Coconut Fiber

[baileyuph]

Anyone used this to build base structure?  Did you find it to be suitable to replace excelsior?

You furniture guys will relate,

This would be a good question to Joy!

What do you think or suggest Joy?

Doyle

[UKSteve]

I don't know what Excelsior is but I have used coconut fibre and while it's fine for building up I'd resist using it on the final coat as it's simply too coarse. When you are working with it it's best to get it as dense and packed as you can when laying up as it's hard work to regulate.

[Joys Shop]

2 reasons I wouldn't use coconut fiber (coir) as a substitute for excelsior

1)  Coir is a very noisy fiber.   It makes a lot of noise when you sit on it

2) The only place I ever bought it from, no longer sells it.  It is going the way of Spanish Moss

I was using it as a padding on arms---but when I use up the small quantity I have, that's it

[baileyuph]

Steve you most likely know excelsior by another name.  Excelsior is wood shavings.

My problem is my excelsior is non reusable, worn out and I found the coconut fiber (coir), but resisted buying it  because of the minimum quantity required.

I could make do with the coconut fiber as cotton will follow.  Can't remember what the minimum amount of (coir) I have to buy, could have been one hundred pounds.  Not sure I would need even 10 pounds.

Thanks for the tips anyway, Steve and Joy.

I keep hoping for some good used filler.

Yes, the spanish moss is a good candidate.

Doyle

[gene]

I've only seen coconut fiber as a first layer - never as a top layer. More times than not I can reuse it.

It's my understanding that coconut fiber became big during WW2 because most of the cotton was going to the war effort. This helps date chairs to the 40's and 50's, at least here in the USA.

gene

[baileyuph]

I don't know the age of this chair but it is surely over 60 years old.

I refinished the frame, retied the springs, and have the burlap layed and ready to go with the sub structure.  I need enough to fill between the springs and between the framing.  Then cotton will go over that.

I am about to get snarky about this............think that would help Gene?  LOL.

Not many jobs like this come up, hair would work.

I will figure it out sooner or later.

Doyle