How To Repair Wicker Seat

Copyright ©2007, Cathryn Peters

Always wonder how to repair wicker furniture? Through my stride-by-step photos and teaching, you volition go a glimpse of how wicker furniture repairs and restorations are completed.

This cute niggling family heirloom Victorian kid's wicker rocker was in dire need of repair, and the customer wanted information technology restored for his granddaughter to use.

Some of the harm to the spokes and weavers were very apparent, but the major damages were not really obvious until observed under close scrutiny.

Many spokes (ribs), in the rolled arms, back and seat were broken completely and needed to be replaced. Because of this, I also had to replace a corking deal of the weaver strands.

However, the rocker was an fantabulous quality wicker piece circa 1890s-1910. It was woven with rattan reed on a hardwood, steam-aptitude framework that was withal in perfect shape.

The rocker was worth every hour and every dollar information technology cost to restore this precious family heirloom to its onetime celebrity!

Appraise Damaged Wicker Rocker Areas Before Repairs

Assessing the damaged areas and replacing merely as much equally necessary is the first step in each repair job. In this slice, almost all spokes or ribs in the entire serpentine rolled arms were either broken or cracked. And several spokes in the back and seat, running the total length of the rocker, were also broken.

Remove Damaged Wicker Areas

After the cess, then comes the removal of all broken spokes and weavers.

Somewhen, the boring job of replacement and patching begins.

Holes in the wooden arm framework, where the spokes were inserted, must exist drilled out to articulate any remaining spoke material and glue.

Recreate Rolled Arm Framework

The rattan reed used in wicker furniture restoration of this kind is imported from countries such as Southeast Asia, Cathay, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Information technology can be purchased through most pikestaff and basket supply companies here in u.s..

All new reed must be soaked in water for about 20 minutes and then information technology becomes pliable and doesn't intermission during use.

As you can encounter here, the weaving has been completed on the back and seat and now I'k working on the rolled, serpentine arm wrapping and spoke replacement.

Before the weaving on the rolled arm tin can accept place, the wooden framework must exist wrapped first. Here I used 11/64″ flat-oval reed, and the chain loops under the arms were replaced with #6 round reed.

In this motion picture, replacement of the #6 round reed spokes or ribs in the arms has begun. I utilize yellowish carpenter'south glue to hold the reed spokes after drilling out whatsoever remaining glue in the armholes, and besides employ the aforementioned gum for the frame wrappings.

Weaving the Serpentine Wicker Arms and Back

In this picture you'll see that the spokes on the left arm and dorsum were all replaced, making certain to follow the exact curvature of the original.

The weaving with 3/16″ one-half-circular reed is completed and the #half dozen circular reed loops underneath the arms have also been replaced.

Beginning the right arm reconstruction is besides featured in this photograph.

Rolled or Serpentine Wicker Artillery Completed

All areas of the serpentine rolled arms and dorsum are now completed, and I'g only finishing upwards on the underside of the right arm.

The round reed spokes have been tacked to the hardwood framework underneath and weaving is nearly finished.

Leg wrappings are withal to exist done, but the projection is coming along nicely.

Child'south Wicker Rocker Repairs Completed!

All light areas on the rocker are where I replaced damaged or cleaved materials, and will of course be invisible afterward the rocker is repainted.

Whatsoever hairy fibers that might take surfaced during the weaving can be singed off using a low-flame blow torch or lighter when the reed is still damp.

Brand sure the reed is damp, you certainly don't want this wicker gem going up in flames!

Painting the Wicker every bit the Final Touch

This picayune antique wicker rocker still had its original xanthous-beige paint, which the customer was going to accept color-matched past a pigment store and and so repaint himself after my repairs were complete.

Had this piece originally been stained walnut or some other dark color instead of beingness painted, I would take substituted smoked rattan reed for the natural reed I used in the repairs.

Smoked reed makes for a very easy color match with dark-stained wicker. Since smoked reed is already a night walnut color, it only needs a couple coats of varnish or 1 lite coat of stain, to blend in with the original materials where patches or replacements were made.

Painting wicker furniture includes using two thinned coats of forest primer, practical past using either a compressor sprayer or a paint brush.

When that has thoroughly stale, then the application of two light coats of oil-based, indoor/outdoor firm paint.

Latex paint can too exist used, but I've gotten much better results myself using oil-base paint instead of Latex, seems to flex more readily and has a more durable cease.

Utilise the paint advisedly and lightly and so you don't get runs and globs of pigment on this fine, intricate piece of work and comprehend up all the details.

Let the paint to dry out several days to a week so it dries thoroughly earlier it's put into use.

When my customer saw his trivial family heirloom wicker rocker all repaired and restored he was delighted and will savor this treasure for many years to come!

[ Back to the Top ]

---

Thank yous so much for visiting WickerWoman.com and we hope you've found this commodity on "How-to Repair a Child'due south Wicker Rocker" helpful and will come back often to run into further updates. Delight Share This! article with your friends, utilise the handy social buttons below.

<– Back to Articles, Tip Sheets, Reports

Next–> to How-to Paint Wicker Furniture

Source: https://www.wickerwoman.com/articles/wicker-rocker-repair

Share this post