The Creation of Rattan wicker furniture

One thing to note first when it comes to rattan wicker furniture is that this phrase is consisted of three words, where rattan stands for the material, wicker stands for the weaving process and furniture stands for the final product. There are a lot of terms in this handcraft industry so that understand this term, and also other terms, can be very helpful for general consumers, who mostly do not have sufficient knowledge about the creation process of the products as well as the level of craftsmanship necessary to perform the creation.

The creation of the rattan wicker furniture is started with the selection of the material. There are three most well known types of the material, namely the skin, peel and stick, but there are still many other types like the core. Each types needs different details in the creation process but basically the work flows are not different too much. In the creation process with the core as the material, the main pole is being cut through the inside into small pieces, each with diameter enough for the weaving process. This stage can result in discoloration or split but this is to be expected and can add to the uniqueness and beauty of the handcrafted products. The next step is intended to make the material more pliable and easier for bending. For this, the pieces are placed in a steam box. The pieces are then bent to fit with the jig when they are still hot. After the shaped pieces were cooled down, the shape will be permanent and form the rattan wicker furniture as general consumers know it. These shaped pieces, or poles, are then assembled with straight poles, which are contoured to fits the joints according to the design. To add the necessary strength for the parts where the pieces meet, manufacturer may wrap these parts with wicker, peel or leather bindings.

When the above process had been completed, the manufacturer applies combinations of alcohol base stains and latex. These combinations are meant to achieve a homogeneous finish. In this stage, the manufacturer pays special attention, often painstakingly, to prepare and sand each piece to get a clean and smooth surface. After this finishing process, the creation process is actually had been completed. The result is the products that general consumers know as rattan wicker furniture. The details of the process may be different when making chairs with cushions or other innovative design but the basic process is similar.