Frequently-Asked Questions
What makes the Pit Bull Wrap Stretcher such an excellent value for the price?
Large stretching machines not only require a substantial investment for the machine itself, but also require the use of an air compressor. In side by side testing the Pit Bull, at a fraction of the cost, has been found to give a much tighter stretch than any other stretching device on the market today. The Pit Bull also makes it easier to keep the image centered on the stretcher bar because you are able to monitor the positioning of the stretched image as you work. Additionally, the Pit Bull’s uniquely engineered design has eliminated all the hand strength necessary for achieving a tight and wrinkle free stretch. Our clients who have used both a stretching machine and the Pit Bull have reported greater success and satisfaction with the Pit Bull. The Pit Bull redefines the concept of a stretching plier. Unlike conventional pliers, which have a limited life span, the Pit Bull’s precision machined design will give you thousands of stretches. With the Pit Bull you will now be able to greatly increase your production output for a relatively small investment.
How much canvas do I need to stretch with the Pit Bull?
The Pit Bull will easily gallery wrap on any type of stretcher bar. The amount of canvas that you need extending beyond the inside of the stretcher bar is three quarters of an inch. For example: if you are stretching on a standard three-quarter inch thick stretcher bar, you add three quarters plus the width of the bar which is typically one and a half inches. To this amount you would add three quarters of an inch which would give you a total of three inches. Accounting for both sides you would double this number which would mean that your total extra canvas beyond the image size would be six inches. Using this formula for gallery wrapping an 18×24 inch frame, you would need a canvas size of 24×30 inches.
How does The Pit Bull achieve such a tight stretch with so little effort?
The grasping pins in the top jaw in conjunction with the locking pliers do all the work. The weight, resulting from the solid steel construction, also helps the tool do the work for you. When the tool pivots off the extension on the bottom jaw the tool is engineered to eliminate the need for any hand strength. This is a totally new concept for a hand held stretching device. All of the stretching pliers on the market rely on the users ability to continually squeeze down on the handles to hold the canvas. This results in tremendous hand fatigue after just a few stretches. With the Pit Bull, you will be able to stretch all day long and your hand at the end of the day won’t even know you’ve been working. You’ll also notice that your canvases are completely wrinkle free and tighter than ever before.
How quickly can I stretch a canvas with The Pit Bull?
This depends on the skill level of the user. Once you’ve become adept at using the tool you will able to stretch a 24 x 36 inch canvas, including the gallery wrapping, in about eight minutes.
Finishing the gallery wrapping on the corners takes so much effort, does the Pit Bull help with this?
Yes, because of the unique design of the tool finishing off the wrapped corner is easy and effortless. The extension on the bottom jaw, which is the fulcrum or pivoting point for stretching, has a notch on either side of it. Once you have folded the canvas and you’re ready to complete the wrapped corner, the notch on the bottom jaw will allow you to stretch the canvas on top of the stretcher bar. This unique feature also allows the tool to stretch over forty five degree and center supports on larger stretcher bars. You can view this in the demonstration and instructional videos and in Figures 8 and 9 under Using The Pit Bull.
Can the Pit Bull be used for regular stretches with the staple on the side?
Yes, the Pit Bull works equally well for standard stretches. Simply move the stretcher bar over to the edge of your working table and shoot the staple in the side.
Stretching pliers tend to break so easily, how is The Pit Bull different in this way?
Anyone who has used stretching pliers has experienced the short life they have. This is because they are made out of cast iron. This type of metal is very brittle and has no strength. They are manufactured in this way because they are very cheap to make. If you are doing any kind of production work with them they often break after only a few weeks of use. The Pit Bull, on the other hand, is constructed of high grade, precision machined steel. You will be able to stretch thousands of canvases with it.
Will I be able to staple the canvas down flush on the back of the stretcher bar when I’m gallery wrapping?
Yes. Once you have tightly stretched the canvas the tool is designed to lay the canvas down flat on the back of the stretcher bar. You will be able to shoot the staple in all the way, every time. You can view this in the demonstration and instructional videos and in Figure 6 under Using The Pit Bull.
Are There Any Size Limitations With Using The Pit Bull?
No, the tool will allow you to stretch any canvas regardless of size. It also works equally well for any type of stretcher bar. All that is required is to adjust your canvas size to the proper dimension for using the tool.
What is the stapler you are using in the demo videos?
Most electric stapler guns don’t drive the staple in all the way. The one that is being used in the video is an upholstery tacker. It’s made by Duo Fast and it’s model # EWC 5018 It’s available through several dealers online by doing a search. It’s highly effective for stapling canvas.
