Innerglow Painting Panels

Call toll-free to order: 1-877-430-3639 or email: bewing3@verizon.net

All Wood, Safe, Permanent, Acid Free

Still painting on risky, unsuitable hardboards or fiberboards? At last there is a panel available to the artist that has been designed specifically for painting.

Innerglow painting panels have endured years of extreme testing for strength, durability and exposure. They are safe, rugged and permanent. They won't warp, peel, blister or lose adhesion. The panels are available in all standard sizes and can be cut to custom shapes and sizes. They are a full 1/2 inch thick, all wood, lightweight and require no bracing. They are primed on both sides with a polymer primer in a traditional light gray tone, ready to accept any type of medium or paint except egg tempera.

A Brief History of Painting Panels

The first panels for artists appeared when cabinetmakers included them in their designs for the alters of churches and the great cathedrals of Europe. Poplar may have been the wood of choice, since the trees grew large and made gluing of boards less necessary, a cheese (casein) glue or horse glue was used. Although panels made from oak had a tendency to split or check, the glue and paintings on these panels have lasted for centuries.

With the advent of easel painting around the 14^th century, canvas arrived and allowed for much larger and portable paintings.

The Italians are thought to have used canvas first when the size of their artwork made the use of panels too heavy and awkward to move. Other parts of Europe did not adopt canvas at the same time, since their methods of painting remained small and more suited for panels.

The materials and the way panels were made did not change much for several centuries. The job of making panels went from cabinetmakers to carpenters and to 17^th century shipbuilders. It was not until the 19^th century that things began to change.

New industry and methods of manufacturing produced composite materials. These panels were produced from rag and wood pulp, and used as painting supports. One 19^th century panel was known as Beaverwood. Many artists of this time chose to paint on simple cardboard. Since the acids in these products were neutralized or did not exist, they were relatively safe for artwork and did not change the paint over time.

In the 20^th century, the need for higher volume, faster production and more profits, methods of manufacture were introduced which rendered the composition boards unfit for use as an artists panel. Acid is used to refine the wood pulp and rag content of these modern products. Since acid is troublesome and costly to remove or neutralize, it is left in, and is a danger to the life and safety of any painting made on it. Along with the acids present in today’s composite boards, there is often oil found in the tempering process which is intended to make a harder product that is less likely to flake or chip. The presence of oil only compounds the artist’s problems when a waterbase acrylic gesso primer is applied. Even oil primers may not be compatible with the oil in the tempered fiberboards. The untempered variety of fiberboards has a low level of cohesion in prolonged contact with water. These problems, along with its excessive weight and inherent tendency to warp, have lead to research for a product with superior characteristics.

Today, The Innerglow Company can offer the artist a painting panel that has been developed specifically for use with paint. This panel is NOT a fiberboard or a pressboard. Innerglow panels are laminated out of solid wooden layers using today’s most advanced resin glues. The painting surface itself is a specially developed product, which is laminated to the wooden surface. The result is a smooth, acid free, rigid surface that is extremely compatible and binding with all types of artists’ paints and usable on both sides.

Innerglow panels have undergone years of testing before being made available to artists. The testing these panels endure far exceeds any of the ordinary artistic use.

PROPERTIES OF INNERGLOW PANELS

Warping: The specially developed surface retards moisture transfer and thus limits warping and twisting. Natural variations in the wood used make it impractical to present test data, which would accurately predict the behavior of any given piece. As a general rule, wood in service indoors varies in moisture content from 5 to 10 percent. Under these conditions, Innerglow panels can be expected to change 0.2% maximum in dimension.

Weathering: Innerglow panels were exposed outdoors in the Northeastern climate at a 45º angle facing South. Result: after nine months exposure the surface appearance was excellent, and after thirty months, no peeling, blistering or loss of adhesion occurred.

Glueline Durability: In the Gordon Kline Test for glueline failure, samples of Innerglow panels were subjected to two hours of boiling, followed by baking at 150º˚for 22 hours. The cycle is repeated ten times. Result: although there was checking of wood cores, no failure occurred in either glueline or surfacing, and there was no delamination of the Innerglow panels (not intended for use under these conditions).

Chemical Resistance: Chemicals solutions were placed in contact with an Innerglow panel sample, covered with a watch glass for 24 hours in temperatures of 72º-78ºF. At the end of the test period, samples were washed, dried, and examined for changes. Result: of the 12 chemicals tested, only 10% solutions of sulfuric acid and ammonia hydroxide discolored Innerglow panel surfaces to any extreme. Roughened, swelled, or softened surfaces were only slight to moderate.

Apparent Modules of Elasticity (in PSI): Long dimension of panel parallel to span – 1,250,000. Long dimension of panel perpendicular to span – 400,000.

Apparent Modules of Rupture (in PSI): Long dimension of panel parallel to span – 8,814. Long dimension of panel perpendicular to span – 3,920.

Abrasion: Taber abrasive wheel under 1,000 grams load applied to sample for 1,000 cycles depth wear in inches. Result: average value 0.0015”.

Impact: Gainer Impact Test: A ball of known weight is dropped from increasing heights until surface is ruptured. Results indicate force required to rupture unsupported sample of Innerglow panel. Results: average value, 16 inch – pounds.

Price List (Payment Options: Visa/Mastercard/Check/Moneyorder)

8X10 @ $8.95 9X12 @ $9.95

11X14 @ $11.95 12X16 @ $14.95

14X18 @ $18.95 16X20 @ $23.95

18X24 @ $25.95 20X24 @ $27.95

24X30 @ $41.95 26X32 @ $45.95

24X36 @ $49.95 30X36 @ $62.95

36X48 @ $84.95

Special volume discount offer:

3-6 Panels, 10%

7-12 Panels, 15%

13-24 Panels, 20%

25+ Panels, 25%

*Custom sizes and shapes are available upon request. Shipping charges additional (via UPS ground, FOB West Chester, PA, at cost). Panels measuring 24X36" or larger are subject to additional shipping charges according to the UPS dimensional package rates.

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