Professionals and Amateurs Together

Writing Surface

Question

What are some good ways to put a writing surface on the inside of the lid of a desk using baize or leather?—Herb Kettler

Answer

Richard Oedel replies: The originals were all done with hot glue from a glue pot – either rabbit, fish or hide. It takes practice to get it right—don’t plan on the first one working correctly. On baize you want just enough glue to get the surface glues, but not enough glue to go through the baize. This also means you cannot put a lot of pressure on the fabric. Both fabric and leather will also stretch some—each hide and fabric is different. So buy about four times what you need and practice first!

Tags: Glue