Rattaning Seat Bottoms

Rattaning Seat Bottoms

by Bob Yohe

This how-to article was written by Bob Yohe of the Branford Electric Railway Association and was provided to us by Bill Wall, who along with Bob gave us permission to reprint it.

Here are some miscellaneous notes that may be helpful for future re-rattaning of seat bottoms.  These notes are based on doing most of the side seats for JTC 357, and using previously reconstructed seat frames.  Plan on spending about 4.5 to 5 hours per seat bottom.

Supplies Needed:

Seat bottoms

Rattan

Plastic sheeting to cover floor work area, e.g., old shower curtain

12oz cotton canvas, e.g., new dropcloth

White  glue, e.g., Elmers

3” long-nap roller and tray

Water spray bottle

Staple gun and 5/16” staples

Tacks--#6 x ½”

Wire nails 17 x ¾” 

Utility knife, with sharp blades

Tack puller, with sharp claws

Crate opener or small hammer

Small locking pliers, i.e., Vise-Grip

Pair of regular pliers

A pipe clamp, long enough to reach lengthwise (having two is even better)

Web clamp, long enough to reach around perimeter, with four pieces of angle steel

Major Steps:

• Laminate canvas to back side of rattan

• Remove rattan from old seat bottom frame

• Cover seat bottom with new rattan, apply metal edging, trim excess rattan

• Varnish rattan

Techniques:

• Spread out plastic film onto floor work area. You need enough for the number seats you will be recovering. [I find that doing two at a time works well.]

• Cut rattan to fit bottom seat frame.  Minimum length from roll is 45.”  If less, you may have a problem with folding it over bottom edge of ends and holding it while fastening.]  Width of roll, between stitching is 26.” 

• Cut 10 or 12oz. canvas to be about 2-3” larger than the piece of rattan all around.   This gives you something to hold onto when stretching or folding rattan.  See Figure 1.

Figure 1

• Laminate canvas to rattan:
Moisten back side of rattan lightly, using water spray bottle.

Use paint roller to apply thin coat of white glue to back side of rattan.  Try to avoid getting too much glue on rattan, as it tends to bleed through to front and plastic film.

Moisten canvas lightly, using water spray bottle.

Use paint roller to apply thick coat of white glue to canvas

Lay canvas on top of back side of rattan.  Knead canvas into weave of rattan, using finger tips for initial positioning.  [Doing a “tap dance” with bare or stocking feet to really get canvas pressed into weave of rattan works well.]  It is important that you get a good, strong bond between canvas backing and rattan.

Allow laminated cover to dry. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

• Remove old metal edging strip from old seat. See Figure 3. Label the six pieces with the seat bottom number, as you will reinstall on another seat bottom. (This avoids using the same holes twice.)

Figure 3

• Remove old rattan.  Be sure to remove all old nails, tacks, or staples from seat frame. See Figure 4.

Figure 4

• Mark the center line of both long sides of seat bottom and mark the center line of laminated piece of rattan/canvas.  Be sure the center line of laminate follows one strand of the weave.  See Figure 2. (If you don’t, the weave will not be perpendicular to the long edge of the seat frame.)

• Position the laminate to start re-covering.

Center the laminated piece, using the centering marks made earlier, with center cross spring support of seat bottom.  Double-check to see that you have enough at each end to fold over.

Spray the first 6 inches of the rattan along one long edge. Spraying the rattan makes it flexible and rubbery, so it will bend and fold much more easily. Do not try to fold dry rattan, as it will crack and break. Avoid over spraying, as the water will soften the white glue holding the rattan and canvas backing together. It is critical that this lamination remain strong in the area where people will be sitting.

Line up one strand of the weave to be even with the bottom outer edge of the long side.  See Figures 5 and 6. (If you don’t, the weave will not be parallel with the long edge of the seat frame.) Allow about 2 inches of weave to give you enough to fold over edge and staple. (Do not count the loose strands beyond the string.)

Staple along the bottom side of the long edge, starting in the center and working out towards the corners. Use 5/16” staples, as ½” staples are too long. Leave about 6-8 inches from the corners unstapled. You will need this unstapled space when folding in and trimming the corners.

Spray the first 6-8 inches of the rattan along the other long edge.

Grabbing firmly and maintaining tight tension, staple along the bottom edge of the other long side.  Again, leave about 6-8 inches from the corners unstapled.  You will notice that you have much more overlapping the bottom edge after you have stapled the second side.  Trim this excess to about 2 inches beyond the edge.  See Figure 6.  (This will make folding the ends much easier.)

Figure 5

Figure 6

• Do not staple the center of the two short ends. See Figure 7. Moisten well the first corner you want to fold and trim excess. This is a “do it by feel” or “do it by observation,” and as such is the tricky part.  You need to fold multiple layers so the corner has a nice neat seam.  To remove excess bulk, you trim out roughly a square piece.  See Figures 8 and 9.  But be sure to leave enough to fold over so a “raw” edge is not showing.  (As a rough guide the corner of the square you cut out, is a little over 1 inch diagonally from the corner of the seat frame.)  The seam slot is visible from the short end, so the multiple layers that are folded underneath lay along the long side.  That is why there is a notch at the end of the long sides.  See Figures 4 and 10.  (You may want to practice with a piece of cloth or heavy paper over the end of a facial tissue box to see how to do it.)

You will find it easier to work with the seat bottom standing on end when trying to make the corner folds.  This allows you to press and hold the seat bottom against a workbench with your body leaving both hands free to do the folding and holding of rattan, and then stapling. See Figure 7.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

• When you have trimmed as required and done the folding and everything is tight and compact, staple the remaining bottom sides into the corner. Feel free to use extra staples to ensure a tight fold.  (These extra staples can be removed when everything is dry.) You may need to use one or two ¾” inch nails to securely hold the multiple layers of rattan/canvas, although using extra staples seems to work well.

Figure 10

• Repeat this for the other corner on the same end.  You will have to knead and try to smooth down the middle of the end panel.  Since you are pushing down the rattan to fit the low corners, the rattan tends to want to “bunch up” in the middle between the two corners. 

• Position the 4 pieces of angle at the corners and tighten the web clamp. You want to make sure the rattan is forced tightly next to the frame, with no bulging and puckering. See Figures 11 and 12.

Figure 11

Figure 12

• Position two pieces of 2x4 lumber along the short ends and clamp along the length of the seat bottom. See Figures 11 and 12. This is to make sure that no bulging and puckering happens along the ends. If puckering occurs, it will rub against back bracket every time the back is flipped over—wearing out the rattan.

• Let dry for an hour or two.  If possible leave web and pipe clamps securely attached.

• Cut 4 notches in the rattan for the holes in the bottom frame to receive the pegs from the metal seat assembly in the car.; or until rattan is dry.

• Re-attach the pieces of metal trim pieces along the center of the bottom edges of the seat from.  Use #6x1/2” tacks to secure.  This trim piece hides the staples, serves as a guide when you cut the excess rattan, and helps protects the edge of the rattan.  See Figure 13.

Figure 13

• Cut off excess rattan.

• Varnish rattan.  The first coat is a thinned down 1:5 mineral spirits to varnish.  This provides additional adhesion between rattan and canvas backing.  The second and third coats are full-strength spar vanish, which help protect the rattan from water and wear.  See Figures 14 and 15.    

Figure 14

Figure 15

This is Part IV of our correspondence course, "So You Want To Restore an Interurban Car." Be sure to take the other parts of this course on canvas roofs, MU control circuits, and control jumper repair.