Seat Weaving Tips

    1. Weave Easier with this Chair Caning tip.

      ChairCaneNODULE.jpgWhether you’re caning your first chair or your fiftieth chair, you’ll be able to weave easier with this chair caning  tip that makes the weaving go a lot smoother.

      Run your hand down a length of chair cane and you’ll see that there are “nodules” from the growth patterns of the “calamus rotang” vine.

      If you pull the chair cane through the seat against the nodules, they’ll act like speed bumps, slowing your weaving, and potentially breaking the chair cane.

      If you’re not sure which direction is which, just run a strand through your fingertips. If your fingertips hit the nodules pulling the cane to a stop, you’re going the wrong way. If the cane slides through your fingertips easily, you’ve got it! The chair cane will slide through the chair caning rows just as easily. If not, each nodule will “bump” against the other cross strands of chair cane.                                                                                           

    2.  How to Remove Glue from the Groove in Your Cane Webbing Chair

      Use a caning chisel to carefully chip away the old glue. Be very careful if you're using a sharp knife or you'll risk damaging the chair itself.

      Never place your hand in the path of the chisel!

      If the glue is not responding to the tool, wet the glue in the groove with some vinegar and let sit for a while. The vinegar should soften the glue and make it easier to proceed.

      If the glue doesn't respond to vinegar, make your life easier and use De Glue Goo®. This product is amazing. De-Glue Goo® is the only non-toxic gel that will dissolve hide glue, white and yellow glues quickly and easily. We guarantee that De-Glue Goo® will dramatically cut your spline groove cleaning time. If you've got hard glue in the groove, don't forget to order this. It's amazing stuff, for sure. You won't risk hacking away at the chair groove if you get this product. We highly recommend it.

      When installing the new cane webbing, use any brand of white glue for indoor chairs. Do NOT use carpenter's glue or other heavy duty glues.

      For canoe seats, be sure to use a water proof glue, not a water resistant glue.

    3. What to Seal, What Not to Seal

      Reed and Cane should never be sealed with any kind of polyurethane since it's a natural material. It needs to be open to the air to "breathe".

      Reed can be finished with "Weavers Stain".

      Fiber Rush can be sealed with shellac. Instructions are in the fiber rush booklet.

       

      We recommend that you use Binder Cane to weave chairs that will be outdoors on a porch. Don't seal binder cane. It has a natural bark finish, and as mentioned above, cane and reed need to be able to breathe or they will dry out and break down a lot faster than if left in their natural state.

      If you absolutely prefer to use Reed for a chair left on the porch, Thompson's Water Seal has been recommended to us as a sealant.                                                              

    4. Weavers Stain How-to's

Weaver's Stain

WeaversStain2011a.jpg Click here to Buy Weaver's Stain

Why not use just any old leftover wood stains?
...because wood stains generally have POLYurethane in them.  Polyurethane makes your basket and seat weaving hard and prevents them from breathing. Then they drweaversStainClearChairseat.jpgy out.

This stain is great stuff! It's not anything like using spray paint. The spraying radius is about 6" wide so you get quick, even coverage in a fine mist. No blobs. And the spray button is wide. You don't even need to wear gloves to protect your button finger!

The flat reed splint woven seat at left actually looks more like a hardwood when it's sealed with Weavers Stain "Clear".

Beautiful results! Weaver's Stain, a Danish oil spray stain. This is a tung oil product with urethane. NO POLY-urethane! Spray it on for a finish that will definitely enhance the way your baskets look and last. 11 oz. can. 
Colors: Oak, Walnut, Black Walnut, Clear, Driftwood and Maple.    $9.45

Staining Tips from the Weaver's Stain manufacturer

These manufacturer's tips are directed towards baskets, but common sense will tell you how to apply to spraying a chair seat. Be careful not to spray the wooden part of your seat (unless you also want to seal the wood). Be sure that you don't allow anyone to sit on the chair until it's THOROUGHLY dry- certainly not for at least 24 hours, depending upon the weather.

We suggest that you begin with the BOTTOM of your seat.

 

Once your basket is completed and manicured, you're ready for the last step, which is staining. 

Print these tips:
These tips will help you get the most baskets stained per can of Weaver's Stain.

Always stain outside or in a well ventilated area.

HOLD CAN APPROXIMATELY 10 INCHES FROM YOUR BASKET
1). Turn basket over and spray the bottom first.

2). Work your way up the outsides of the basket to the rim. By this time, stain has penetrated to the inside and you need only mist the inside of your basket.

3). Spray the inside of your basket.

4). If you have a wood handle, spray the handle last and wipe with a cloth immediately. The longer the stain is on the wood handle, the darker the handle will be.

DO NOT spray the same area twice.

Once you start spraying, keep the basket and the can moving. Your basket needs only 1 coat of stain.

Should you get more stain on one end of your basket than the other, do not wipe it to even it. It will even itself when it dries.

If stain is dripping from your basket, you are using way too much stain, or you are too close to your basket. If your basket is darker shade than normal, you are holding the can too close to our basket. The closer you hold the can to your basket the more intense the color.

You should be able to handle your basket after 15 minutes. However, let it dry 24 hours before actually using it.
Any odor will dissipate after a few days. If you let your basket dry outside, in the shade, the odor will disappear sooner (during warm weather only).

If it is damp or wet outside, it will take longer for your basket to dry. If possible bring your basket inside where it is warm and let it dry (place on a plain brown paper bag).

You may wish to use a wire coat hanger when staining. Open up the hanger and hook your basket to one end and hang from a tree. This way you can walk around your basket when staining.

We recommend that you take a large appliance box and cut the flaps out, set the box on its side and you have a stain booth. Eliminates any over-spray problem.

Do not spray outside when it is below freezing, 32 degrees. The propellant breaks down in the cold and you are wasting your stain. You'll know when it is too cold, stain will come out in a stream.

If you have to spray a basket outside when it is below freezing, keep the can inside where it is warm. You may go out and spray your basket. Once the can becomes cold you will notice a stream of spray. STOP. Go back inside the let the can become room temperature again, then you may go out and finish your basket.

Do not spray on a windy day.

Do not spray next to your new car or next to your vinyl siding.

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS:

When finished, turn your can upside down and press nozzle for 1 or 2 seconds. This will allow the propellant to clean the cylinder and nozzle.

If the nozzle clogs, and it is a wide nozzle with a fat finger pad, you can remove this nozzle and soak it in mineral spirits for 15 minutes and rinse with water and place back on can. You're ready to stain again.