The cost of jobs is readily determined, for the amount and cost of webbing is easily ascertained, and experience soon determines the length of time required. Cane webbing costs approximately as follows: For 12 in. widths, 21 cents; 14 in. widths, 26 cents; 16 in. widths, 30 cents; and 18 in. widths, 38 cents. This cost applies to open woven and is the charge per running foot. Close woven is sold by the square foot at about 30 cents, regardless of width. It is possible to procure special wide widths, but these are not generally found on the open market.
FIG. 27. OPEN AND CLOSE WOVEN CANE.
FIG. 28. THE SEAT FRAME WITH WEBBING AND TOOLS.
For example, a chair seat which requires a 12 in. square of open woven webbing, and which has the groove made, may be reseated for 50 cents. The entire job could be finished in about half an hour. This may be made less if several chairs are to be reseated at a time. However, it may be termed the minimum charge consistent with fair money returns. There are instances when the seat frame requires grooving, and inasmuch as running it in by hand is a laborious and tedious process the worker must of necessity carefully estimate time before he determines upon charge.
The Process.—The following may be termed the steps in inserting cane webbing. No special difficulty should be encountered in properly seating the frame at the first attempt.
Step 1. [Fig. 28] shows a commercial chair seat with groove cut by a router after it has been assembled. There are no angles on the seat. The groove is standard, with dimensions ¼ in. deep and ³⁄16 in. wide. This groove may be cut by hand with a universal plane and chisel before permanently assembling the parts. In fact this is a necessary procedure in grade schools and other schools where special machine tools are unavailable. The necessary tools for pressing in the webbing lie near the frame, [Fig. 28]. These are a small mallet, a chisel, and several hard wood wedges. The wedges are made in several widths, to enable them to enter the groove at the abrupt curves, are 4 in. long of ¼ in. stock, tapered to ⅛ in. on the faces.