FAQs
Q. HOW MUCH DOES THE 60″ GALLERY STRETCHER WEIGH?
A. About 48 pounds.
Q. HOW LARGE CAN YOU BUILD A GALLERY STRETCHER?
A. When can custom build a machine up to 10′, however, we typically only build and stock the 8′ machine.
Q. DO YOU BUILD THESE MACHINES OR ARE THEY OUTSOURCED?
A. We build these machines from the ground up right here in Columbus, OH.
Q. HOW TIGHT IS THE STRETCH?
A. Imagine a pair of canvas pliers 60″ wide that can grip the canvas all at once. It is tight…and it only requires about 30-40 psi usually.
Q. WHAT IF I AM STRETCHING CANVAS ONTO A 3″ HIGH WOOD STRETCHER BAR?
A. There are no height limitations.
Q. CAN A CANVAS BE OVER-STRETCHED?
A. Yes. The operator should be familiar with the canvas medium and
should always start a stretch using no more than 15-20 psi and increase it slowly.
Q. HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS NEEDED TO STRETCH A CANVAS GICLEE?
A. Approximately 15-20 psi. for light canvas and about 30-40 psi for very heavy canvas.
Q. CAN I DAMAGE A CANVAS OR TEAR IT USING YOUR MACHINE?
A. Yes, however, but this would only happen if the canvas were degraded or frayed.
Q. CAN YOUR MACHINE DO GALLERY WRAPS?
A. We designed this machine for that very purpose, however, it is also capable of producing regular stretches.
Q. WHAT IS THE LARGEST SIZED STRETCHER BAR IT CAN HANDLE?
A. It can handle stretcher bar between 3/4″ – 2 1/2″ wide and there are no height restrictions.
Q. CAN A 60″ MACHINE STRETCH A CANVAS THAT IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN 60″?
A. Yes. It will require finishing the corners with a pair of canvas pliers.
Q. ARE PNEUMATIC COMPONENTS RELIABLE?
A. Yes. We chose pneumatics because of their reliability and accessibility.
Q. DO I NEED TO PURCHASE A “LONG-NOSED” PNEUMATIC STAPLE GUN?
A. No, but we recommend using a long-nose staple gun for access. We currently sell (2) different models of long-nose staple guns, the Fasco F1B8016LN and the Omer 8016LN.
Q. DOES IT REQUIRE ANY ELECTRICITY?
A. No.
Q. HOW MUCH EXCESS CANVAS DO I NEED TO HAVE PAST THE IMAGE?
A. Ideally 1.5″ – 2″ pass the stretcher
Q. DO I NEED TO CUT THE EXCESS CANVAS OUT BETWEEN THE FOLDS?
A. No, however, it does make for a cleaner more refined look.
Q. WHAT SIZE STAPLES SHOULD I USE IN MY STAPLE GUN.
A. We recommend 1/2″ crown and 1/4″ leg.
Q. WHAT ARE THE AIR REQUIREMENTS?
A. 90 psi @ 2CFM or greater. This can easily be obtained with a typical “pancake” compressor that can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes.
Q. WHY SHOULD I BUY YOUR MACHINE AND NOT THE TENSADOR?
A. We designed the Gallery Stretcher with the Tensador in-mind. We knew that it had a lot of nice features but we concluded that it was on the wrong plane, especially, for high-production workshops.
Q. DO YOU SELL OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES?
A. Yes, we have machines all over the world.
Q. DO YOU OFFER SUPPORT AFTER THE SELL?
A. We most certainly provide service after the sell, in fact, David answers his phone 24 hours a day just to resolve issues and answer questions. He can easily be reached at 614-499-4989…He wakes up at 3:30 am EST. We also provide support via a “Support Page“.
Q. WHAT SINGLE FEATURE DOES YOUR MACHINE HAVE THAT MAKES ME WANT TO BUY YOUR MACHINE VERSES THE TENSADOR?
A. All of the stapling is done from the front, you do not have to reach around or walk behind large art. As a result it is much easier to reposition the art and make folds in-place.
Q. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO STRETCH A 30″ X 30″ CANVAS?
A. I personally can stretch a 30″ x 30″ canvas in about 1 :45 seconds and I am old, slow and clumsy. We have customers than can do it in a minute even.
Q. HOW DOES YOUR MACHINE COMPARE TO THE FASTFRAME BUILT IN SWITZERLAND?
A. It does not compare, but not for the reasons you might think. The Fastframe can only stretch up to a 41″ x 41″ frame. Each size requires a different platen…at a sizable cost. The machine is designed to be operated by (1) person to produce one piece at a time which means that you would need to have several machines operating to produce the 4000-6000 stretches some of our customers are producing a month. One of our customers stretches 4500 canvas a month with (3) machines and (5) people. The Fastframe sells for about $150,000 and the proprietary stretcher cartridges are very expensive. Finally, there is no provision to cut the excess canvas around the corners, with our machine this can be done in-place.