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YahooIf you need to repair a hand-caned chair, you should bring it to a professional craftsman. Fortunately, you can repair machine-woven caning problems including sagging cane or a seat replacement. An easily replaceable spline attaches machine-woven cane together. If a chair is sagging, you often can repair if without even removing the spline or replacing the caning. Here is some information to help you decide what type of repair your cane chair needs in order to make it as good as new.
Fixing a Sagging Seat
A cane chair will sag with repeated use, especially if the chair happens to be wet. This repair is simple though, so it is not a problem. When repairing a sagging cane chair, the first thing you need to do is turn the chair over. Then you will have to wipe down the caning of the chair with a damp cloth, taking care to avoid getting the frame wet. Let the cane dry for a minimum of 24 hours, so the material can shrink. In order to prevent further sagging, spray the chair with a mist of water every month and let it dry before using it again. This also prevents the cane from cracking and drying.
Replacing a Whole Seat
Cane that has been machine-woven is attached to a frame with spline, similar to window screen. It can also be replaced if need be. Look for a groove on the frame of the chair, which is filled with wood spline. In order to repair the seat, you need to take out the spline and replace it.
Make sure you have plenty of gain to make the repair. Have enough to cover the seat plus two more inches on each side. You can get sheets of cane at any wood or major craft store; they come in sheets 12 and 24 inches wide. In addition to the cane, you will need caning spline, a mallet, utility knife, wedges, flathead screwdriver, scissors, wood glue, fine-grit sandpaper, and measuring tape. You should also have a sink nearby or a tub of warm water with a big rag or towel.
- First, you need to measure the seat of your chair and cut the caning so it will have two inches extra on each side. Soak the cane in the tub of warm water for approximately 45 minutes until it is pliable. While you are waiting for the new caning, remove the old material. You will need the flathead screwdriver to pry up the spline. If you are having difficulty removing it, then use the utility knife to cut around the edges and pry it loose. Be careful with the knife when scraping away the old material, and make sure that you get all of the glue and other debris out of the groove.
- After making sure that the new caning is pliable, take it out of the water and pat dry with a towel. You will need to center the caning over the seat and tap a wedge into the groove with the mallet. Pull the caning taut but be careful not to distort the caning. Then tap a wedge into the opposite side. Place wedges around the entire chair frame.
- After you have placed wedges all around the chair, take them out one at a time. As you remove the wedges glue the new spline in. If you need to, use both the wedge and mallet to put the spline into the groove. After you have taken the wedges out and installed the spline, cut the spline to fit and fit the last section in. Wait till the glue dries before trimming off excess glue and material using the knife. Sand the area with the sand paper. A vacuum cleaner will remove all the dust. Then add a coat of spray varnish to the new caning.
