Seatweaving & Chair Caning Forum™ - Do you stand or sit while caning?

I get asked all the time by the folks I demonstrate chair caning for, whether I stand or sit while I do my chair caning and other types of chair seat weaving.

As I've said before, when I was first starting out, I would sit on the couch with the chair between my legs and watch TV while I wove the seat. But after doing that for a while, I realized that position was killing my back.

So, I started standing up and put the chair on an old card table that my mother-in-law gave me, which worked out very well indeed. And also make sure to be standing on an anti-fatigue mat to save on your feet and spine.

I still have that table and use it often, but have recently found a better substitute:

width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MlbO_hHvWew?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

The Wicker Woman®--Cathryn Peters
http://www.YouTube.com/thewickerwoman (Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any new videos!)

Re: Do you stand or sit while caning? weavingrestoration.com, Fri Jun 1 3:03pm

I have never stood to do any weaving as my back can't take it. I have a saddle stool for rush seats but have a couch of the right hight once on my jig so I can now sit on the couch. For the splint... more
- Do You stand or sit while caning dbrunsvl, Sat Jun 2 6:13pm
  
  Do you remember when the shoe salesman would sit in front of you on a stool with a slanted place for your foot? I picked up a wooden one at an antique shop and it is the ideal height for me to sit... more
- - Do You stand or sit while caning? ddick, Sun Jun 3 12:09pm
    
    Hey Vicky, Excellent idea. I will look for one! David W. Dick
- Do you stand or sit while caning? ddick, Sat Jun 2 9:58am
  
  I'm with Katherine W. on this one. I've always been seated and used to have back issues until my brother built a lazy Susan bench that stands 10 1/2" tall. The swivel came from Rockler and can hold... more
Re: Do you stand or sit while caning? Bill Morse, Fri Jun 1 10:25am

I did the same thing for too many years. Sitting on the couch hunched over a chair watching TV and developing back pain. Not smart. I found a nice 100 year old wooden table that had obviously been... more
- Standing Janet Noall, Sat Jun 2 8:39am
  
  I stand for regular hand weaving and have 2 "stations", with floor mats, and in an extra room. One 'station" for chairs, and is an old Engineers drafting table , and had belonged to my Father-in-law. ... more
- - Do you sit or stand when caning? ddick, Sat Jun 2 10:43am
    
    I don't think I would even be able to walk if I had stood for 37 years and caned in that position. My back would now be killing me. I truly believe the answer is having the chair seat in the correct... more
Caning position jane/rush, reed & cane, Fri Jun 1 7:21am

I stand & use an old fold-down table at just the correct height. But...I'm now working on a settee back & sides, too big for the table, so I have to squat right inside the settee to get close enough... more
- Jane/rush,caning postions Donald Robins, Thu Jun 7 1:37pm
  
  Jane; Stay at it as long as you can because you do very good work . The settee you have is trying and painful but do not judge all caning as being as bad as this settee is. Chair caning of smaller... more
- - Thanks, Donald! jane/rush, reed & cane, Tue Jun 12 6:54am
    
    Thanks for your kind words. I'm doing the settee extremely slowly, and other, easier chairs between. I did 'step 3' on half of the back yesterday...it's very trying & hard on my back. The fact that... more
Re: Do you stand or sit while caning? Mindy King - the chair weaver, Fri Jun 1 12:28am

I have to sit- a rare illness attacked my spinal cord in 2007 and I am blessed to be able to walk and use my hands but standing for long periods of time still gets to me. I sit on an over sized Arts... more
- pictures of chairs in mindys studio richards chair seats, Sun Jun 3 9:28am
  
  saw a beautiful display of ice picks and awls {one of my very favorite tools} and i have several plainer ones but thought i would pass on a tip in case someone might think it useful. small dowel rods ... more
- - Re: pictures of chairs in mindys studio Mindy King - the chair weaver, Sun Jun 3 8:41pm
    
    I found some metal cribbage pegs and they are wonderful for caning super fine and carriage. think I will invest in those rather expensive metal caning pegs, I get frustrated with most pegs that are... more
  - - Cribbage Pegs The Wicker Woman, Mon Jun 4 6:56am
      
      Thanks for posting the link again for the cribbage board pegs Mindy, excellent Father's Day present for hubby and for me to use on my caning. I don't "do" cribbage, but the kids and grandkids now,... more
- Chair in your photo doesyourseatneedwork--Doug Edwar, Sat Jun 2 5:13am
  
  Mindy, I looked at the photo of your work space and was surprised to see the office chair you were working on. A friend of mine found an identical chair in a yard sale and picked it up for free--it... more
- - Re: Chair in your photo Mindy King - the chair weaver, Sat Jun 2 11:53am
    
    I don't have any information about that chair, usually you can find patent # on cast iron hardware but this is mismatched And the base hardware is a different size than the seat but 1880/90's most... more
- Re: Do you stand or sit while caning? Linda Sippel, Sat Jun 2 12:05am
  
  I have a bad back but I stand using a old Workmate bench. You can adjust the height by choosing to fold out the legs or not. My DH made a box (24x24x6)that can be clamped on it large enough for a... more
Standing johnk15, Fri Jun 1 12:19am

Standing always. I have a 29 inch high table with carpet covered top. Table also has an 20 inch high backsplash board with some old towels over it so I can flip the chair back to see underside... more
- Re: Standing pkkilby, Fri Jun 1 10:55am
  
  Interesting conversation. I've been struggling with this exact topic. I always preferred to stand but now I've been unable to stand for any length of time due to my MS. Right now I have a stool and... more

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