Replacing missing stretcher bar wedges, etc.

[Not your average framer]

From time to time I find that it is not easy replacing missing wedges on old framed canvases. There does not appear to be any particular size and shape of wedges which is standard with either newer, or older stretcher bars. I'm not bad at cutting new wedges if I've got a sample to copy, but getting out old wedges from old stretchbars can be very difficult. Many wedges become fragile with age and care needs to be taken not to break wedges when trying to remove them. Some times a wedge will break leaving part of the wedge still in place, with no easily option to remove it. Obviously the need to replace missing wedges, does not mean that you want to remove the canvas from the stretcher bars and then to refit the canvas and restretch it, but determining the correct size and shape for a replacement wedge, with using one to copy tends to be problematic. Needless to say that customers don't usually understand how difficult the problems arising from replacing missing wedges can be and it's just very hard to get them to cover the cost of doing such tasks.

Many wedges have just been hammered in until they are completely mashed and broken up, or sometimes the wedge has part missing and the remainder is burried deep inside the slot with no way of successfully removing it. Also trying to re-tighten really old wedges can be a risky business as old wedges can sometimes slit when you try to tape them in a little more. From time to time< a customer will bring in something which loods like it's has been stored in an attic for the last hundred years and these are almost always frought with problems. Another common problem with really old vicorian paints is when canvases have aready been keyed out to the full capacty of the rebate size and enlarging the rebate is also frought with problems and the customer can't understand why taking apart a very old fragile frame, could well be the end of the frame and the old rame is for them part of the value of something, which they paid over the odds for from who knows where. Often really old canvases are really fragile and need linning, or even relinning to avoid them falling to pieces, but customers think that this will detract from the value, instead of saving an old painting for more years.

How do others address these problems?
Mark.

[pramsay13]

I have a bag of wedges that I inherited from the previous framer.

I think in 10 years I've only ever had to do it once when the canvas was missing 2 or 3 and looking a bit saggy.

[Not your average framer]

Around here there's a big thing about people trying to buy old paintings of Dartmoor, some of them were painted on fabric which was not suitable for painting on when the paintings were done and people think that they have bought something which is really great. You would be amazed how much people are willing to pay for this stuff, when in fact they are mostly buying trouble.

Really terrible frames which are often beyond economic repair assume an importance in their own minds beyond what is reasonable, because they assume that it belongs with the painting and they want the frame restored even when the frame is stopping you from keying out the stretcher bars to tension the canvas. Damaged frame finishes which are not only not capable of being restored, also I often have no idea what the original finish was meant to look like.

I often can produce an old fashioned looking stacked moulding frame which looks bang on right for matching both the age and the artwork, but that's not what they want. Grungy old frames and canvases in poor condition seem to be popular items around here. Trying to make a living out of stuff live this is just crazy. Customers ask for your advice and then completely ignore all which you have said. What'sthe point in giving good advice in the first place? Do I get too much of this sort of stuff? Unfortunately the answer is yes!