How to Cane a Canoe Seat

The ideal canoe seat feels soft and dries quickly. Although there are several seat coverings that feel soft, few dry as quickly as cane. Cane is durable, it gives when you sit on it, and because it's thin and its weave is airy, it dries quickly. To cane a canoe seat, you need a sheet of cane webbing, a few tools and a handy background. It's a project that you can complete within a half-day.

Things You'll Need

  • Router
  • 3/16-inch straight plunge router bit
  • Cane webbing
  • Cane spline
  • Medium grit sandpaper
  • Caning wedge
  • Knife
  • Waterproof glue
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Instructions

    • 1

      Route a groove around the seat with a 3/16-inch straight plunge router bit. Keep it centered between the seat's inside and outside.

    • 2

      Place the cane webbing and cane spline into hot water for two hours or until the cane flexes without breaking.

    • 3

      Sand the edges of the groove until they're rounded, which protects the cane from unnecessary abrasion.

    • 4

      Place the cane webbing over your canoe seat. On the left side of the seat, secure the cane with a caning wedge. Pull the cane webbing tight towards the right, and then push a caning wedge into the right-side routed grove to hold the cane in place. Do the same for the top and bottom of the seat.

    • 5

      Use caning wedges to fill the routed grove with the cane webbing. Try to keep the webbing tight, but as it dries, it will shrink. Cut off any excessive cane on the grove's outside.

    • 6

      Squirt waterproof glue into the grove. Spread it evenly around the entire groove.

    • 7

      Secure the cane webbing in place by pushing the cane spline into the grove. If your finger strength fails at pushing it into the grove, tap it in with a hammer. Wait for the glue and cane to dry before use. The cane tightens as it dries.