Chair Caning FAQ's
Q: Do you do caning of seats and backs of chairs
and/or ratton repair?
A: Yes. Caning comes in two forms hand-woven or pre-woven. Older chairs prior
to the 1920’s are most commonly hand woven, a lengthy process from hole to hole.
Pre-woven comes in a mat and is held into a channel on the outer ½” of the seat
opening and is held in with a thin piece of wood called a spline. Ratton repairs
are generally wrapping of the joints or unions with straps of caning to finish off
the look.
Q: I have a chair with a hand-woven seat, can it be
done in pressed cane?
A: NO. The type of seat dictates the type of cane required. I know, I know -
someone out there had a great-uncle Joe who would cut a groove in a drilled seat
and put in pressed cane. In the antiques world, there is a term for this kind of
chair - FIREWOOD. Sorry, it won't last and it will weaken the chair.
Q: Can painted cane be stripped?
A: Yes and no. You could use stripper to remove paint or varnish from the
cane, but you won't have much life left in the cane. Stripper is very
drying and the cane will weaken considerably. Bite the bullet, rip out
the cane, and re-do the seat.
Q: Should I put varnish or polyurethane on a new seat?
A: Putting a finish on a seat will seal the top, making it as brittle, and
as sharp, as glass.
Q: How long does it take to cane a chair?
A: HOURS. A hand-woven seat can take 8 to 10 hours or more. Pre-woven can
takes less time to install, but can take more time to remove the old
cane. Flat reed and Shaker tape will take several hours.
Q: Should the chair be refinished before or after the caning is done?
A: The chair should be refinished and re-glued before putting in a new seat.
Q: The side of my chair is split, can it be caned?
A: 99 out of 100 times I won't even consider it. Weakened sides should be replaced, and be sure that the "carpenter"
knows what he or she is doing. We do it often at the store, and it is a pain, so you won't find it to be cheap.