phenol impermeable material to facilitate subsequent bonding of only the fiber ends to one another 8 provide each of the treated and coated fibers with uncoated end surfaces by cutting off both ends of each fiber to produce individual treated and coated fiber elements of the desired length e g a cut length of approximately one centimeter it will be appreciated that although the cuts shown in the drawing figures are oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fiber parallel cuts may be made at any desired angle to the fiber 39 s axis to increase the available bonding area and to minimize alignment problems between the fiber 39 s free ends after curling 9 immersing the treated coated and cut fibers in a second and more concentrated phenol solution preferably having a strength on the order of about twenty percent to soften the exposed cut ends of each of the fibers 10 juxtaposing said fibers in a predetermined orientation in a high viscosity fluid medium such as vaseline and 11 subjecting said fibers to heat sufficient to cause said fibers to assume a predetermined curled and interlocked conformation with their opposing cut ends substantially in contact with one another and under slight pressure whereby said opposing ends which have been softened by exposure to said concentrated phenol solution are bonded to one another to form a permanent structure as.