CANE WEBBING REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS
If you have a groove around the perimeter of the webbing seat and/or back, pre-woven cane webbing is used on these chairs. To replace this pre-woven cane webbing, you must start to remove all of the old cane, cleaning the groove carefully, by scraping out all old glue, spline and broken cane. If the old glue is very difficult to get out, sometimes vinegar can be helpful to soften the old glue,
The best tool to clean the groove is a sharp screwdriver, just a little smaller as the groove.
After you have cleaned the groove, you can place the new cane webbing in a few steps, as follow.
1. Soak the cane webbing and spline for about 15 minutes in hand warm water, till the cane is totally flexible. If the cane webbing is still not totally flexible, re-soak it in warm water again.
2. Place the cane webbing over the seat. Be sure that a minimum of about 2/3 cm extends beyond the groove on all sides. Center the cane webbing over the seat.
3. Use the blunt edge of a wooden or plastic wedge to force the cane webbing into the groove around the entire seat (do this gently). Be sure the cane goes totally to the bottom of the groove. Place a wedge in the centers of each side to hold the cane tempory.
4. To fix the cane webbing in the groove, put WHITE GLUE on top of the cane webbing in the groove around the entire seat. Use white glue only!
5. To cover the groove, lay the spline in the groove, with the narrow side down.
6. Using a rubber or wooden mallet and tap the spline until it is in the groove as far as it can go. Do this gently, but firm.
7. The natural cane webbing will automatically tighten during drying.
8. If the glue and cane webbing are dried, you can trim the cane webbing with the use of a sharp knife (flush with the edge of the spline).
9. It is better not to try to STAIN the new cane webbing, because it will not adhere properly. Just let time do the natural aging process.