What to do with Spline?

I remember years ago when putting in spline, I used to say to myself as I inserted it around the corners "please don't snap, please don't snap" but I still had many pieces snap on me.  That was very frustrating!  That's when I decided to soak EVERY piece of spline before I use it.  In the years since, I have not had one piece of spline snap.  Even a very brittle piece becomes so pliable after a half hour soaking that I can wrap it around any corner easily.  Some may say it will expand...maybe a little...but not to the extent that it should not go into the groove.  Soaking also makes it easy to miter the edges without any breakage. This material is the same material that flat reed/splint comes from...and of course you wouldn't think to use this material without soaking it.  It just makes sense. 

Below is a chart to help you select the size of spline you will need.  Measure the actual groove width and then it will correlate with the size in the left column.

My Caning Mentor - A Thankful Memory

35 years ago I took my daughter to the home of Betsy Joslin.  My family knew the family and when I had a chair to do, my mother remembered that Betsy did that type of work.  When I called her to see if she could teach me, she was thrilled.  She was winding down her business and wanted the craft to carry on.  (although she was only 85)  We spent two days together but I think that she would have made it more just to get the company and especially since my daughter was with me. Betsy would be happy to hear that she is also a fantastic caner.   She served us pea soup - a soup in which I am not fond...but tried to gulp it down the best I could so as not to hurt her feelings.  She gave me my first awl, a crock to soak the cane, and some pegs as well.  Since that time Betsy has gone home to be with the Lord.  Someday I will see her and thank her again for the start she gave me. 
Who was your Caning Mentor?

It has been baffling to me.

Why have some antique dealers put a padded seat over the original cane on chairs?  It not only is ugly - it is just not right!  Hopefully we can rescue some of these chairs before they get a hideous pad on them!

Rush Frame with no corners - special weave

There are many different specialty weaves for rush and in the next month or two we will be describing a few of them.  This one is a frame with what we say has no corners.  Before you attempt any type of seat like this...examine it and take pictures as you remove the rush.  It is good sometimes if there are two chairs so you can refer to the other one as an example.  Click on to these video instructions if you would like to attempt this special rush weave.

Splint Seats

Click here to view our video on how to use splint or flat reed in a chair.   

Some of the tips for flat reed:

• Don't use hot water or soak the material too long as it will cause the hair to stick up on the reed
• Make sure you tighten up each strand as you will end up running out of space in the front.
• You can stain the seat by using most stains.  Just know that if you stain the seat after you put it in, and use it, there will be marks where the natural material will show through.  You can avoid this by either staining the strips before you put them in or use smoked reed which appears to be stained.  You can purchase smoked reed from Peerless Rattan.

How to Replace a Pressed in Cane Seat

 Here is a link to our latest video on Pressed in Cane Seats.  

More tips about removing hard to handle spline:

• Use vinegar in the groove to soften the spline
• Drill small holes into the spline to break it up
• A good spline chisel and razor knife.

Use a water soluble type glue - Hide Glue or Elmer's...using anything else will make it very difficult for the next person removing the spline - and that person could be you!

Grandma's heirloom chair

One of our customers recently visited her old homestead and found a chair that she as a child remembered sitting in.  She took it for refinishing and also wanted it to be caned as it had one of those cardboard seats on it.  So we drilled out holes so we could cane it and it turned out beautiful.  Probably if you were to visit grandma - you too would remember certain pieces of furniture or trinkets that she would love for you to have so you too can pass that memory down to your grandchildren.