Rocking Chair Gets New Caned Seat

Rocking Chair
After

Rocking Chair
Before

Another broken seat in need of repair. I think they should declare March "National Caning Month," because this is the second cane repair chair I have completed this month. The other rocker was published just last week. These two came to me from Pleasant Ridge from a referral from a friend who lives there and replied to a couple of women who wanted to find someone who does caning. I much appreciate getting referrals, as I imagine they do as well since I know there are not many people who offer caning services anymore.  

This rocking chair was made of maple and was in very good condition otherwise, except for the broken seat. When caning become brittle as it ages, it is easier to damage, so the seats tend to go first. This was a hand woven caning job, also known as strand caning. It takes considerably longer than press-in caning, which comes in a sheet and is secured with a spline on a groove which is cut into the seat's perimeter. 

I received two of press in style cane chairs over the weekend and will be working on those this week as soon as the materials come on Wednesday. In a way I prefer the strand (woven) caning to the press in caning method. It is a process that can be relaxing once you get a flow and follow the weave carefully. This one turned out great. What a difference a new caned seat makes in the overall appearance of a chair. 

Antique Caned Chair Replaced Seat

 

Caned Chair Before

Caned Chair After

This is an antique parlor chair which had a broken caned seat. It’s not uncommon for this to happen with old caned chairs. They don’t hold up well to a knee or an active child who decides to jump on the chair as if it were upholstered. Caning is pretty durable but does have its limits.

Caning comes in many sizes, so it’s important to measure the holes in the diameter of the chair’s seat and get the caning that fits those holes. This chair had 1/4” holes, so it used 1/8” caning, which is considered medium. Caning also comes in super fine, medium and larger sizes. The procedure is the same, but I prefer working with the medium size cane since it is stronger than the finer sizes and holds up to the pulling and tugging that comes along with installation. 

Chairs get a lot of use, so the upper portion tends to get dirty from the oils from our hands, so they require cleaning and polishing for them to look fresh again. This one needed a good cleaning and a touch up of polyurethane instead of a complete strip. If a full strip isn’t in the budget, a partial strip usually works well. Either way, the chair is always better than it was prior to the restoration. This chair was made of maple, a hardwood, so it will hold up for many more years to come. If you have a caned chair that is a big saggy, simply lay a damp towel on it overnight and it will tighten the caning again to its original tautness. Just a little tip that allows you to get more use out of the chair before investing in a complete cane renovation.