To replace a cane seat, you first need to know which kind you have. Pressed (sheet) cane is a machine-woven sheet held in a groove by glue and a reed strip called spline. Hand caning is individual strands woven through holes drilled around the seat frame. The two jobs are different, so identify the seat type before you buy anything.
Identify your seat type
- Drilled holes around the seat frame: this is hand caning.
- A groove around the seat, with a thin strip of spline pressed over the edge of the sheet: this is pressed cane.
If you are not sure, look closely at the edge of the seat. Holes are easy to see. A groove is usually a narrow channel with a strip of reed sitting in it.
Materials for pressed cane
- Replacement sheet cane, cut 1 to 2 inches larger than the groove on each side
- Reed spline, sized to the groove width. Measure the groove, not the old spline, because old spline usually cannot be reused.
- A caning chisel or a small flat screwdriver, wooden wedges, and a mallet or hammer
- Glue: hide glue, or a water-soluble white glue. Do not use yellow carpenter’s glue or super glue. Yellow glue is very hard to remove later.
- A sharp utility knife or razor blade, and scissors
- A tub or long container for soaking, and warm water
- Hot water, vinegar or a steamer, to soften the old glue
Pressed cane: step by step
- Remove the old sheet and spline. Cut the old sheet out of the middle of the seat. Soften the old glue in the groove with hot water, a vinegar soak or steam, and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Then work a chisel or screwdriver under one end of the spline and lift it out gently. Forcing it out in small pieces can splinter the groove.
- Clean the groove. Scrape out old glue and bits of cane. A clean groove lets the new spline seat properly. If the inside edge of the opening is sharp, ease it with sandpaper or a rasp so it does not cut the new sheet.
- Soak the new cane. Soak the sheet for 30 to 60 minutes until it is supple. When you lay it in, put the shiny side up.
- Seat the cane. Lay the sheet over the opening, centered. Start with the front center, then the back, then the sides. Drive the cane into the groove with a wooden wedge, tapping gently with the mallet. Angle the wedge so the pressure is on the outer side of the groove, which keeps the cane from being cut by the edge.
- Glue and set the spline. Run a bead of glue into the groove over the cane. Soak the new spline briefly, shake off the water, and tap it into the groove on top of the cane. Ends can pop up as you work, so keep tapping them back down until the spline sits fully in the groove.
- Trim the excess. When the spline is set, trim the cane at the outer edge of the groove. Angle the blade away from the sheet and cut only on the outer side. Cutting into the cane that is held in the groove will ruin the sheet.
- Let it dry. Give the glue at least a day before light use. One source suggests up to three days before the seat takes full weight, so allow longer if you can.
- Clean up. Wipe away any squeezed-out glue with a damp cloth before it dries. If you plan to stain the seat, remove all the glue first, because stain will not cover it.
Hand caning in brief
Hand caning is a separate job, and it takes much longer. Some basics:
- Soak the strands for 10 to 20 minutes until they are pliable. Over-soaked cane turns fuzzy and dark.
- Hold strands in place with pegs, such as golf tees, rather than knots, and tie off on the underside when the pattern is complete.
- The traditional pattern has seven steps: vertical strands, horizontal strands, a second set of verticals, woven horizontals, a diagonal, an opposite diagonal, and then a binder.
- Weave snug but not drum-tight. The cane shrinks as it dries.
- Choose the cane size by the hole diameter and spacing. Charts vary by supplier, so check yours.
- Plan for many hours. A beginner may need 6 to 12 hours or more for one seat.
If that is more work than you want, a professional can do it. See how much it costs to have a chair recaned for typical prices. If the seat only sags but is not broken, the lower-effort fix may be restoring dried-out cane furniture. For the frame and cleaning steps that come before any new cane, see how to restore old cane furniture. If the frame wobbles, how to fix a loose chair rung covers the regluing.
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong glue. Yellow carpenter’s glue is hard to remove later, and the next person to work on the seat will have a harder job.
- Measuring the old spline instead of the groove. The groove is what the new spline has to fit.
- Pulling the cane tight while it is wet. It will shrink and tighten on its own as it dries.
- Using too little glue. Too little glue in the groove is the usual cause of the sheet pulling out later.
- Cutting from the inside of the groove. Trim on the outer edge only.
- Laying the cane shiny side down. The shiny side is the face of the seat.
Safety
Caning chisels and utility knives are sharp. Cut away from your hands, use a fresh blade for clean trimming, and work slowly around corners.