Cutting groove in of webbing should be soaked in warm water until spline, thoroughly pliable, so that when it shrinks in position it will dry out drum tight. A paper pattern aids in cutting the new piece of webbing, so that its front edge will be parallel with the horizontal line of the mesh. A hardwood wedge, a heavy bent wire, or the back of a curved upholstery needle can be used to press the flexible edges of the webbing into the groove. The ragged edges of the cane can then be cut off with a chisel and mallet, or trimmed off with a sharp knife after the spline is in place. Wedgeshaped hickory splines are obtainable from the same sources as the Webbing. Unless the opening is round, or the corners of the groove are curved, 378 FURNITURE MAKING AND CABINET WORK the four splines should be carefully measured and mitered at the corners to insure a snug, neat fit. Liquid glue will give the amateur more time to apply the splines and tap them into place. Although the glue may be run into the groove and its webbing, less spattering will occur if it is applied directly to the splines. The spline along the front edge is inserted first and tapped into position with a plasticfaced mallet, or a wooden wedge to prevent marring; then the rear is splined, to draw the webbing taut, after which the side splines are installed. For a rounded groove the spline should be first soaked in hot water until it can be bent. Rush Weaving. The renewal of interest in Early American and Colonial furniture and accessories has automatically revived the craft of rush weaving The use of woven rushes for the seats of stools and chairs in England after 1720, as a utilitarian, rather than as a decorative measure, was adopted by Colonial cabinetmakers. That it has since been employed harmoniously in modern furniture is but proof of its functionalistic appeal. Rush. Chairmaker's rush is twisted from waterloving plants, such as flags and cattails. Gathered in the middle of August as the leaf tips begin to turn brown, the leaves are tied in loose bundles and dried in a darkened room. Before being used, they are soaked in warm water for eight or ten hours, and the stiff butt ends cut off from the base. One, two, or three leaves are then twisted in one direction to form long, smooth strands for weaving. A very satisfactory substitute for the genuine rush is manufactured from machinetwisted paper in the form of an art fiber cord. Obtainable in various sizes and colors, it is an excellent medium for the amateur chairweaver because it comes in continuous lengths, either in ilb cartons or 25lb rolls. A pound of the ioin. size will measure approximately 280 ft. For the ladderback or Mexican sidechair seat described in Chapter 2 (pp. 1089), about 3 lb will be required. Another excellent material for rush weaving is Hong Kong marsh grass. This is also twisted into continuous hanks weighing from 3 to 4 lb, up to %cin. diameter. Weaving technique. Rush weaving is a simple operation requiring no special tools.