Moller is easier
Cedara: Moller style, with the L nails, is easier, because you don't have to pass a bundle of cord around and around the chair when you do the weft.
Both look nearly identical doing the warp.
But with the weft, Moller style, the cord sits in the box with a hole cut in the top, with the cord coming off the inside of the roll, and you take a bend in the cord, weave it across the chair, catch the bend on the nail, pull tight, catch the cord on the opposite nail, and repeat. You are weaving two lengths of cord at a time this way. And you never have to measure or cut the cord until you finish the weft.
I agree, the Mollers
would be easier to do, so start with them.
I think the hardest part is wrapping the rails neatly and as tightly as possible, cramming in those last few wraps at the end. And making sure you don't do any overlaps or twists anywhere, and making yourself undo the weave and fix any thing you miss! I hated having to do that when I first started and in fact I did skip fixing some overlaps on an early chair or two that I still have. Someday I'll redo those chairs. It only shows when you turn it over, but still.
Now I'm in the habit of feeling each wrap as I do it to make sure it's right. Also, I have learned the hard way to rotate the spool of cord as I weave, so that it doesn't get so tightly twisted that it doubles over on itself. I used to spend a lot of time undoing those kinks.
I just came across this...
I just came across this video series on youtube, which may be of interest to those doing rush style woven seats on Wegner chairs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az5fjeRdt3A
spacing of L-nails
Hi, I'm not sure if it is appropriate to post on to the end of this thread, but along with part I, it seems to cover a lot of ground.
I am cording a new bench (I made it so there are no existing nail holes), and I'm wondering about the spacing of the L-nails. I borrowed an example of cording from a friend which has the nails spaced at about 1" apart, perhaps a bit more. (It would have been a good idea to sort this out before I designed the bench, I know) The best spacing that I am able to configure is 1-1/8". Can anyone comment on whether this might result in a weave that is too loose? Is there a magic number for this? I am using Danish cord.
Many thanks!
That should work ok.
The nails on the side rails should be much closer, more like 1/2" apart. Most of them have two loops of cord on them and some will have three.
I would just do the front-to-back strands with less slack rather than more. That would help to make up for the slightly wider spacing, I think.
This may go without saying, b...
This may go without saying, but make sure when you do hammer in your nails, that you don't put them in a straight line. I started doing this on the first Moller chair I re-wove and realized that the rail was starting to split. Never made that mistake again.
Keep in mind that you need an...
Keep in mind that you need an Odd number of nails for the warp strands on the front and back rails (the first strands that are done on a chair or bench). Most Moller dining chairs have either 19 nails for the warp strands, or 17. I do not know why the factory varied the number. If you do a chair with 17, this puts the nails at about 1 inch apart on the front rail. If the chair has 19 nails, it is about 7/8 of an inch between each nail on the front rail. Since you use an odd number of nails for the warp strands, this gives you a nail that lands right in the middle of the rail. So, be sure to start from the center of the rail when laying out where your nails go, to be sure you get one right in the center.
My Moller long bench has nails that are spaced at about 1" apart, although it actually may be a little more than 1". For your bench you will still need to figure it out mathematically so you end up with an odd number of nails.
As spanky said, the nails on the side rails are about 1/2" apart.
no nails on the side rails...
Thanks for your response. You mention that the nails on the side rails should be closer together... The sample that I have does not have any nails on the side rails. The start of the cord is tacked, and then it just wraps. Is there something wrong with this?
Thanks
[I apologize if you read this a few moments ago--it looks like I have my answer about the odd number of nails in the intervening posts--thanks!]
If an even number of nails...
If an even number of nails is used for the warp, then yes, it will result in the weft weaving Under the warp on one side of the bench, and Over the warp on the other end of the bench. Most people must find this effect disconcerting, since all the weaving instructions one sees for cord, rattan, etc, makes a point of wanting both sides of the chair, bench, etc., to be the same. It would be especially noticeable on a chair seat if it was not the same on both sides.
Loutro
You can wrap the side rails instead of using nails but you'll have to weave with a finite (cut) length of cord rather than pulling off the spool as you go. This is because you have to pull the entire length around the side rail before weaving it back across the seat. It takes longer and you have to be careful to keep your hank of cord from getting tangled as you weave and wrap, but other than that it is not really any harder to do.
My current method of keeping the cord neat is to do a hank that is about 14-16" long, secured in the middle with a heavy rubber band. I can pull a loop or two out at a time without the whole thing getting messed up. As the hank thins out, I redo the rubber band so that it's snug. Works pretty well if I'm careful. (I have no desire to spend 3/4 of my weaving time undoing tangles, which is what used to happen. Ugh.)
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