Replies

1. 
   RMillard | Dec 02, 2004 05:31am | #1

   Constantine's, Van Dyke's Restorers and I believe White Chapel sell desk top leather. I'm sure there are others, and I seem to recall a place named Muirs ( spelling ?) that also sold leather. When I have used leather I glued it down with wallpaper paste. It is the cutting that scares me, I check and recheck, then pray, and cut using the sharpest knife I have. It is best to cut it ever so slightly oversized and kind of roll the edge of the leather into surrounding wood.
   Rob Millard

2. 
   KeithNewton | Dec 02, 2004 06:17am | #2

   I had a leather shop back in my hippie days. It glues well with contact. Since you are going to be gluing it to something anyway, can you plan it so that you can glue it to something like 1/4" MDF which is cut to perfectly fit the opening. Then glue it, and cut it from the back side using the MDF edge as a guide. If you are pressing it down to another smooth surface, and have a sharp edge, it should fit as well as the panel does.
   If you try to cut raw leather to fit the opening you will have to deal with stretching and bunching.
   i would plan to have the top surface end up about 1/16" below the wood top, so that you can sand the edge a little so that it slightly rounds down to the leather
   I think the last time. I may have used the spray contact, and it seems like I needed to spray a little closer and wetter than normal to get the glue a little deeper into the nap of the suede side.
   Test with a scrap before you commit. and Good Luck

1. 
   Patto | Dec 03, 2004 03:45am | #6

   The trouble with using contact is that there is no room for error if you coat both sides. The trouble with PVA is that the glue penetrates the hide and can make it pretty stiff, even seeping through hidden imperfections (leather is just as beautifully imperfect as wood). You can do a 'recoverable' glue with contact by only coating one side of the joint. It needs to be the leather rather than the wood and a little more generous than if you were coating both sides. Make sure that you dont stretch the eather during the glue spread.

   I have not done a desktop, but have done leather upholstery on cars. There is a technique using a long piece of wood like a veneer hammer (longer than the piece is wide). Set one edge in place with the remainder laid back over the stick. Slowly work the stick across the piece to keep the leather flat, fingers gently under the foldback to make sure of even contact. Keep the foldback without tension because you dont want to unduly stretch the leather. (this technique also works for plastic 'contact' on large sheets such as maps)

   If it were me, I would trim the leather after gluing. I would place a piece of cardboard (cereal box or shirt cardboard) on the surface just in case and line the straight edge up with the frame. Firm pressure on the straight edge will reduce the risk of bunching the glued area.

   A new stanley knife will cut the thickness effectively, the traditional round knife used in leather (saddlery) trades is not as effective on very thin leathers because it tends to drag and takes some practice to keep straight. I had not thought of one of those rotary cutters - sounds pretty good.

   Leather is expensive. Simple felt has almost the same stretching and bubbling problems when glued, as does the thin stretch vinyl used in automotive upholstery. You might like to do a practice run with that to get a feel of handling the bulk involved in your project. I dont know about US sources, but there is a brand "connelly hides" used by Rolls Royce which is very good quality, suitable weight, and comes in a lot of colours. In Australia, although it is imported (what a waste when we have so much of our own) it is cost competetive. Also, the Pommes dont tend to have so many barbed wire scars. 

   I have read that you can decorate with ordinary gold leaf and a suitable stamp, such as used for leather work. You migh have to heat the stamp a bit and I have not done this. The leather is too thin for effective ordinary carving, and stamping risks penetrating / bruising the substrate if done after the application.

   It is not as difficult as this blurb suggests, really.

   Edited 12/2/2004 7:45 pm ET by Patto

1. 
   KeithNewton | Dec 03, 2004 05:19am | #7

   No it really isn't that hard. I have never had any problem with wrinkles when I lay the panel onto the back of the leather which is laying face down

1. 
   Patto | Dec 03, 2004 05:50am | #8

   True, I have had to do some concave curves (inside the rear area of an old MGTF), but i have yet to see a hollow desk top.

   Do you bevel the edge of the substrate around the covered area?

3. 
   301 | Dec 02, 2004 09:07am | #3

   To cut it get one of those rotary knives that they sell at craft stores.  They will slice it like butter and follow a straight edge, no problem.

4. 
   user-5880422 | Dec 02, 2004 08:06pm | #4

   there was an article about this recently, lot's of good tips. I'll try to find it for you.

   The best tip was to use diluted glue with a band of full strength around the perimeter. As the glue cures, the water evaporates and pulls tight the leather, according to the author.

1. 
   rjpwood | Dec 03, 2004 04:46pm | #9

   thanks for the info. i renenber finewoodworking having an article but could not find it in archives. if you see it let me know. i'll be building the top w/ a solid maple frame w/ leather inserts on a panel that will be mounted from the back side. should be easier to trim up the leather after glueing. it entails 2 L shaped counters about 11' by 6'. should be fun

   thanks all

   rj

5. 
   joinerswork | Dec 02, 2004 08:51pm | #5

   rj,

   You've got a couple ways to go.

   As Rob M mentioned, you can order from a mail order place, (oversize) and cut to fit a recess in your top.  In addition to wallpaper paste, I've used yellow glue, spread the leather out, and ironed it down using a warm, not hot, clothes iron.  In spreading the leather into place, you want to remove all the wrinkles, but don't stretch it.  Sometimes you need to spread it out beforehand to relax if it's been folded instead of being rolled up.

   The other option is to glue the leather to a panel that's inset into a rabbetted frame.  Make allowance for the thickness of the leather in the length and width of the panel, as well as the offset of the rabbet.  This way, instead of having to size the edges of the leather exactly, it can be trimmed where it won't show, at the bottom of the rabbet.  The only tricky part is splitting and folding RIGHT at each corner.  Hammer the doubled  thickness down thin.

   Leather may also be obtained therough an upholstery shop.  You'll have to order at least 1/2 a hide, but will have more choice in color, texture, etc.  Costly either way, though.

   Regards,

   Ray