Thread: Leather insert for computer desk

Originally Posted by Harry72

Leather insert for computer desk... will it last with constant touching?(ie keyboard/mouse area)

Methods of applications?
Would it be better to, make an outer frame and screw a leather covered panel from underneath or glue the leather directly to the top with a small rebate for the edges to finish in?

Seem to remember a project in Aust Woodsmith that used a leather insert. Will try and find it over the weekend and let you know.

Glad to see someone else is asking questions I need answered. Have a beautiful old/antique office desk, the leather/material in it is black and somehow looks like it is all glued onto the ply wood frame insert then screwed into the desk, I was going to recover it, but not until I can find the exact technique that will last & look authentic...I thought of using green swede, but might not ware as well...I'm sure taking the insert to a leather upholster shop might be the best solution.... will be interested in your links to previous idea's.
I have already made two new draw fronts to match used a teak, took some time to find a matching stain then it was a mixture of several to get the similar colour...it looks great. Had wooden shaped handles, but I am sure they were not the originals, still have them but not putting them back on until I can verify in photo's.
Will follow thread eagerly, Thanks.

The leather will be more than resilient enough. Go to a specialist leather supplier and get some advice on the weight and finish.

I'd be inclined to do an insert panel, can't for the life of me remember how they were done in the good old days! Hopefully the article will turn up.

cheers,

P

Hi Harry,

I've never had the luxury of using a leather-topped desk, but I don't see why a good quality leather shouldn't wear and last well. It may need a bit of leather-care applied a few times but I think it would work. The idea of a removeable panel for the leather is a great idea. Leather-care = a leather conditioner and or sealer to protect against dirt, spills etc.

I've seen an old desk with green suede for the top being refurbished. Must confess the suede didn't wear well at all and looked ugly. Not only that the suede isn't easy to keep clean as bits of fluff and paper kinda 'stick' to it making it harder to keep clean than normal desktop leather.

hope this helps

cheers
Wendy

Harry, been right through my Aust Woodsmith, as well as Aust Wood Review, and I can't find the article I remember. Must have seen it somewhere else.

Will let you know when I find it.

Fred

Oh, forgot, there is a vinyl covered computer desk in issue 8, that might give you some ideas.

My experience is limited with leather, I've recovered one black leather armchair. I can say that we have a matching couch of black leather that both children have inundated with cereal milk, peanut butter, cream cheese, and various other non-edible substances and it wipes clean and still looks great. I'd go with your first idea, make a frame with bottom panel, cover a piece of 1/4" hardboard/ply or something, and screw through from the bottom. I'd only worry about getting the corners flat enough so the insert sits flat, they can be tricky. Maybe use an iron to flatten?.

All very interesting!
Its not a project I'll be taking on soon but one day... I just got a plank of wood for the computer currently!

I restored an old public service table/desk. It had a vinyl insert top. The top was solid oak with a tapered 'rebate' 75mm in from the edge, just deep enough that the edge of the vinyl to be flush with the surface. The vinyl was glued down with what seemed to be casien glue.
Jim

Leather comes in different thickness's and grades. When a hide is treated (there is an official word, but i dont remember what it is), it is split into different types, eg top crust upholstery (the best), 2nd and third splits with an artificial fininsh, what my dad calls "bag leather" dwon to the suede cut. So, after all this... we used to use a "bag leather" on table tops, it is thick, cheaper and easy to work with.
Most tables we restored used a rebate around the side down to the thickness of the leather used, some had a beading insert that was psoitioned after the gluing down was done.
We used a contact adhesive, like carsons grip or kwik-grip, but had to make sure there were no lumps or build up underneath. Not sure if this helps....

On another related topic I remember a 7 sided card table we restored, it was painted in peppermint green over the top of about 8-9 coats of other paint after 2 weeks of solid work removing paint we found a very nice red cedar underneath, the leather insert had been removed many years ago, but we replaced it with a nice burgandy one. wish we had taken pics.

I have done a few leather inserts over the years, not many but a few. Most are a frame with a panel insert that is set down the thickness of the leather. The last time I did it (a couple of years ago) I bought a special leather glue from VanDykes (I think that's where I bought it) to adhear the leather to the panel. Over the years I used a razor knife to cut the leather, the last time I used a rotary cutter and that worked much better but it did take number of passes to get a clean cut. Depending on your leather and glue selection, I like to cut it to size before gluing it down. Depending on the type leather, you can stain it if desired. Once the leather is glued down (roll and clamp it overnight), there is a top dressing to apply to it to seal it against stains etc. Sorry but I don't remember what it was and I don't have any left to check a name against.

good luck

Paul

This may be of use
http://antiquerestorers.com/LEATHERinstall.htm

My father used to use vinyl inserts on desks tops. Well, it was the sixties! he used to favour a pale green colour.

He used to cover a ply panel by pulling the vinyl over the top and wrapping it over the sides. He then used to fix a solid wood mitred edging strip around the sides - fixing it to the ply and through the vinyl. He'd then trim off any vinyl sticking through to the underside.