Rush seat

[Doug Mason]

Anyone have much experience doing these? This is my first attempt and other than taking most of my Saturday, it is making my hands look like I've been "working in the fields" for the last ten years!

4-25-08 033.jpg

[Richard Wolf]

I've done a few, I hope you are using a weaver's needle?

Richard

[John Keeton]

That's neat Doug! Never done any rush, but I have done similar bottoms with some macrame cord a few years ago. Also, did some caning a while back. With that, you use glycerin in the water to soften the cane, and it really is quite kind to the old weather beaten hands!! Doubt it would work with the rush, though.

It is amazing how the bottom starts to tighten up as you get further along.

[Doug Mason]

Richard--the directions I have mention nothing of a weavers needle? I'll do a google search.

I did moisten the rush with water, though (per the directions)

[harry strasil]

FWIW, those light blue gloves with the rubberized palms and fingers work good for doing stuff like that and you get a better grip on things. I buy mine at ACE Hdwe.

[John Keeton]

Doug, as I am unfamiliar with rush, I didn't realize that it was moistened. You may want to try the glycerin idea - it worked well on the caning - both for the cane and the hands.

[David Gendron]

Look realy good so far. Did you make that rocking chaire?

[Greg Campbell]

I did a "rush weave" with twisted danish cord on a couple of chairs I made. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but was pretty happy with the final result. I started at least six times before I got results I was happy with. The biggest thing for me was to keep the cord a consistant tension (tighter than I thought it should be). Tore up my hands pretty good too. I ended up using a six inch section of 1" dowel to wrap the cord around and pull. I was also using four spring clamps to keep the cord tight as I was going along.

At the end, it was taking me about 12 hours to weave a seat.

I used a the book, "The Caner's Handbook" from a shop in Berkeley, CA (their website is www.caningshop.com). A really useful book.

I would definitely do it again.

[Richard Wolf]

Doug, I know this link says this is a caning needle, but I used something similar to this when I wove my rush seat. Makes it a lot easier.
http://seatweaving.org/store/product106.html

Richard

[george wilson]

There used to be a young woman who did that in Williamsburg for some years. I think she stuffed between the weaving with straw-or something? That gave some padding to the seat bottom. Research this. It's been many years,and I only watched her a few times.

[Tom Wiarda]

Here is a chair seat I made from natural rush. I used pieces of cardboard inserted into each of the four quadrants to give it some added stuffing. It's not the most comfortable seat but it looks nice. The chair was my first attempt following the directions in the book "Make a chair from a tree". Thanks, Tom

[Richard Francis]

Drew Langsner's Chairmakers workshop has good instructions.