Recaning your dining room chair can be done by anyone with just a few tools and steps. Consider doing this project yourself and gain experience for when a chair needs recaning again; your chairs will be recaned with a professional look and save money by doing it yourself.
Instructions
Recane a Dining Room Chair
1. Use your utility knife to cut out the old cane. Run your utility knife down between the spline and the groove. The glued seal has to be broken so that you can remove the old spline. Use the chisel to pry away any old splines out of the groove. Drill in the reed spline and fill with vinegar to soften the glue if the glue is stubborn. Clean the area.
2. Soak the cane and reed spline in warm water up to 4 hours to soften it before recaning.
3. Apply a bead of carpenter's glue in the groove all the way around the perimeter of the chair.
4. Lay the cane over the chair, making sure the shiny side is up. Inspect to make sure the cane is all even over the chair opening.
5. Tighten the cane but don't stretch it. Line the weave of the cane up at the edge front of the chair.
6. Begin caning by lightly hammering a caning wedge into the groove. The glue will hold it when it is dry. Lightly hammer the wedge into the groove at the center back. Repeat the caning process for each side of the chair.
7. Go 3 inches over from the center wedge on front, place the on the back of the chair in line with the front.
8. Repeat the process on the chair sides.
9. Place wedges in the front and back alternating 2 to 3 inches apart until installed.
10. Remove the wedges out of the groove. Run glue inside the groove on top of the caning.
11. Lightly hammer the new reed spline in the groove at the center back of the chair.
12. Cut the corners at a 45-degree angle so that all pieces match up in the groove correctly.
13. Insert spline for all sides of your chair. Cut all the excess cane with the utility knife.
14. Clean up any excess glue and let the chair dry for up to 48 hours. When the glue is dry, then the cane will be secure.
Tags: reed spline, utility knife, , caning wedge, center back, Dining Room, Dining Room Chair