Furniture and Furnishings - Roll top desk repair

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CaroleMiller
12-15-08, 12:27 PM
I have a 25 year old oak roll top desk. The slats have fallen off of the canvas on the roll top. How do I remove the roll top portion of the desk and repair (reglue) the slats onto the canvas?

the_tow_guy
12-15-08, 03:11 PM
It's done from behind; remove the back and it should be pretty self-explanatory from there. I don't know how hard it will be to reattach the backing. The alternative is to replace it which isn't cheap. Here's some sample materials:

Oak Tambour - Rockler Woodworking Tools (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=4968&filter=tambour)
Cable Tambour - Rockler Woodworking Tools (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=4970)
George
12-17-08, 09:26 AM
VanDykes sells the tambour cloth and adhesive. Assuming the slats are in good shape I would strongly suggest replacing the cloth and using new adhesive.

the_tow_guy
12-17-08, 04:18 PM
Is that just plain vanilla contact cement on the canvas-type, George? :confused: I have the cable-type at the roll-top computer desk I'm sitting at (my design/construction) and I really like it.
George
12-19-08, 05:45 AM
The glue looks like Elmers white glue, but is specifically formulated for the canvas/slat combination.

Shelf life after opening is six months + or -.