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I have a customer that wants me to tool some leather to attach on the top of a cedar box, what is the best way to attach it. The leather piece will be 10" x 10" and the cedar is approx. 1/2" thick. They also want corner pieces on top and a band around the outside center. It's actually a laundry hamper, so it will be used alot but the leather won't get to much abuse. Any suggestions you have would be great. Thanks in advance, Angel :helpsmilie:

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You can use wood glue, contact cement, or upholstery tacks. Here are some trade-offs to consider:

- Contact cement sticks the best, but you have to position the leather perfectly when laying it down. You don't get a second chance to reposition it.

- Wood glue allows repositioning, and sticks pretty well, assuming it maintains good contact while it's setting. Sometimes it can be difficult to keep enough pressure over the entire area of the leather, while it's setting, to make a good bond.

- Tacks are easy to use, and "stick" as well as anything. You can use an adhesive to hold the leather in position while installing the tacks. Tacks can also add a nice touch to the appearance of the piece, but in some cases, they may not be right for the kind of look you want.

Kate

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When I re-leather desktops I use Thixofix. It's important to ensure that the wood is roughened (with coarse sandpaper) to provide a key for the adhesive.

I 'butter' the wood only with a generous coat of adhesive, and then lay the leather in place. Thixofix has a 'slidability' that will allow for a certain amount of movement of the leather to ensure that it is in the correct position.

When I'm quite sure that the leather is correctly positioned, I roll it over gently (to avoid stretching) with a rubber roller.

It is recommended that Thixofix should be used in a well-ventilated area or out of doors, and away from sources of ignition . . . it is a bit 'fumy'.

I have also used builders' PVA adhesive, which does not have the fume hazard. It works fairly well for this purpose, and is applied in the same way. It does take longer to dry.

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I'd use contact and clamp guide edges to it when mating the surfaces so it's easier to be accurate when placing them. Would definitely do a test piece on a scrap of cedar first tho as the properties of cedar which make it so aromatic and long lasting in weather conditions (the oil) "could" cause adherence problems I'd think - kinda like the fact that it's nearly impossible to get paint to stick to it in an outdoor situation. I would think that glue might have the same difficulty adhering long term.

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When I re-leather desktops I use Thixofix.

Always interested in new products - especially good glues that are more forgiving (slidable ;0)

Unfortunately googling this one comes up with all UK or Euro sites so I'm wondering if we can even get it in the colonies ;0)

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I have a customer that wants me to tool some leather to attach on the top of a cedar box, what is the best way to attach it. The leather piece will be 10" x 10" and the cedar is approx. 1/2" thick. They also want corner pieces on top and a band around the outside center. It's actually a laundry hamper, so it will be used alot but the leather won't get to much abuse. Any suggestions you have would be great. Thanks in advance, Angel :helpsmilie:

Angel (I like the name, . . . ), if you want this to be a permanent job, . . . I would very much recommend the contact cement.

Step 1: Apply it liberally to the cedar, . . . but no puddles, . . . smooth thick coat, . . . and a good coat on the leather.

Step 2: Let both pieces dry. This is EXTREMELY important. You do not want any parts to have any wet faces or wet spots.

Step 3: Place waxed paper between the two pieces (or newspaper).

Step 4: Slide a bit of the newspaper out as you watch the pieces and make minor corrections, . . . before a large part of the surfaces have contacted each other.

Step 5: Use a rolling pin or something similar to "roll" it in place.

Practice putting the leather down before you glue it, . . . and you shouldn't have any trouble. I do this with belts, holsters, pouches, . . . almost anything I make of more than one piece of leather, . . . is contact cemented with Weldwood from Lowes.

Works great, . . . just remember not to use it in an enclosed area or near an open flame.

May God bless,

Dwight

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Angel: Many years ago I did seven leather covered rifle stocks for an individual. To bond the leather to the wood I found that the best bonding agent available was a contact cement that was designed for use in applying 'Formica' or laminate products to counter tops. The brand I used at the time was "GRIP", now off the market due to the volitiles. These stocks were done in the mid-70's and are still tight to the wood. Look around for a good contact cement and be sure that you place the leather properly ---- there is NO forgiveness in that sort of stuff. I include a couple of pics of a partially completed stock, (if the pic thing works). Forgive the poor quality of the pics, they are a digital taken of an old 35mm photo. Mike

022.jpg

018a.jpg

021.jpg

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Step 3: Place waxed paper between the two pieces (or newspaper).

Step 4: Slide a bit of the newspaper out as you watch the pieces and make minor corrections, . . . before a large part of the surfaces have contacted each other.

Now, there is something I never thought to try. That would give you a lot more control over the bonding process while you're positioning it. Excellent tip, Dwight! Thanks for sharing that.

Kate

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