Newsletter October 23, 2003

After a two month unplanned absence we're back up and running pretty much normal, whatever that may be. The program for sending this newsletter appears to be working normally, so we shouldn't have any more undesired absences.

Sanding rounded edges

When you have a rounded edge to sand like the edge of a table or a chair seat and you want to be sure to get it all sanded equally, the best way is with a sanding sponge, but if you don't have a sanding sponge handy you can use a deck of cards. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a deck of cards with the grit side out and use the edge of the deck. Press the edge of the deck gently against the surface to be sanded and the edge of the deck will adjust to the shape to be sanded.

Cleaning picture glass

When you clean the glass on pictures spray the cleaner onto a cloth and wipe the glass. If you spray the glass the liquid could run down and get under the glass damaging the picture or over a period of time the liquid could damage the wood in the frame at the bottom.

Splattery cans

You can save a lot of mess and fuss when you put the lid back on stain and finish cans with a little advance preparation with a hammer and nail.

Drive the nail through the bottom of the groove that the lid fits into on the can top. When you draw a brush across the side of the top or pour the liquid out of the can the groove won't fill up, it drains back into the can through the the holes in the bottom of the groove.

The holes won't disturb the seal of the can lid when it's applied.

Always put a cloth or a couple of paper towels on the lid before you whack it when you're putting it back on though, as there is still some liquid in the groove that can spatter, but not gobs of it.

Cooking smoke

I've never tried this, so there aren't any guarantees, but I've read about it several times.

If you get side tracked and let something burn on the stove and you get some smoke in the air try diluting vinegar with water about 50/50 and soak a towel in it. Wring the towel out and wave it around in the air for a while. It should remove some of the smoke from the air before it settles in and on your furniture and everything else.

The place may smell like pickle making time in the fall, but the vinegar smell will dissipate a lot quicker than the burn and smoke will.

Caning, chair and otherwise

Woven cane is very versatile. It's used in chair seats and backs, cabinet doors, bed headboards, table tops and shelves and many other places, both utility and decorative.

Contrary to appearance, cane seats in chairs are very strong as long as they're kept tight. One time when a couple came in wondering if they should have their chairs recaned or go with a padded seat I really gave the old sales pitch for cane, because the chairs were very nice and obviously antique.

One big concern the people had was about the strength of the cane seats. As fate would have it we had just completed hand weaving a set of chairs and they were sitting waiting to be picked up. I hauled my 180 pounds up and stood on one of the chair seats and the people decided on cane seats.

I wouldn't recommend doing such antics. As we get older we get better sense or chicken or something, but I still have confidence in the cane seats in chairs.

Caning is related to wicker and is sometimes combined with wicker for some interesting effects.

Wicker uses reed of different sizes and shapes and cane is made of strips from the outside of the same reed as is used for wicker.

Cane is flat and slightly rough on the bottom, because of being from the interior of the reed and the top is slightly rounded and is very smooth and shiny. Cane comes in several different widths, the widest of all is called binding cane that goes around the outer perimeter of a hand woven cane application.

Originally all cane chair seats and other applications of cane had to be hand woven. Small holes were drilled beside the opening to be caned and the cane was woven in a pattern back and forth, front and back and diagonally both directions. Finally, some smart person invented a machine that would weave the cane and prewoven cane in various widths and weave designs came into being.

Prewoven cane replacement

Prewoven cane is easy to identify, it has a groove at the outer perimeter and a heavy specially designed reed spline that holds the outside edges of the sheet of prewoven cane in the groove.

For additional information you can get a caning booklet or video with lots of good information.

To remove the old caning it's easiest to take a utility razor knife and cut the old woven cane from the center of the opening, then you need to remove the spline from the groove. I found that the easiest way is to take the razor knife and run it down between the spline and the edge of the groove on both sides of the spline.

A word of caution, I wouldn't try this with a razor blade, even a single edge blade. The razor knife has a much stronger blade and a good sturdy handle. It takes quite a bit of pressure on the knife and if the blade breaks while you've got ahold of the handle you should survive with all of the ends on your fingers, but not so with a razor blade, you'd be lucky to not have a very serious injury.

Be very careful not to cut any of the wood beside the groove. The reason for the slicing is to cut the glue holding the cane webbing to the wood of the groove. Many times there won't be much glue holding the bottom of the spline and generally when it is well glued it'll be glued to the webbing at the bottom of the groove so there may be lots of voids between the strands.

If you've been leading an exemplary life and know anyone in high places you can jiggle one end of the spline loose, the joint is generally at the back of a seat or at the bottom of a vertical application, and pull it up totally and intact from the groove. If you're like the rest of us you'll really have to coax the little beggar and frown a lot and bite your tongue.

I made a little tool from an old screwdriver and it's real handy if you have more than a chair or two to recane. I used a grinding wheel on my electric drill to grind the sides of the screwdriver blade down to a width just a little narrower than the average groove, then I sharpened the end of the blade to make a little chisel. You can accomplish the same thing with a metal file instead of a grinding wheel, it just takes a little longer.

I used a propane torch to heat the end and set it on something metal and gave the end a tap with a hammer to give it a little bend to make it easier to use. If you don't have a propane torch you can heat your little chisel on a red hot burner on a stove or in the flame of a gas burner. After you tap it to bend the end dip it in cold water and it will cool it to touch and will temper the metal to make it stronger.

To get a good lasting job it's necessary to clean all of the old spline and cane remnants from the groove. After you get everything loose you can clean it with an old paint brush or vacuum the remnants and dust from the groove.

Prepare the prewoven cane by soaking it in warm water for about 30 minutes. The soaking will soften the cane and make it flexible and easy to work with and will keep it from cracking when you install it. The cane will expand a little when it's soaked, so you only need to get it as tight as you can without a struggle. When the cane dries it'll tighten up nicely.

Just before you're ready to install the cane run a bead of glue, yellow carpenters glue works well, around the whole groove. Just a bead will work well you don't need to fill the groove.

Lay the prewoven cane over the opening, shiny side up, making sure that it's even. If the opening is square, but not equally square, line up the line of the weave of the cane with the edge of the front of the opening (assuming it's a chair seat) and compensate equally on each side. The back part kind of has to take the leftovers, but it's generally not too noticeable.

Start installing the cane in the groove in the center of the front using a caning wedge, tapping the wedge gently until the cane is securely in the groove. Leave the wedge where it is and take another one and do the same thing in the back of the opening. Do the same with each side. Take another wedge and install the cane for two or three inches to one side of the wedge in the front, then do the same, exactly opposite in the back. Next work two or three inches from the other side of the center front and exactly opposite in the back. Keep doing that until the front and back are all installed in the groove. Do the same on the sides, working just two or three inches at a time then going to the opposite position on the other side.

You should start the spline soaking just before you start installing the cane.

Run another small bead of glue around the groove on top of the cane. Start in the center of the rear and tap the spline into the groove. If the corners are even just slightly rounded the cane should be flexible enough to bend around the corners without splitting. If the corners are square, cut the end of the spline at a 45 degree angle and install it from one corner to the other, then cut it at a 45 degree angle so that the angles will match when they come together at the corners. Apply the spline on all four sides, then using the razor knife trim off all the excess woven cane on the outside of the spline.

Wipe the excess glue with a damp cloth and set the job aside and let the cane dry for at least 24 hours.

When the cane dries it will be nice and tight.

Quick fix for a chair snag

If you have a chair with a little snag on it that grabs clothing or parts of the human body, before you go to all the work of sanding it and matching the color and finish, try a dab of clear fingernail polish. Don't spread it around, because it may dissolve the old finish and make a messy looking spot. Just dab a small amount and if that doesn't do the job let the dab dry and apply another dab. It may take several little dabs, but it could be a lot easier than the alternative.

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Until next time,

Tom

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Generally, usually, most of the time

You'll read those words and others like them quite frequently in the information I give. Most procedures are exact maybes. Usually to do the same thing twice will have the same results, but maybe the third time won't, but then again maybe it will.

Always take care to protect your eyes and other parts of you that might get damaged.

Care, caution, knowledge and patience are the watchwords and using them will make it work every time.

Be sure to test an inconspicuous place when using any chemicals on any surface.

Any suggestions offered are given in good faith, but since we have no control over the use of or application of any suggestions, we cannot accept any responsibility for any problems arising from their use.

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