know of anymore? I guess that if these systems were not popular then they would not still be available.

Anyone using these methods of constructing stretcher frames? Are they something which more of us should be looking at?
Mark Lacey

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Re: Mainline All Size Stretcher bars

Post by prospero »

A lot of canvases end up on rigid bars and are stretched on machines. I'm thinking the typical mass-produced digital
prints. "Wall Furniture" as I call them. Often the canvas is a plastic-based concoction and they don't react with ambient
conditions in the same way a 'proper' painting does. Prints like this will more than likely be in a skip after few years anyway...

When it comes to Art (with a big A) then frankly there is no substitute for the time-honoured double-mortised corners. They allow for
very controlled adjustment as you can push the corners in two directions independently, rather than apply a general pressure to the
whole corner.

I seen lots of systems that try to re-invent the wheel. Not to say that some do have merit, but this is mostly the convenience factor.
Often canvases are odd sizes and don't conform to ready-made stretcher bar sizes.
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