Chair Caning Help

There is a new DVD set on Chair Caning that I wish was around when I was teaching myself to restore chair seats. The four DVD set ($79.99) covers the 7-step method, pre-woven cane, fibre rush, and splint-type weaving. If you only are interested in one aspect of seat weaving, you can buy any individual DVD ($24.99).

As for books, I can personally recommend Seat Weaving by Ricky Holdstock and Chair Seat Weaving for Antique Chairs by Marion Burr Sober. The former is a great resource with lots of pictures. The later is a 64 page booklet with line drawing diagrams, glossary, and easy to follow instructions for hand caning, rush weaving, splint weaving, and Shaker tape weaving.

Here are some online resources for instruction:

Project Plans

If you are looking for a project plan for a chair, bench, wall organizer, bed, or cabinet, check out Southern Living project plans. The archive includes plans for indoor and outdoor furniture. Each plan contains a materials list, cutting list, measured drawing, and build instructions. The plans are rated for degree of difficulty to help you decide if you are up to the task.

My particular favorites are the Adirondack chair, Outdoor Daybed, and the Picnic Table (which I think is cool for indoors, too).

Plans can be ordered for $4 and are delivered as a pdf via email.

My Wish List

It has been cold here lately. Colder than normal for Alabama. This leads me to dream and shop rather than be in the shop working on projects. This was made worse by the arrival of a huge catalog from Woodworker’s Supply.

DeWalt Miter SawOn my wish list are a compound miter saw and a couple books. I have been looking at saws for a while. I want one that is versatile, sturdy, compact, and cost-effective. The front-runner is the DEWALT (DW713) 10″ Compound Miter Saw for as little as $190. It has gotten great reviews, too. Because my usual modis operandi for buying tools is to have a specific project that requires them, purchase will have to wait for a looming kitchen revamp. Soon…..

Books do not have to wait.  I am going to buy a highly recommended and newly revised reference book Understanding Wood 2nd Ed.. This one is not currently in my library, but should, and will be soon.

It is time for spring and warmer temperatures—budgets cannot support many more days of cold weather dreaming.