Wicker chair, more a repair?

[fletty]

I once repaired an old wicker panelled lounge of my own and that was a simple task of buying a new woven panel and replacing the old damaged one. I have however learned that not all wicker furniture is SO co-operative!
I volunteered to repair a friend's wicker chair and noticed very quickly that this chair requires a new panel to be woven IN PLACE! It has a multitude of holes rather than a rebate to trap a pre-woven panel.

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The other challenge is that the outer trim piece is held in place with pins rather than the normal, and better looking, loops.
After taking reference pics, I removed the badly damaged wicker panel and cleaned up the frame. It is one of a pair and so I didn't want to 'restore' it, just clean it up ..... a bit.

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The new wicker arrived yesterday and so ...... let the weaving begin.....

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The first step, of 7 steps, is single north-south strands which require VERY careful selection of the correct holes....

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Step 2, which was where I finished tonight, is the addition of single east-west strands. At this stage there is still no weaving but that joy awaits me in step 4...... and 5 ....... and 6!

fletty

[crowie]

Interesting to see how this is actually done...keep it coming Alan, thank you...Cheers, Peter

[Lappa]

Good therapy - next step up from basket weaving

[NCArcher]

I am suitably impressed. Carry on.

[Thumbthumper]

That chair will look great after a good caning

Here's an Aussie Emu chair we re-caned.

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I've just bought a dainty little 1900's chair that's going to need the same treatment soon.
It deserves something better than the plywood seat it came with.

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Looking forward to the finished pics of your chair.

Cheers,
Stu

[wheelinround]

The boss says you need to contact a weaver to get the basics of the seat as you only have 1/2 of the first run done so far. You know her No.

I think you are doing well Alan, first sewing and needle work, felting boxes, now weaving next you'll be spinning and knitting.

[wheelinround]

any chance of a quick tutorial?

Found this which is brilliant not seen the finishing off like this before.

[fletty]

any chance of a quick tutorial?

hi WP,
wheelins YouTube shows it pretty well but all videos I've seen fall short on showing how to tie off and this chair also has a different finishing method that I'll have to work out so that this chair will still match its pair?

fletty

[Thumbthumper]

We used the no-knot method to finish everything off.
It worked well to avoid sharp ends underneath the seat.

[fletty]

Thanks TT, I was having trouble with the 'knot' method anyway because the rebate at the bottom of the holes was so deep that I couldn't get the end of the cane to go under the neighbouring loop from the side?
It seems that the 'no-knot' method might solve that problem. I'll report back.
fletty

[fletty]

This is such an amazing thing.

I've looked at these chairs previously and was baffled. By watching the video the trick of the magic is lost.

What a fantastic way to do a recessed box lid though. If one could buy wicker that is 1 or 2mm, wow. Make a recessed panel that fits in from the underside.

I'd reckon there is some art to getting the hole placement on the chairs right though....

GREAT IDEA WP! Actually, the cane is available at 2.5mm wide AND I will have a lot left over after the chair is finished ?
Re the hole drilling, I'm planning on making wicker panelled doors on a dresser that I'm about to start. To drill the holes, all I would need is a grid drawn on a transparent sheet and then drill a hole anywhere a grid line crosses the hole line?

fletty

[fletty]

I got a few hours in the shed this afternoon after volunteering to plant trees at a local greening project and so Step 3 is finished......

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Step 4 is the first that requires REAL weaving, ie repetitive overs-and-unders, and this will require a lot of patience and concentration ....... so I've taken on an apprentice....

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mind you, I gave her a few hours off this afternoon to cook ANZAC biscuits for tomorrow's mini-gtg!

fletty

[Lappa]

Step 4 is the first that requires REAL weaving, ie repetitive overs-and-unders, and this will require a lot of patience and concentration ....... so I've taken on an apprentice....

image.jpg

mind you, I gave her a few hours off this afternoon to cook ANZAC biscuits for tomorrow's mini-gtg!

fletty

Your a generous man Fletty - teaching her a craft AND allowing her to cook

[wheelinround]

I got a few hours in the shed this afternoon after volunteering to plant trees at a local greening project and so Step 3 is finished......

image.jpg

Step 4 is the first that requires REAL weaving, ie repetitive overs-and-unders, and this will require a lot of patience and concentration ....... so I've taken on an apprentice....

image.jpg

mind you, I gave her a few hours off this afternoon to cook ANZAC biscuits for tomorrow's mini-gtg!

fletty

Oh does this mean all is forgiven for the shed ext?
Apprentice ? I'd say perfectionist more like it. Time you installed heating she looks cold or moved the bench into the sun.

Min GtG guess MY invite got lost in the mail LOL hope H isn't using the weed from down the back again in the ANZACS does funny things to you.

Hum that crate looks familiar.

[Fuzzie]

I've got a thread on here about recaning my first chair, but the pics have evaporated!
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I've done 3 other dining chairs since then. Love using them every day!
I'm tempted to try this pattern for a seat sometime in the future, if I can figure out the sequence.
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After you've done one, you wonder how they sell in the shops for the prices they do. Did I hear somebody say 25c/hr?