Old Rocker

[SteveA]

Old customer called and asked if I could come pick up a rocker to restore.  While I was picking it up she said - by the way I'm doing this for my Husbands birthday - it was his Mother's. 
It's a surprise and can i have it back in 3 weeks.  I said fine but when I got it to the shop it's turning into a dozen little repairs before i can even strip it.  The springs are tearing through and I'm thinking of re-enforcing the underside of the fabric without ripping it all out.  Maybe synthetic horse hair on top, muslin, dacron, and the new fabric.

[Mojo]

I love these old rockers. I bought several antique rockers years ago and we give them away as gifts when one of my former football players that I coached has their first baby. We are down to our last one.

I have one right now that needs to have the seat re-caned. Should be interesting as I have never re-caned before. I have been hit by a cane but never applied caning. :)

Mojo

[SteveA]

It may be easier to rout out a grove and use machine cane if it's hand woven
SA

[Mojo]

I was just going to order the cane ready made from E-Bay, install it and trim it. Is this the correct way ?
I sure as hell am not going to weave it.

Mojo

[SteveA]

The old finish is stripped down.  Slid some fabric under one spring that was tearing through.  I think I will re-enforce the others springs as well.  That old finish was a pain.  I painted on the stripper and it loosened the varnish but I could not use the putty knife too much because of the incised carvings.  Comes down to scrubbing with steel wool and thinners.  Hand stripping is a pain.  The old finish although dissolved from the remover clings to the wood like glue.  I envy the guys with strip tanks. 
The old color was a dye and a strong one.  Probably will have to stick with a cherry or mahogany color stain because the red is not going away unless I want to add bleaching steps to this job. - And I don't want to add more steps.  Didn't even want to take the seat apart.  I'll try to get through the sanding over the weekend.  That's another pain with all the carvings and turned elements. Starting to sound as though I like PAIN ?  The customer has the fabric now - it's a red color to keep the previous look I guess.     

[SteveA]

Mojo
If the seat was a previously pressed cane seat - you can do it again the same way.  If it doesn't have the groove you need to create a groove for the spline that holds the cane in place.
Some folks don't like to change a hand cane seat to machine cane but the machine cane is a whole lot easier and cheaper in labor costs.  Try to post a photo of the seat.  I buy cane from HH Perkins company - nice folks - helpful with questions - guarantee their products - 
I never purchased cane off ebay - just watch for cane that is older and has been laying around. 
SA

[Mojo]

Steve:

It is pressed cane with that weird honeycomb like design.

It looks just like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chair-Caning-Kit/263978642489?hash=item3d765a6c39:g:BRQAAOSwINxbug0h:rk:13:pf:0

Mojo

[SteveA]

Yes that style is what you mostly see when you think about a traditional weave.  It's the most common.  Pre-woven cane is done using the hanks (rolled cane) pictured by folks in Indonesia.  "Machine cane" is hand woven into sheets by workers and/or by machine -
SA

[kodydog]

Mojo, like you I find the whole cane weaving process fascinating. I restored a cane wing chair that was done using the spline method with good successes. But to weave the cane using the old fashion hole method is another story. I cannot see learning a new skill to do one job. We have a fellow here in High Springs who is retired and weaves canning to keep busy. We have sent several pieces his way. He does beautiful work.

Here is an antique wheel chair he did. If interested I can get you his number.

[SteveA]

One of the springs on this rocker were soft.  I remembered years ago I bought these spring tensioners and thought here is a time to use them.  I could not figure out how these are installed or if they are even the right application for what I want to do.  I abandon that idea and cut another coil spring to fit and twisted it into the existing spring - which was part of a drop in unit.
I tied the springs together with button twine. 

I went on you tube and could not find any video of how these other spring tensioners work - any ideas appreciated for the next time

[MinUph]

Steve these tension springs are used on the ends of a spring edge to keep the burlap under tension. The end section of a sprung edge looses a lot of tension so these are added to take up the difference. A spring edge, if your not familiar is a soft edge. Not hard.

[SteveA]

These are for the wire edge that runs along the front of coil springs ?  Makes sense - and you attach them with a clip you squeeze in those pliers that form the grab around the wire. 
Paul if you had a soft spring you couldn't change because it's in a drop in unit  - please give me some solutions
Thanks
Steve

[MinUph]

Really the only thing you can do if you cat replace is to stuff foam in the coils till it feels like the rest. Or try to exchange with another one in an area that doesn't matter as much.

[kodydog]

This rocker you're working on has a really weird seat design. It looks like maybe the last upholsterer screwed it up or the original design was not crafted with the upholsterer in mind. I think the biggest problem you are facing is there is not enough padding in the seat. Hard to say how to fix it without being there. I'm not sure it can be fixed without changing the design and adding more padding. Of course this will change it from a flat seat often seen in antique furniture, to a crowned seat seen in more modern and more comfortable furniture. It really all depends on what the customer wants.

I'm not sure I would even call this a drop in spring unit but more somebodies bad idea for spring support. The springs aren't even tied with twine but just tied to the cover. I would be half inclined to nix the whole spring system and start from scratch with webbing, six short springs, 8-way tied. And a minimum of 2' padding, either foam or cotton or if you want to stay to the period horse hair. These options will add a crown to the seat so must run it by the customer first.

Just my 2 cents worth, of course take it with a grain of salt.

Looking at your two sets of photos I see two different fabrics. I take it was double covered?

[SteveA]

This is how I re-enforced the one soft spring.  It's working good and up to the level and feel of the spring next to it. 

Kody you are 100 % correct.  Although I believe the drop in unit is original it should have been changed to webbing and new coil springs.  It was double covered - I removed the red fabric and intend to recover over the black fabric I left intact.  I'm thinking some cotton in places to even out the plane - a sheet of synthetic horse hair sewn on - muslin, dacron, new fabric customer gave me, double welt on the edges to replace the nails that were cracking the wood. 

When I was at the customer's house - I was too focused in on the wood repair and refinishing.  Not fully thinking like an veteran upholsterer I thought to myself - the seat isn't bad and I didn't want to add another $ 250.00 to the cost.  She's an old customer and always recommends me.  I told her I'd update the seat and apply the new fabric only charging for materials. 
I tried to keep the cost down as much as possible.  I also know that this chair is for sentimental value - not for constant sitting and use.  It's going into the L/R in tribute to her MIL.