How to Respline Porch Chairs

Remove the old cane. Cut along the edges of the spline to separate the glue with a utility knife. Pull out the spline with pliers. Scrape the residual glue and debris from the chair surface with a putty knife. Clean the spline groove with a groove cleaning tool. Be careful not to damage the wood. The groove is approximately 1/2 inch from the open seat area on the top or front facing part of the chair.

Soak the cane fabric in a bucket of water for 15 to 20 minutes until it is pliable. Cut the cane 1 inch wider than the groove on all sides. Position the cane centered over the opening.

Hammer a wood caning wedge, driving the cane into the groove. Start in the center of the groove closest to the seat back. The wedge is made of wood and designed to temporarily hold the moist cane pressed tight into the groove. Made sure the pattern on the cane fabric is horizontally parallel with the groove. Stretch the cane to the front groove of the chair. Hammer your second wedge in the center front, making sure the pattern is horizontally parallel with the groove.

Drive the third wedge into the center groove on the left side, making sure the pattern is vertically parallel with the groove. Stretch the cane to the right and hammer your fourth wedge into the center groove of the right side. Continue with this pattern: back, front, left and right, spacing your wedges three to four inches apart working from the center toward the corners.

Apply carpenter's glue into the groove to the right of the first wedge you installed. Press the end of the spline into the glue and touching the right side of the first wedge. Use a blunt flat punch and hammer to hammer the spline deep into the groove. Remove the wedge to the right. Add glue. Press the spline down and hammer with the punch and hammer. Continue removing wedges all the way around the seat until you reach the first wedge. Remove the wedge, add glue, and cut the spline to butt tight to the existing spline. Hammer the end into place.