In this article, you will get to know how to recane a chair seat. Caned chairs are known to be durable and usable for years. However, they can be damaged if not maintained properly.
If you are currently wondering how to replace the cane in your chair, here’s how.
How Do You Recane A Chair Seat?
Step #1. Get your materials ready
Before anything else, prepare your materials, such as the chair caning pegs, small hammer, scissors, chair canes, and the chair itself. Ensure that you’ve already removed the chair’s previous cane.
For the chair canes, you can choose whichever caning material you want to use. You would need to cut them off into strands if you bought a single long pool of cane.
Moreover, you’re required to soak your cane first. If the caning material you chose is anything except reed and splint, you should not soak them in water for more than 15 minutes. However, if you’re using the said materials, you will need to soak them for 30 to 45 minutes.
Step #2. Start with the first vertical layer
Initially, locate the central hole of your chair seat and mark it with caning pegs. If there are two central holes, you can choose either left or right.
Ensure that your cane’s glossy part is facing upwards. Check if there are no defective canes because these are prone to breakage.
Put a strand of chair cane inside the central hole of the seat, slipping it onto the back. Add extra two inches and secure it with a caning peg. Pull the other side of the strand tightly up to the other side of the seat and put a peg to secure it.
Pull the strand onto the right (assuming that you’ve chosen the right central hole). Next, stretch it onto the top of the seat and tautly tug it to the opposite side again.
Continue repeating the process to the right. You only need to tightly pull the strands and ensure that you are securing them with caning pegs. You can pull out the pegs on the previous holes if you run out of them, but you should never pull out the peg on the central hole.
Once you’ve finished on the right side, start with the left side of the seat. First, tie a strand on the left central hole and put a peg on it. Next, weave the left side of the chair seat by following the same instruction you did for the right side.
Step #3. Weave the horizontal layer
Weaving the horizontal layer can be similar to how you put the vertical layer. Slip a strand on the central hole, secure it with a peg, pull onto the other side, and the same process continues. You should only ensure that the horizontal layer is on top of the vertical layer.
Step #4. Weave the second layers
Add another vertical layer to the caning after finishing the horizontal layer. Begin the third layer in the hole just to the right of the back-left corner. The second vertical layer should be on top of the first layers and slightly on the right of the first vertical layer.
After weaving the second vertical layer, you can now start with the second horizontal layer. To do this, thread the chair cane over the chair frame by drawing the strand between the two vertical layers, starting from the hole slightly below the top-left corner hole. The second horizontal layer should be on top of the first vertical and under the second vertical layer.
Step #5. Add the diagonal layers
Weave a thread from the hole in the back-right corner to the bottom left corner to add the diagonal layers. Pass the strand over the vertical pairs and under the horizontal pairs as you pull it across.
This step can be similar to the previous ones. You only need to weave diagonally. After finishing the first diagonal layer, repeat the process on the opposite side until the chair seat is covered up.
Step #6. Apply cane binders
To finish the process, sew cane binders on your caned chair seat. In this way, you can cover up the holes and make your chair look nice.
After replacing the cane on your chair seat, cut off loose threads, and you are good to go!
Is It Difficult To Recane A Chair?
Replacing the cane on your chair can be slightly tricky on your first try, but it would help if you followed the instructions correctly. You can take up to several hours, but note that you can take breaks from it.
How Much Will It Cost To Recane A Chair?
If you ask a professional to recane your chair seat, you can spend up to $350 because they will charge you $2 per hole. However, if you do it independently, you can buy your materials for only $70.
Conclusion
Your chair seat can now look good as new since you’ve already read how to recane a chair seat. You only need to weave the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal layers to solve your problem. You don’t need to spend too much on repairs because you can do it yourself!