Tightening key
Encyclopedia
Corner Key is a small wedge
or block
inserted into the slotted inside corners of a canvas
stretcher frame
.
The key is tapped in to expand the stretcher bars
slightly, tensioning the canvas. The keys can be used to re-tighten the canvas as it relaxes naturally over time.
Tightening keys are commonly made in plastic
or wood
, and are commonly known as corner keys or corner wedges.
Corner Keys or corner wedges come in various forms. Most wedges are available for a single size stretcher bar making framers and artist hold various sizes in stock. A product called "wedgee" eliminates the need to hold many types of corner keys in stock as the wedgee has a male / female profile which allows them to be pressed together to fit most corner cut outs.
Wedge
Wedge may refer to:Mathematics:* Triangular prism, a parallel triangle wedge* Wedge , a polyhedral solid defined by two triangles and three trapezoid faces* Wedge product, a mathematical term, named for the ∧ operator symbol used...
or block
Block
Block may refer to:-Administrative subdivisions:* A city block, the smallest area that is surrounded by streets* Block , term used in many South Asian countries-Objects:* A large concrete masonry unit...
inserted into the slotted inside corners of a canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
stretcher frame
Frame
A frame is a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction.Frame may also refer to:-Engineering & construction:* A-Frame, a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner...
.
The key is tapped in to expand the stretcher bars
Stretcher bar
A stretcher bar is used to construct a wooden stretcher frame used by artists to mount their canvases. They are traditionally a wooden framework support on which an artist fastens a piece of canvas...
slightly, tensioning the canvas. The keys can be used to re-tighten the canvas as it relaxes naturally over time.
Tightening keys are commonly made in plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
or wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, and are commonly known as corner keys or corner wedges.
Corner Keys or corner wedges come in various forms. Most wedges are available for a single size stretcher bar making framers and artist hold various sizes in stock. A product called "wedgee" eliminates the need to hold many types of corner keys in stock as the wedgee has a male / female profile which allows them to be pressed together to fit most corner cut outs.