(Weather / seat ...) below should be "Weather / Sea . . . . " Sorry for any confusion.

I've always recommended "marine-grade varnish" for anything that's going to be outdoors. It's usually an oil-based finish, mostly used on ships with teak wood from what I understand, and it is designed to keep wood in good condition when used in wet areas (weather / seat / etc.). From a quick Google search: "Marine varnish is a finish coating that protects your wood against sun, rain, wind, sea spray, UV rays, and chemicals. The products packaged and sold as marine or spar varnishs actually typically contain a mix of oil, solvent, resin, ultra-violet additives, and drying agents." -- Hope this helps!

What you describe is normal. Many of us are now using a caning "steamer" for the 3rd and 4th steps. This helps with maintaining the spacing between "pairs" as Step 4 is woven. Many of us also cane "out of order." For example, I sometimes put in steps 1 and 2 together, then step 3 (1st weave), then step 5 (1st diagonal - upper right to lower left),followed by step 4. This helps maintain the proper spacing. There are also "gadgets" you can use to help with proper spacing. Wayne Sharp's grandson, Elie, who is a genius, has created a set of "caning fingers" which aid greatly in pulling the strands of 1 and 2, and 3 and 4, together. If you take a look at the "Silver River Center for Caning" website (https://silverriverchairs.com/) you'll find lots of helpful information. Tension, per se, is not usually an issue as once all weaving steps are completed the tension has been created properly. -- Best of luck, and happy caning!

I've always just replaced it if it's already woven on a chair. If it's "ready to use" and moldy, I'd discard it and use something else. Cathryn Peters might be able to give you some better advice as I'm sure this isn't what you want to hear. -- Best of luck.

I'm not sure what a "garnet" finish is but . . . I always seal ptnr (or any rush seat) with a 50/50 mixture of 3 lb cut shellac and denatured alcohol. Once dry a stain can be applied, or a stain can be added to a 2nd coat of 3 lb cut shellac (not thinned). With a final clear 3 lb cut shellac coat to either seal the stain so it doesn't color clothing when the seat is used, or to give a finish to the new seat. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the note, Jim! I'm very familiar with Alzheimer's as my mother also had that affliction, and I know how difficult it can be to negotiate around. Best of luck with your chair. Let us know how you do with it. - & We look forward to seeing you again in the future. Mical

@Beverly Randall There are various techniques for stabilizing breaks. The most common practice is to pry the area apart, insert glue, and then insert screws (holes pre-drilled before glue is applied) so that screws are - #1 BETWEEN the cane holes, not through them & #2 - set between every 3 or 4 cane holes to put pressure on the glue so it sets and holds the sides together securely. If you put an ice pick / awl / in the cane holes, and the wood separates between holes, repairs are needed before you start to re-cane the seats. If you start to re-cane without repairs, you will just pull the wood apart and even more elaborate repairs will be needed. Any chance you'll join us at the SeatWeavers' Gathering this July? I'm sure folks will be able to help you there more. Or you can get a good book (The Caners Handbook is one I'd recommend -- the 1st edition if possible) that will give a complete explanation of this.

This is a somewhat common occurrence Beverly. From your picture it also looks like the area hole-to-hole has been broken in places as well. If so, those areas must be repaired / stabilized / before anything else is done. Once any repairs are completed, my approach is to cane the seat, catching as many strands as possible with the strands that follow, and making no knots until the entire seat is completely woven. Then when the final step (spline, edge cover, whatever you care to call it) is wrapped into place, the strand that loops to hold the spline in place is used to secure any hanging cane strands along the groove to the very end. The final peg to hold the spline ends should secure them, and only one knot needs to be forced through the cane strands in the groove. Not easy to do, but not impossible. Hopefully this makes some sense. Mical

I would not recommend this as a 1st caning job. That said, my approach to this type of caning is to "patch" small breaks where ever possible. Just get cane to match what's there and then weave over the breaks, over-wrapping far enough into undamaged areas so that friction holds everything tight. There are various tools that can be used to make this easier. An ice pick, or even a dull butter knife, to help work the new cane over the old cane. Making sure that everything (existing material and new cane for weaving) is very wet, and kept wet, while working. If that is not possible, my approach to these jobs is to carefully un-cane until I've figured out the pattern and the way the original caner did the weave. Then, hopefully with an intact seat as a guide, I would re-cane. I would not try to use another type of material for the seat. The original "seater" usually knew what would work best, and this is not a situation that would lend itself to another type of seat. -- All the best! Mical

I would fill the front rail 1/2" on each side (as for a "normal" trapezoidal frame). The seat will look fine when you're done with the seat. Both front sides will be the same and no one will notice the seat is "off" by 1/2" anywhere.

You are welcome to contact me, Bill. I live just outside Baltimore. We can talk about materials that are available and what is possible and "affordable." Phone #410 825-9344 or my email .

Good question, Suzan. I have a rack where I store cane by size. I only buy when I need more, so cane can sometimes sit around for a long time. I go by color (how the older cane looks relative to newer cane - is it significantly darker) and by how pliable it is. If in doubt, I throw it out and replace it. If I begin to cane with an older strand and it breaks, or the ends snap off rather than bending once the cane has been soaked, out it goes. It's not worth fighting to make older stuff work. It will just last for less time in the new seat and make customers unhappy. Not a situation I want to face. I hope this helps.

You don't show a view from the back, but you can usually feed the cane between the outside and inside "supports" of the frame. pretty easily to duplicate the existing back. Post again if you're having any specific issues with this.

If you're talking about paper tape or paper braid, I'd work with it dry if at all possible. You may need to dampen it just a bit to go around sharp corners or bends, but otherwise dry should be fine.

No possibility it was a rush seat. A rush seat (natural or otherwise) needs to have 4 rungs that can be woven around. Not cane either. No holes for hand cane and no groove for pressed cane. It may have had a "slip" seat of some kind. Needlepoint on a frame, or upholstery on a frame. Or even a woven seat of some kind that was then nailed in place. Definitely not anything woven onto the existing frame. You may want to show your customer some pictures of rush-seat chairs. A google search will show you many, many examples. -- Best of luck with this! -- Mical

Just a quick repeat: Anyone interest in purchasing a "caning nail" should contact me directly with name and address. A "caning nail" will be shipped with payment expected at the time of receipt. Please email if you would like one of my tools.

The caning nail (stainless steel 'nail' at the bottom of your pictures) is available. The price is $25 (includes shipping.) The looped wire with handle is available from Jim Widess, author of The Caners Handbook. Please email me directly for completing your order. Mical

I've done the same, using a piece of spline one size narrower than the "finish" spline to hold pressed cane in place before it is completely installed and ready for its "finish" spline. . I don't have pictures of restoring seats to hand-woven from routed out pressed cane. I haven't done this too often, and I think it's pretty obvious how to do this. My "procedure" is to fill the routed area with spline, glued into place, to completely fill the routed area. Then, once the glue is set -- from the underside toward the top -- I re-drill the original holes. If the resulting holes are somewhat "splintered" on the top side of the seat, I smooth their edges along the top with a "burr" or with a slightly larger drill bit that will chamfer them just a bit and smooth them. Tedious, but not difficult to do.

Since Jill didn't actually comment on this, I'll add my 2 cents. One possibility with these chairs, where hand cane has been routed for pressed / mesh cane, you can return the chair to hand cane (fill groove, re-drill for caning) and then cane by hand. Alternatively, you need to work with well-soaked and pliable mesh cane, and with wedges that hold the cane firmly as you work with it. I usually peg at the "low" spots first, then at the "high" spots. Adjusting as I go. Some looseness in mesh cane is to be expected as it is pressed into place. Followed by glue and spline. Left to dry overnight, or for even 24 hours, usually tightens it nicely. -- Hope this is helpful.