26x26 Monet Pro Super Frame Kit 1.5" Deep #MSK-2626

Solid Wood is Archival - Finger Jointed Wood is Not

We only use Solid Wood to build our Stretcher Bars because a solid piece of wood will last indefinitely. When we speak of archival value, it's not just the paint you use and the quality of your canvas and ground, even the wood choices manufacturers make are part of the archival process.

The principal reason manufactures use finger jointed wood is reduce cost, not increase archival value. Wood constantly grows and shrinks when the environment becomes hotter, or colder, or more humid, or more dry. Because finger jointed wood is made-up of multiple and varied pieces of wood, with varying grain patterns and densities, they each absorb and shed moisture at varying rates, which works on the glue joints that hold them together, causing the wood to bow and the joints to eventually fail, and certainly not consistent with increasing the archival value of your artwork frame support.

As a manufacturer, we do our part to conserve as much wood as possible, and still provide a quality made product that will out-perform any other in the marketplace.

Monet™ Pro Super Frame Kit Super Frame Kit Components

• Drawing demonstrates how the frame looks unassembled and assembled
• Monet™ Pro Super Frame Kit Super Frame Kits are sold as square frame sizes only
• To assemble a rectangular size, just buy the two Stretcher Bar sizes you want, mix-and-match the components, and you'll have two frames in the size you want, or mix-and-match the components to make other frame sizes you may want
• Four 26" Precision machined medium duty keyable tongue-and-groove Stretcher Bars
• Two Super Cross Braces included: 3-1/4" wide by 3/4" thick
• Cross braces may be removed and reinserted at any time, before and after stretching
• An exclusive slot is milled on the inside perimeter of all of the Stretcher Bars to which the Braces and the expansion wedges attach
• Patented keyable cross braces allow the frame to be tensioned in the middle of the canvas, where the tension needed the most
• Cross Braces firmly attached with a steel tee-nut and screw at the intersection point for maximum support and rigidity
• Included are 8 Corner Keys and 8 Cross Brace Keys to be able to increase the tension in the middle of the canvas, where the tension is needed the most.

Mix and Match components to make any size frame

This Super Frame Kit is sold only in square sizes, as it ships more safely. To make any size rectangle frame, just buy two kits that have the Stretcher Bar sizes you want, mix-and-match the components, and you'll end-up with two frames in the ultimate size you want.

For example, this 26x26 frame kit that you've chosen includes all the Bars, Braces, Keys, and hardware necessary to build one full square frame. Let's assume that you really want to build a 26x84 size, which happens to be a custom proportion.

Simply buy a 84x84 and a 26x26 Frame Kit, and you'll have enough Bars and Braces to make two 26x84 frames. Or mix-and-match the components to make other frame sizes you may want in the future. The size you choose is in your control to build the finest museum class Stretcher Frame on the market.

Canvas Tension is in Your Control

In dry climates or air conditioned environments, the lack of moisture in the air causes wood frames to shrink and the canvas fibers to narrow and elongate making the canvas more slack and resulting in a loss of canvas tension. In some instances, the canvas could have waves on the surface resulting in an unsightly viewing experience.

Our Monet™ Pro professional frames provide the functionality for you to slightly expand the size of the frame in the corners and the middle of the canvas, thereby increasing canvas tension all across the surface. The difference between a loose canvas and a tight canvas is just 1/8" of an inch, so a small adjustment using our corner and brace keys makes an important difference in canvas tension.

• Helps to prevent waves that occur in a loose canvas
• Increase canvas tension by tapping-in the corner and brace keys
• True professional class canvases make it possible for you to adjust the canvas tension

Cross Braces Make it Tighter

A tightly stretched canvas on an un-braced frame overpowers the Stretcher Bars causing them to bow inward and thereby lose tension. Sometimes that bow can expose a space in picture frames.

When a canvas is stretched on a properly supported frame, the cross-braces prevent the Bars from bowing thereby achieving maximum canvas tension. To increase the canvas tension even more, simply tap the corner and brace keys further in their slots. Properly supported frames provide you with the control over the canvas tension of your canvas and painting.

Sustainability Fights Against Climate-Change

Sustainable forestry practices are an important tool in the fight against climate change. By using lumber from sustainably managed forests in our products, we can help to reduce the carbon footprint of our business and support the health of the planet. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

Canvas Size Needed for this Stretcher Bar

Most artists prefer to stretch and staple the canvas on the back side of the frame. Doing so allows you to paint on the edge and hang your art without needed a picture frame. Generally speaking, you should allow 6 Inches of canvas beyond the size of your frame.

For example, if you were to stretch this frame as a square 26x26 size, your canvas should be about 32 x 32. This allows you ample room to stretch and attach the canvas on the back. Should you want to attach the canvas from the edge of the stretcher frame, then you can reduce the size of your canvas about 3/4" all the way around the frame.

Masterpiece® is a family-owned business operating in California since 1965 and producing the finest Stretcher Bars in North America. We deliver the highest quality and highest performing products in the business. We are widely recognized as the nation's leader and trendsetter of professional quality fine-art canvas. We own several patents that make our products perform superior to any other on the market. Once you touch one of our products, you'll immediately recognize our impeccable quality—and more importantly, so will your clients and those who acquire your art

Painting is the most beautiful of all arts. In it, all sensations are condensed; contemplating it, everyone can create a story at the will of his imagination and. . have his soul invaded by the most profound recollections; no effort of memory, everything summed up in one instant. ♦ Nicolas de Staël

Delving into the mind of Nicolas de Staël, one senses his profound reverence for the realm of painting. Through his words, he elevates the act of painting to a sublime stature, where sensations, memories, and imagination converge seamlessly. Unlike other art forms that progress linearly or rely heavily on context, a painting captures an entirety, an essence, within the bounds of a canvas. It's a universe in itself, inviting introspection and evoking myriad feelings in an instant.

Such is the beauty and power of painting. For us, the act of creating or witnessing a painting is akin to a momentary time travel, a bridge that connects our past experiences, present emotions, and future aspirations. As artists, we not only craft visuals, but we also distill emotions and narratives into a tangible form. De Staël's insight pushes us to appreciate this uniqueness, to understand that every brushstroke is a testament to our human experience, and to embrace the boundless possibilities this art form offers.

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Creativity is the heart of what we both do. So we've curated this empowering quote and some background. And, in our own act of creation, we provide this unique portrayal we made of Nicolas de Staël.

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner

One of our most appreciated products helps make your canvas tighter! Stretching a canvas tightly can be a challenge. Our Frame Kits include the Corner and Brace Keys that you will need to add tension, but Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Re-Tensioner is a way that you can use to add tension to the canvas without needed to use the keys. It canvas be sprayed on the back of a canvas to repair most canvas tension issues.

With Tight'n'Up™, you can add tension to just a small area, or a large area. Simply spray it lightly on the back and brush it into the canvas, and within seconds, your canvas becomes tighter and stays tighter. The more you use, the tighter it gets. Recommended for acrylic primed cotton or linen canvas. We do not recommend it for oil primed canvas because there are simply too many different types of oil primed canvas, but used conservatively at your own risk, it will tension any canvas.