1. I have a chair with a hand-woven seat, can it be done in pressed cane?
NO! The type of seat dictates the type of cane required. I know, I know - someone out there had a great-uncle Jehosephat who would cut a groove in a drilled seat and put in pressed cane. In the antiques world, there is a term for this kind of chair - FIREWOOD. Sorry, it won't last and it will weaken the chair.

2. Can painted cane be stripped?
Yes and no. You could use stripper to remove paint or varnish from the cane, but you won't have much life left in the cane. Stripper is very drying and the cane will weaken considerably. Bite the bullet, rip out the cane, and re-do the seat.

3. Should I put varnish or polyurethane on a new seat?
Oh, my heart! Putting a finish on a seat will seal the top, making it as brittle, and as sharp, as glass. If you must put something on, use lemon oil.

4. How long does it take to cane a chair?
HOURS. A hand-woven seat can take 8 to 10 hours or more. Pre-woven can takes less time to install, but can take more time to remove the old cane. Flat reed and Shaker tape will take several hours.

5. Should the chair be refinished before or after the caning is done?
The chair should be refinished and reglued before putting in a new seat.

6. The side of my chair is split, can it be caned?
99 out of 100 times I won't even consider it. Weakened sides should be replaced, and be sure that the "carpenter" knows what he or she is doing. We do it often at the store, and it is a pain, so you won't find it to be cheap.

7. Can I teach myself how to cane a chair?
Sure, I did! Find a real good book, with plenty of illustrations and have fun. Figure on spending 15 to 20 hours on your first chair. It would be better, though, if you could find a class. There are all sorts of tricks that aren't covered in the books
8. (My favorite question) Do you need to have the chair to cane it?
(Sigh) Yes!