Able to Cane

08/13/2026

Pretty easy to see what I replaced on this chair.
Without a drill press drilling the hole through the wooded balls was a challenge. Otherwise, a pretty straightforward job.

04/15/2026

Very honored to have this article in the Green Bay Press- Gazette.

Bill Seleen of Green Bay would be happy if his business, Able to Cane, had more competition. That’s because chair caning is becoming a dying art and he hopes that others will carry it on.

03/03/2026

A before and after seat replacement for a Thonet style chair. I read somewhere that this is supposed to be the most copied chair design in history.

09/16/2025

While traveling to Virginia to attend my nieces wedding we stopped by the Appomattox National Park. Quite a bit of cane spotting. Especially taken with the chair that Lee sat in when he signed the surrender terms.
The chairs with the rag seats were in the slave quarters behind the farmhouse where the documents were signed.

09/02/2025

An interesting chair. It was brought back from Nicaragua by the customer’s father when he did a missionary trip there. I replaced the seat with natural cane. The back is original and done with plastic cane, and no ‘X’s. Don’t know what kind of wood it is, but very pretty and heavy.

08/10/2025

I had the pleasure of teaching this group Danish Cord weaving at The Clearing in Door County. We had a great two days together in an amazing work space.

07/20/2025

Nice set of fiber rush chairs sent home. While I like doing this style of seat, they are getting harder and harder on my hands.

06/21/2025

Before and after shots of two large porch rockers I just completed. They also show the stand that I built to make the job a little easier.

05/31/2025

This is my take on a stand for porch rockers. I have two to do and thought it was time to build one.
These chairs were so big they wouldn’t fit down the stairs to my shop. Good thing the weather has been great here, I’m working in my garage.

04/16/2025

Repaired two Ypsilanti Reed Furniture Co. chairs for one of my best customers. They were made with very fine gauge fiber rush, not reed.
The customer will be doing the finishing work.
Fun repair. I enjoy something out of the ordinary every once in awhile.