Shaker Chair Taping??

Re: Shaker Chair Taping??

Larry Barrett

I have used Shaker tape (and hemp tape - similar) for chair seats. Is that is what you are wanting to do?

Re: Shaker Chair Taping??

Tom Norton

Yep!

So Larry when you tape a Shaker Chair how do you handle it when using 1" tape and the rear rail/spindle is 13 1/2"?

Re: Shaker Chair Taping??

Larry Barrett

If you made the chairs, you have discovered why you wish you had made the back rail an integral number of seating material widths wide. In your case, 13x1" or 14x1".

There are three possibilities to deal with this 1/2" problem: sew a loop over the back rail, space out the 1/2" gap among the 13 winds of the warp, or make 14 winds of the warp.

I like the loop best. Before you start winding on the warp you take a short piece of tape and sew it in a loop over the far side of the back rail. Use a piece of string over the front rail to pull this loop fairly tight (and make sure you cover the string as you wind on the warp). So the last wind of the warp will partially cover this loop as it goes over and under the back rail, around the inside of the back leg, and out the side so you can start the weft weaving. This will leave just a little of the loop visible but cover the entire back rail.

I think this is a better way to go, rather than spreading the 1/2" gap evenly across the 13 winds of the warp, which is another alternative. You want to keep your weaving as tight as possible. The third alternative, making 14 winds of the warp, will cause new problems as you start to weave the weft so I would discard this idea right away.

As you weave the weft it will tend to spread the warp out a little anyway. If you have not done this before, it is important, as you weave the weft, to keep pushing it back to keep it parallel with the front and back rails. Otherwise you will have a very hard time with the last two or three rows at the front of the chair.

You could experiment with these ideas by winding on the warp and then weaving a row or two to see how it looks. The nice thing about weaving a seat with shaker tape is that you can take it apart and start again if you don't like things, even a year later.

P.S. The loop idea can also be used to deal with the inevitable spaces on each side of the front rail. The traditional way to deal with this is to back weave tape after you finish,which leaves loose tape in the seat. Instead, sew loop(s) on each side of the front rail before starting the warp. Tie them off with string over the back rail. These loops need to be a little longer, and you will incorporate them into the pattern as you weave the weft.

Re: Shaker Chair Taping?? *LINK*

John McGaw

Do you have any instructional material you are trying to follow? If you don't you might want to take a look at the page linked below.

I've done six 'Shaker' chairs with tape seats -- built from kit rather than from scratch since my lathe isn't big enough to turn the long parts. It is pretty simple and probably the hardest part in my experience is keeping everything tight without severe hand cramps setting in.


Shaker Workshop Taping Instructions

Re: Shaker Chair Taping??

Tom Norton

Larry, I think but am not sure I can picture how to sew on the tape to cover the exposed rail. And John these chairs are kits from Shaker Work Shop. I have read their manual but it does not seem to address this situation. I am going to ho back and re-read it.

Re: Shaker Chair Taping??

Larry Barrett

Tom

Here is a photo of the loops on the front rail. A similar but shorter loop could be placed on the back rail. It would be partially covered by the warp as you wind it on so that only the part covering the back rail will be visible after you start weaving the warp.

Re: Shaker Chair Taping??

Tom Norton

Thanks Larry! A picture IS worth a thousand words!!

OT- Gutter cleaning with should vac??

Tom Norton

Has anyone used the shop vac method with a long want to clean your gutters? Would like to hear more.

Thanks!

That's a long ways from Shaker tape Tom!

Re: That's a long ways from Shaker tape Tom!

Tom Norton

Not sure how that happened!!

But never the less!!

Re: OT- Gutter cleaning with should vac??

JL

IDK if I would do this - mess up a filter w/ damp yucky leaves .

I usually just use a leaf blower for the most part.

Re: OT- Gutter cleaning with should vac??

John Veerkamp

use the shop vac in blower mode if you don't have a leaf blower.

Yes, here is what I learned.

Keith Newton

If the gutters are full, you can’t just jamb it down in there, because it will stop up the end instantly. I found that if I swung the end of the straight tube quickly back and forth slightly above the leaves, it will pick off the top layer in steady manageable stream.

It doesn’t take long to fill up a 16 gallon tub, so I had a box of large construction bags that I stretched over the top of the tub to dump the contents into. It’s nice to not have to go down and clean all the leaves out from on top of and behind the shrubbery.

It’s best to get them soon after they fall, before they get packed and wet.

Pull the rollers off, and take a beveled / triangular board to chock the downhill side so you don’t loose it over the edge.

Re: Yes, here is what I learned.

Kneale Brownson

Couple seasons of doing this and I'd seriously consider those leaf gutter guard products.

Re: Yes, here is what I learned.

Tom Norton

After reading the replies I think I will stick with the ladder and bucket!