Wicker is held in place in a chair with a wooden spline or frame.
Cane chair backs and seats give a natural appeal to a wooden dining room set. The cane or wicker backing can be very uncomfortable when the strands break and poke into your skin. Rejuvenate dining room chairs by removing the wicker backing and replacing it with a new sheet of cane or an upholstered seat.
Instructions
1. Insert the tip of the utility blade knife into the groove between the spline on the the chair front. The spline is the band of wood that outlines or frames the wicker sheet. Run the blade around the inside and outside of the spline grooves to loosen the paint or varnish that coats the chair.
2. Cut the center of the wicker cane from the center of the chair back using the utility knife and basket-weaving scissors. This action will clear the center of the wicker to give you more space to work.
3. Insert the caning chisel into the groove next to the spline and wiggle it back and forth to loosen the frame. There may be a build up of varnish or paint which has fused the spline in place. Loosen the spline using the chisel and a hammer. Gently tap the chisel with the hammer. Wiggle the chisel and pry around the entire framework. You may be able to remove it completely without drilling into the spline.
4. Drill tiny holes, four to six inches apart, into the spline using a 1/8- to 3/16-inch drill bit. Drill down 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep into the spline material. The holes should be made in the spline but not down into the actual wood of the chair.
5. Heat a cup of white vinegar in the microwave until it is warm. Pour it into a squeeze bottle.
6. Squirt the vinegar into the holes that you drilled into the spline. The vinegar should loosen the adhesive that is binding the wood together. Let it set for 20 minutes and up to two hours, according to Cathryn Peters, also known as the Wicker Woman. If you are concerned about ruining the stain on the chair, use substitute warm water for the vinegar.
7. Pry under the loosened spline to lift it carefully from the chair to preserve it unless you are replacing it with a new one. Tap the chisel with a hammer to lift the spline from the wood. Clear the remaining wicker from the spline. Clean any embedded wicker and glue from the groove in the chair with the utility knife or chisel.
Tags: into spline, center wicker, chair with, chisel with, chisel with hammer, dining room, into groove