Every roll is measured before it shipsMade-to-size cane panels, cut to the 1/4 in
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Flat lay of a chair seat caning kit with a sheet of open weave cane webbing and seat caning supplies

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Chair Caning Kits

Chair Seat Caning Kit for Pressed Cane, with Spline and Wedges

Replace one pressed cane chair seat: a sheet of open weave cane, 6 ft of reed spline in your groove size, 5 hardwood wedges and wood glue.

Cane sheet18 x 18 in
Spline#8
$32.99

This kit is for chairs with pressed cane: a sheet of machine-woven cane held in a routed groove around the seat by a strip of reed spline. If your chair has a groove, not a row of drilled holes, this is the kit for it.

You choose two things: the size of the cane sheet and the size of the spline, which has to match the width of your groove. The cane is natural open weave webbing with the classic octagonal holes. With the sheet, spline, wedges and glue, the materials for one seat are covered.

You will also need:

  • A caning chisel to lift out the old spline (sold separately)
  • A utility knife with a fresh blade
  • A mallet or hammer
  • A tub or sink of warm water and an old towel

The work, in short. Chisel out the old spline and scrape the groove clean. Soak the cane about 30 minutes and the spline 10 to 15 minutes in warm water. Lay the cane over the seat shiny side up, with the weave lines square to the front of the chair. Tap four wedges in at the middle of each side to hold it, then use the fifth to drive the cane down into the rest of the groove. Trim the extra cane at the outer edge of the groove so the cut ends sit inside it. Run a bead of glue into the groove, tap the spline in on top and wipe off any glue that squeezes out.

Do not worry if the wet cane looks slack. It tightens as it dries, so give it a full day before anyone sits on it. Our guide on how to replace a pressed cane seat covers each step in more detail.

How to choose

Cane sheet: measure across the outer edges of the groove, side to side and front to back, and pick the sheet that is at least 1 in bigger than the groove on every side. The 14 x 14 in sheet fits grooves up to 12 x 12 in, 18 x 18 in up to 16 x 16 in, and 24 x 24 in up to 22 x 22 in. Measure a round seat at its widest.

Spline: measure the groove width with a drill bit shank or calipers. #7 fits 1/8 in, #8 fits 3/16 in, #9 fits 1/4 in and #10 fits 5/16 in. Half sizes are sold separately.

Length: the kit holds 6 ft (72 in) of spline. Measure the groove all the way round and add 6 in; if that comes to more than 72 in, order a second coil.

Questions

Will this kit work on a chair with holes around the seat?

No. This kit is for pressed cane set into a groove. A seat with a row of drilled holes is caned by hand, strand by strand, and our hand caning kit is made for that.

Which side of the cane goes up?

The shiny side faces up. The back is duller and a little rougher to the touch.

How do I find my groove width?

Clean the groove, then try drill bits in it until one slides in snugly without forcing. That bit size is your groove width; match it to the spline sizes in the specs.

The new cane looks saggy. Did I do something wrong?

Probably not. Wet cane is soft and loose, and it shrinks and tightens as it dries. Give it a full day before judging it or sitting on it.

Can I stain the new seat to match the chair?

You can once it is completely dry, but test on an offcut first. The glossy face of the cane resists stain, so color tends to go on unevenly; thin coats work better than one heavy one.

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Guides