Replacing Cord on Danish Side Chairs  

Hmm. I don't know if I've...
Hmm. I don't know if I've seen that exact stuff used that way but I have seen synthetic fabric stretched tight and stapled like that under upholstered seats. If it looks sound, I leave it---if not, I replace it with the closest thing I can find. If it doesn't show, I don't think it's absolutely necessary that it be the same thing. Just has to do the job.
(Yeah, it does look like window screen! I had a whole roll of stuff like that and I gave it away. Now I kinda wish I still had it.)

Thanks Spanky. This...
Thanks Spanky. This material has a small split in it, which I could probably mend if I am unable to find something new. Another material I would not mind finding is the very similar stuff used on upholstered Moller chairs, in lieu of old style webbing. It is also a black vinyl coated woven material, just more closely woven than the stuff pictured above. Seems like great support material, but I just can't find it anywhere.
Edit: Might be the stuff linked below (Phifertex). A different site cited it as being used for sling chairs. It is vinyl coated nylon. It is also sold in a more open weave that looks like window screen.
http://www.beaconfabric.com/cat289.htm

What nails do I use?
Just received my L nails and cord from Frank's Supply, what kind of nails do I need to buy to do the tacking at the beginning and end?

Medium sized upholstery tacks.
Medium sized upholstery tacks.

Thanks!
Thanks Spanky, for all the info.
Another question...I just unwove (is that a word??) my first chair. Wanted to see how it was put together rather than just cut it all off.
I noticed the warp strands and the rail wrap were done in one go, from one piece of cord. The Caner's handbook and other sources say to do the warp strands from one piece then wrap the rail from another piece. Is there any benefit in doing it with just one piece? Is it more difficult to do?
Thanks! Can't wait until I get my first one done. I'm just oiling the frame right now.

I think it's possible to do...
I think it's possible to do it all in one piece IF you know the spacing of the warp strands (front to back). If your cord is exactly the same diameter as the original, then you could try it...but if it were me, I'd be way more comfortable doing it the way the book says. It could be a real pain in the neck to get to the halfway point and realize that your center weft strand isn't right at the center point, y'know? That's a lot of wrapping to undo.

Moeller chair repair instead of reweave?
Hi... I have two teak/cord Moeller chairs to do and was wondering if I could splice new cord onto the old broken cord ends so that my seats would still match the rest of the set in colour... I had thought to unwind each of the ends, apply a dab of white glue and wind each of the ends around each other then maybe wrap a bit of colour-matched sewing thread around the splice part for strength.
I'd appreciate any ideas and thoughts on this project, thanks!

Have decided to take the four...
Have decided to take the four Moller 79 chairs I found on the sidewalk the other day and convert the seats from vinyl to cord. Starting stripping one down yesterday. What a filthy mess...between the burlap/jute webbing, the decomposing padding and foam and the fabric.....lots of superfine brown dust (I think it may be a hardened/powdered foam). Now I have about 10,000 staples of various sizes to remove from every surface of the seat frame. Anybody here done this before? Any advice on the best/most efficient way to go about the process. I thought about leaving the stables in and weaving over them.....this, though, seems like a bit of a cop out and might interfere with the cord/weave?

I have ten upholstered...
I have ten upholstered Moller chairs that I want to convert to cord, and I think the main thing that is making me procrastinate is all the staples that have to be pulled. Hopefully spanky has a perfect tool to suggest, but I think it is going to be a matter of using an awl or sharpened screwdriver tip, etc. to pry up the staples, one by one. I agree that the staples have to go though.

Started working on one this...
Started working on one this morning. Not as bad as I thought-but still a pain in the ass. Using a screwdriver and needle-nose pliers. First I raise the staples with the screwdriver then pull out with the pliers, trying not to break them as I go. I found that lifting them all first, then removing all with pliers seems more efficient/faster than doing lift/pull one by one. Wear gloves and watch your hands. I have two wounds on my left hand already from the screw driver slipping off a staple and flying into the hand holding the frame (both on my palm). After the second time I put on gloves and started to be a bit more careful. Once this is done, I'll likely be back for advise on the proper spacing of the L nails. I'm estimating a completion date on this project of X-mas......2012.

As a matter of fact--
--I do have the perfect staple removing tool. It's called Berry's Staple Remover, mfg. by Berry's Ltd, Lubbock, TX. I can't even say why it's that much better than a screw driver but it IS. Trust me. I weep that I did not have one 20 years/2 billion staples ago.
Site with the puller for a reasonable price:
http://www.perfectproductsonline.com/staplepuller.html
I pull them out part of the way and then finish the job with a pair of diagonal cutting pliers (aka "dykes"), which grip much better and closer than needle nose pliers. You probably already have a pair. The kind with a spring that opens them back up are easier to use than the kind without. Just be careful not to cut the staple when you pull it. It takes a gentle touch.
I do a whole bunch with the puller, then go back with the pliers. It's faster. Also, put on some good music, talk radio, or the TV. Something to engage your brain makes it go faster.
Work away from your body as you pull, of course. You don't want to gouge yourself and get blood on your nice chair.
As for the real Danish nails and not just heavy staples cut in half, they can be had online. I just located a source in PA if you need a lot (link below). They sell 144 for $6, which is a steal. There are other sources that sell way fewer, like ten or twelve nails for $4 or so. I'd go for the big batch since you never know when you're going to need a lot more.
http://catalog.countryseat.com/danishnailspackageof12-1.aspx?MMP=101SOP6...

jesgord
My Moller chairs have 17 nails across the front and back rails each, and 26 on each side rail.
The front and back rails have a nail pretty close the ends (out of the 17, I mean)---like 1/4" from the joint. Maybe 3/8". The center nail in the front is about 1/4" lower than the rest but I think only to mark it as the center nail since you start wrapping from that point.
Just be sure when adding the nails that you don't do them all in a straight line. That will put the wood in danger of splitting.

benttree
Sorry, I didn't see your post until just now.
No, I don't think it's possible to repair this kind of woven seat the way you're suggesting. The paper cord isn't rigid enough to get through the existing spaces in the weave if you want to just replace individual strands. There's also no way it'll match.
You'll also have the problem of the seat continuing to fail. If it's old enough that some strands have broken, then more will soon follow.
Reweaving the entire seat isn't that hard and you'll end up with a new seat that will last a few decades. Or just pay someone to do it and have a chair that you can enjoy.

jesgord, I remember my very first Moller chair took over 8 hours to complete, I got quicker with experience and eventually developed my own system.
Are you brave enough to post some images once they are finished? It would be great to see.

Spanky, THANKS so much for...
Spanky, THANKS so much for the staple puller, danish nail and nail placement/number info. I would have put all the nails in a straight line, without a doubt. I'll definitely post some pictures of the finished product....if I ever finish. Off to order the staple puller right now.