Minor cane seat repair ??

[Steve in Idaho]

I just picked up a '98 kevlar Malecite that is in like-new condition, except for one thing...



Seems like a waste to pull the whole thing and re-cane it for such a little tear. But I don't want to just let it go either. Anybody have a tip on the best way to mend it? I'm not expecting it to last forever or look perfect, but it seems like I should be able to buy some time without making it too ugly.

 

[ppine]

You could try some linseed oil and then varnish it. Cane seats are beautiful but not that durable. The climate is dry here and they eventually tear out. Both of my current canoes have cane seats, Old Town and Bell. I just bought a Wenonah Cascade with the woven nylon seats which look very durable.

I learned a long time ago that boats are made to be used. They don't have to look perfect, just be really functional and dependable. Bristol is a condition I have often strived for but only attained a few times on newly built and lightly used boats.

 

[tump_lion]

whip it / wrap with monofiliment fishing line and add a daup of expoxy...

 

[Guest]

I’d try a little dab of adhesive (maybe G/flex) on each loose end, adhered to the piece above or below, so that it can’t unravel any further.

Some monofilament to reinforce couldn’t hurt.

 

[Mihun09]

It looks like pre-woven cane, there should be a slot with a spline holding it in, so it isn't like you would need to hand weave it when it finally gives out.

 

[oldie moldy]

Put a little dab of superglue on for right now. When winter comes re-cane it using that nylon core plastic coated ersatz cane material. That stuff lasts many times longer than the real cane.

Rob

 

[ppine]

Oldie,
I am tired of caning seats. Where can you get some of the nylon core plastic coated material?

 

[oldie moldy]

PPine and Steve,

Well I went back into my bookmark stuff and found the two that I heard about:

hhperkins.com They have rolls of the stuff in various widths. Right there is an advantage over the regular cane, the plastic comes in much longer lengths.


seatweaving.org Also known as V.I. Reed & Cane Inc. These guys offer the pre-woven cane (plastic) that Mihun was talking about above. This might be the answer for you Steve.

Both web sites look like they're ok but I need to tell you that I haven't ordered anything from them. Don't believe I'd be worried if I needed to.

I was playing around with the idea of making some really nice seats for my canoe, turned out I never did it, I always paddle from the kneeling position so what would be the point? While it was still in the planning stages I found several how to do it books in the public library. You might want to check your library unless you already know how.

Best Wishes, Rob

 

[Guest]

I gave up on cane seats long ago. I prefer tightly stretched poly webbing over cane anyway.

If I can save the seat frame (and the holes were properly symmetrical – not always) I’ll remove the cane, fill the spline groove, flip the seat over and install webbing.

I have busted through a couple of old cane seats and done the necessary field repairs. I’ve yet to bust a seat with poly webbing.

OK, that’s not entirely true. On one early rebuild I filled the spline groove and, while tightly webbing the flipped-over seat, with it clamped tight to the bench, heard a mysterious crack. WTF was that noise?

It was a degraded biscuit in one seat frame joint, which let go in a catastrophic failure midway through a trip, depositing me on my back, legs akimbo in the bottom of the canoe, looking at the clouds and wondering what the hell just happened.

Since then I have less faith in old wood seat frames, especially if they were installed with OEM simplistic seat drops and have taken on a paddler-weight warp over the years.

 

[Mihun09]

PPine and Steve,

Well I went back into my bookmark stuff and found the two that I heard about:

hhperkins.com They have rolls of the stuff in various widths. Right there is an advantage over the regular cane, the plastic comes in much longer lengths.


seatweaving.org Also known as V.I. Reed & Cane Inc. These guys offer the pre-woven cane (plastic) that Mihun was talking about above. This might be the answer for you Steve.

Both web sites look like they're ok but I need to tell you that I haven't ordered anything from them. Don't believe I'd be worried if I needed to.

I was playing around with the idea of making some really nice seats for my canoe, turned out I never did it, I always paddle from the kneeling position so what would be the point? While it was still in the planning stages I found several how to do it books in the public library. You might want to check your library unless you already know how.

Best Wishes, Rob

Actually, the stuff I referenced isn't plastic, it is actual cane which is pre-woven into a classic design and available by the foot. To each their own.

 

[tump_lion]

my preference is woven boot-lace -- i can't get my head into the look of the seat-belt webbing -- tho i just finished varnishing up a pair of hand woven cane seats for the wood prospector -- my plastic prospector one has the bootlace, as does my wood chum. the pre-woven cane sheets are another option, doesn't last as long as the woven stuff, but then is way quicker to replace...

 

[Mihun09]

I had the babiche seats on my first w/c canvas and it ain't comfy. Cane is harder for sure but still my preference over webbing. I can cane a seat in an afternoon which for me isn't alot of time and is time well spent.

 

[tump_lion]

don't much like babiche either, it's more tolerable when it's woven thru the sides of the side al-la tremblay rather than wrapped around like a fabre, but still -- love it on my snowhoes, not a fan for the butt-end of my boats...

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I've re-done seats with webbing and with boot lace. I do prefer the boot lace for comfort and durability. Then there is that "survivalist" option of always having a lot of emergency cordage along. In both cases, I did seal the spline slots and then flip the seat frame over.

This, however, is MR's upgrade version of the Malecite. Contoured cane seats (3 of 'em) on truss-style hangers. I have no fear of tackling a re-cane, and I know I will do so with this particular boat - when it becomes necessary. I'm just trying to delay the necessary (hopefully for a winter project). I'm a form follows function guy most of the time - but with this classic boat in the shape that it is, I think it deserves the effort to keep it close to original. If and when we've had it long enough to uglify it (ie: cover it with scratches), I'll probably start converting all three seats over to boot lace as they need fixing (will require some inlay work).

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Think I'm going to give Tump Lion and Mike McCrea's idea a try, BTW....

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Yep - that looks like it will work nicely. We'll see when it cures. Think I will either plan on re-caning all three seats for a fresh start this winter - or maybe I'll inlay the grooves with something pretty and do it all over with a Belgian chair weave in black dacron cord.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Just thought I'd add an update. The "whip it and g-flex it" temporary repair is still holding, and it doesn't look half bad either. Probably bought another year at least until I have to do anything with it.

 

[Philtrum]

No Title

I gave up on cane seats long ago. I prefer tightly stretched poly webbing over cane anyway.

If I can save the seat frame (and the holes were properly symmetrical – not always) I’ll remove the cane, fill the spline groove, flip the seat over and install webbing.

I have busted through a couple of old cane seats and done the necessary field repairs. I’ve yet to bust a seat with poly webbing.

OK, that’s not entirely true. On one early rebuild I filled the spline groove and, while tightly webbing the flipped-over seat, with it clamped tight to the bench, heard a mysterious crack. WTF was that noise?

It was a degraded biscuit in one seat frame joint, which let go in a catastrophic failure midway through a trip, depositing me on my back, legs akimbo in the bottom of the canoe, looking at the clouds and wondering what the hell just happened.

Since then I have less faith in old wood seat frames, especially if they were installed with OEM simplistic seat drops and have taken on a paddler-weight warp over the years.

There's a simple way to reduce or eliminate the risk of a seat frame breaking. Just screw a piece of galvanized sheet metal under the front rail, which takes nearly all the paddler's weight. The one pictured was contoured to fit the seat. The seat drop screws go through holes in the ends of the strap so it provides support for the entire length of the rail.