Chair Caning Tools

Chisel and Awl

• A chisel is a necessary tool when re-caning a chair. Most people, unless they built the chair entirely, are removing an old cane seat that is cracking with age and replacing it. In this process, you use a chisel to remove dried glue that is stuck in the grooves and holes. Chisels come in two sizes, 1/8 inch and 3/16 inch.

  A caning awl is a pointed tool with a thin blade that resembles an ice pick. You use the awl to lift strips of cane that have been braided into the seat to thread in a new strip or to adjust them. You can also use the awl to help push the ends of cane down into the frame holes.

Caning Needle

• A caning needle is a long piece of bendable metal that resembles a kabob skewer. It has a pull ring on one end and an eye large enough for a strip of cane to fit through at the other end. You weave the pliable needle through the strands of cane that are in place in the seat. Then you thread the new strip of cane through the needle's eye. You then pull the needle slowly out of the seat, weaving the cane into the seat in its place.

Pegs and Wedges

• Pegs are wooden, pointed at one end and wider at the other end. They resemble golf tees. You use pegs to hold the ends of the cane strips in the holes around the frame while you weave the seat. Pegs come in sets and you should purchase enough to fill at least half of the frame holes at once.

  You use wedges when working with pre-woven cane webbing. You cut a section of the webbing and fit it into the grooves of the frame with the wedges, as opposed to weaving each individual strip.

Adjusting and Adhering Tools

• A cane adjusting, or packing tool as it is sometimes called, is a simple handle with two metal pins at the end. The pins hook behind a cane strip and you pull the handle to adjust the strips into the correct position. Cane is very hard and, although it is pliable, after you braid the seat it is difficult to adjust individual strips by hand. The adjusting tool helps to pull strips into their final place, covering any holes in the weave. The final step, once all strips are in the correct place, is to use wood glue in the holes and on ends of strips to ensure a nice finish with no ends sticking out. Preferably, use a glue that dries to a clear finish.