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How to Remove Glue from the Groove in Your Cane Webbing Chair

Use a caning chisel to chip away the old glue. Be careful not to use a sharp tool like a knife or you'll risk damaging the chair itself. If the glue is not responding to the tool, wet it down with some vinegar and let sit for a while. The vinegar should soften the glue and make it easier to proceed.

If the glue doesn't respond to vinegar, make your life easier and use De Glue Goo®. This product is amazing.
De-Glue Goo® is the only non-toxic gel that will dissolve hide glue, white and yellow glues quickly and easily. We guarantee that De-Glue Goo® will dramatically cut your spline groove cleaning time. If you've got hard glue in the groove, don't forget to order this. It's amazing stuff, for sure. You won't risk hacking away at the chair groove if you get this product. We highly recommend it.

When installing the new cane, use any brand of white glue for indoor chairs. For canoe seats, be sure to use a water proof glue, not a water resistant glue.

What to Seal, What Not to Seal

Cane should not be sealed with any kind of polyurethane since it's a natural material. It needs to be open to the air to "breathe".  Fiber Rush can be sealed with shellac. Instructions are in the fiber rush booklet.

Our Standard Staining Advice

Cane should not be stained. Most stains will not penetrate the natural bark of the cane. It tends to be uneven and doesn't dry on the surface properly. At the same time, stain will cause the cane to dry out, become brittle, and will decrease its life by half. The best course of action is to allow the cane to age and develop its patina naturally.

If you really decide that you want an aged color- other than the natural way of letting it develop its own patina with time, you can use an oil stain. The only one we recommend comes to us by customer reference: Cabot Stain Fruitwood. TEST IT FIRST on a swatch. We cannot be responsible for your staining results.

Other customers have suggested tea as a natural darkener. Try it first with some scraps. Naturally you have to stain with tea before you put the cane in the chair.