While reeds and inner hickory bark shrink in drying, they will shrink mostly in width and not much in length. Therefore it is necessary to pull all strands, both in wrapping and in weaving, rather tight at all times. Only by doing this will the worker be assured of an ultimately taut seat. This applies also to the Indian splints now to be discussed. As fiber is woven practically dry it needs to be pulled particularly tight.
Indian Splints.—[Fig. 61] shows a group of stools and a waste basket constructed in eighth grade shops. The tops of the stools and the panels of the basket are woven of hickory splints ½ in. in width. A variety of patterns is shown, and these will suggest other ones. One of the stools has turned posts and the splints are carried over the sides of the rails. With slight modification of the structure, the sides might be woven in a similar manner to the top. The panels of the basket were woven over a separate frame, then they were cut to fit the frames of the basket, and finally tacked on the frames. The edges of the splints were covered with thin wood strips held in place with brads. These panels should be inserted and secured while damp to assure proper tautness, and to prevent as far as possible splitting the ends of the splints in tacking them to the frames.
FIG. 61. GROUP OF STOOLS. TOPS WOVEN WITH INDIAN SPLINTS.
It is not advisable to tack splints onto seat frames, either as an insert or slip seat, or on the rails of the structure itself. The splints split easily when tacked, the strands are bound to pull loose, and the seats break down under continued use. On such articles as waste baskets, boxes, screens and the like, tacking the panels in place is necessary and proper, for no appreciable wear or service comes to them. The weaving on seats needs to be continuous over and under the frame.
FIG. 62. METHOD OF FASTENING ONE STRAND TO ANOTHER.
When a strand of usual length has been wrapped about the rails of the seat a second strand needs to be added to continue the wrapping. Tacking the strands to the under side of the rails, as in the case of reeds, cannot be resorted to with splints for the reasons just explained. Therefore some method of fastening strands to each other is necessary. [Fig. 62] is a freehand sketch showing a good method. As indicated, a small rectangular piece is cut out of the used strand at B, one inch from the end. A chisel or chip carving knife is good for the purpose. Cut across the grain of the wood first to avoid splitting the splint. The end of the new strand A is notched as shown an inch back from the end, and is then inserted thru B and the two strands thus secured. All subsequent strands are secured in the same manner.