If a furniture cushion is of an odd size which cannot be matched with a factorymade cushion, this oneinchthick padding can sometimes be used to build up an undersized foam rubber cushion to the desired dimensions. The padding can be stuck to the cushion unit with any adhesive suitable for use on rubber. Partial Recovering. The fabric covering on the tops of the arms of overstuffed furniture is likely to receive the most abuse and to wear out first. It is often possible to cut the threads or remove the tacks holding the outside back, so that it can be removed and used as replacement material for the worn arms. A plain fabric of the same general color can be used to replace the outside backpiece, where it will probably remain unnoticed, particularly if the chair or sofa is located against a wall. The same procedure can be followed in the case of a wornout or badly stained cushion. UPHOLSTERY AND SEAT WEAVING 377 seat weaving Caning. The hand weaving of caned seats, backs, and other parts of furniture is rather a tedious process, involving the boring of a series of evenly spaced holes around the frame of the opening. The actual caning operation requires six weaving steps, plus the application of a binder. The cane, which is imported from India, Ceylon, China, the Indian Archipeligo and the Malay Peninsula, is soaked in warm water before it is used, and must be kept tightly strung throughout the weaving, by means of removable pegs thrust through the holes. Although the popularity of caning as a decorative effect declined sharply at the turn of the century, many households retain examples of handsome caned pieces. Nowadays the repair of seats which were formerly handcaned has become a relatively simple operation through the use of machinewoven cane webbing. Procurable in various widths and lengths, the webbing can be chosen in plain or diagonal weaves, open or close woven. Replacing Cane Webbing. Machinewoven cane webbing is anchored to the seat or back of a piece of furniture by a spline glued into a groove that parallels the opening. Its replacement is not difficult provided the spline is carefully removed by softening the glue with water. Assuming that a satisfactory gluing job was originally performed, and the spline remains solidly in place regardless of broken strands of cane, it will probably be necessary to cut a V groove in the top of the spline to retain the water, which should be allowed to remain there overnight, (see Figure 6.26). Naturally the seat or chair back must be blocked up so that the grooved spline is in a horizontal position. The water should be renewed if necessary, for it should not be allowed to dry out until the glue has softened. One end of each segment of the spline can then be prized out with an icepick or other sharppointed tool, in order to release the old webbing. Prefabricated webbing comes in rolls of indefinite length, 8 to 12 in. wide. The new piece Fig. 6.26.