I'm not sure if this has been asked. I'm on the home stretch for completing 2 jewelry boxes and I want to add some color & texture to the inside of the boxes. I'm looking at flocking kits. Woodcraft & Rockler sells flocking kits that come with 3 oz. of fibers and color matched adheasive. How far will 3 oz. go to get good even coverage?

The inside dimensions of the 2 boxes are 6.5" width X 11.5" longth X 2.25" deep.

What are your impressions of the flocking process? It looks to be a simple process. What techniques do you use to make this a sucess? I don't want to cut and glue in felt or velvet but I will if flocking is to big of a pain.

Thanks for any insight you guys can lend! 

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www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

Mike,

According this site- https://www.craftflocking.com/index.php?pr=Buy_Flocking 1 oz. covers about 3 sqft. I have never tried it but it looks like it must not be too difficult by watching some of the You Tube videos.

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Yep it does look easy and I finaly read what the coverage was so I'll try it on one of the boxes and see how well it works. Thanks for the link Lewis.

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www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

Mike,

I use it a lot on band saw boxes. Mine comes from Donjer. It's very easy to apply. Mask off before applying the adhesive. 

If you really want felt and it's going on a flat surface, try cutting a card stock or paper pad back to the shape, then applying the felt to that and sliding it in. Glue it down if you like. Same process for the sides.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Thanks Gene. I've used the felt or velvet method before and I may have to again this time because there is up to a week of cure time and I'm already a few days late in sending these boxes out. I will have to try this stuff out soon. I like the idea of a seamless appearance you get from the flocking.

Gene Howe said:

Mike,

I use it a lot on band saw boxes. Mine comes from Donjer. It's very easy to apply. Mask off before applying the adhesive. 

If you really want felt and it's going on a flat surface, try cutting a card stock or paper pad back to the shape, then applying the felt to that and sliding it in. Glue it down if you like. Same process for the sides.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

 Most of the vocational  box makers  I know who  have tried those spray brush on sprinkle on   flocking- like treatments ended up hating them because the stuff precipitates  off the surfaces into the box and drawers and makes a mess that their customers end up unhappy about.    It just doesn't wear well.

Rockler also sells a self adhesive velvet

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=9852

Which I think would do very nicely using the  single sheet of cardboard approach.

Consider using velvet and very stiff paper like this: ( http://www.dickblick.com/products/stonehenge-paper/ ) or a just use very thin  cardboard. It's easier than one might  imagine:

1) Make a little box from scrap (you can just nail it together) that just fits inside the drawer or box you want to line with  snug room for 4 layers of velvet and 4 pieces of cardboard.  There is no cardboard for the bottom of the drawer or box; just the sides.

2) Wrap the velvet around that scrap box  folding and wrapping the corners so that you have no cuts in the piece of cloth at the corners.  Use weldwood or rubber cement to secure the corner folds together and either tape it  till cured.

3) Leave sufficient cloth so that you can wrap a lip over the cardboard sides. This will make the pleasant transition in your drawer and hide the cardboard

4) cut some cardboard to fit the sides.  You'll need four pieces that are cut to lie against the sides of the box or drawer to be lined. They should touch at the edges like any good joinery as little gaps will be slightly noticeable.   Make 'em just shy of the top so the velvet, when wrapped over them, doesn't interfere with the function of the box lid or sliding action of the drawer.

5) flip the scrap box wrapped in velvet  so that the bottom sheet of velvet is laying on your work surface.  Use  cement to adhere the 4 cardboard pieces to the velvet  and wrap a lip of cloth over the top edge of the cardboard registering them against the work surface.

6) clamp lightly till cement is cured.   Do not use too much cement anywhere as you don't want  bleed through (which would ruin your work).  You are only securing cloth to cardboard so  be sparing.

7) install in the drawer or box using any glue that works between the cardboard and the drawer of box. If you have finished the insides of the box or drawer this may force your glue choice.

You can use a single sheet of cardboard too  and the Rockler  self adhesive velvet would work nicely with it  cut  the cardboard like this:

I use 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch foam and measure each side out and cut foam.

then i use 3m spray adhesive spray the foam, put on velvet, then spray back side and wrap velvet around edge of foam so it rounds the edges.

Then stick them in.

I was looking at cliffs post and you could do that with foam instead of cardboard for a more pro padded look.

Yep both sounds good for different effects. I'll have to experament. Thanks guys for all the ideas and input.

---

www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

Suede makes a nice lining material too.  Ya gotta use acid free vegetable tanned suede. Otherwise it will tarnish everything.

Cliff and Dragon's ideas are great. I'm going to use both on the next box. 

Cliff, Acid tanned leather takes the bluing off guns, too. I can't understand why holster makers use it, though. I had a devil of a time trying to find veggie tanned suede for a French fit presentation box. Finally found some in a scrap bin at a Tandy's store. Do you know of a place that stocks it regularly....in less than full hide quantities?

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Do you know of a place that stocks it regularly....in less than full hide quantities?

Enter the search terms:  Acid Free Leather  into google.  I am sure I've seen it on the Flea Bay.

I can't understand why holster makers use it, though.

I am pretty sure the Gum Traganth used to treat the inside of the holster  has a higher pH than the leather.  Any decent holster maker will also apply a sealer which  will also protect the gun as well as prevent  any stains or dyes from bleeding.  Plus the leather is  cooked at about  150 F for a while after the boning is done which may neutralize some of the organic acids and of course lots of holster makers use a lining which would protect the gun. 

What most people don't know  is that acid free leather is not actually produced in any special process.  You simply can not convert  animal skin to leather without acids. There is chrome tanning which is the most efficient and commonly used,  and vegetable tanning which makes for a softer leather, the less well known Iron tanning which is pretty uncommon and  there is even a tanning process that uses acrylics and methyl merthaculates  All use substantial amounts of  various acids. The acid is part of the chemistry that cause a molecular change in the proteins that make up animal skin.   They also protect the leather from fungal and bacterial attack  preserving it better into the future.

Acid Free leather is  leather that has been through a very extensive acid  removal and neutralization process.

There is also the question of what - exactly - is meant by the phrase "acid free."   In truth it  usually just merely means materials that are stabilized so they will resist  self decomposition over time.

Alkaline environments can destroy  tanned leather. A pH  above 6 will  cause brittle hardened  leather if it is mineral (chrome) tanned as these leathers are normally a pH of  3.0 to 5.0 which by any one's standard is pretty acid.   A pH of 5 will strip copper from pipes at a very accelerated rate. 

Flocking is really easy and a little goes a long ways.  You have to watch where you put that glue.  I've use it and didn't really like it.  I use the pressure sensitive velvet now.  I like it better that anything else I have used..

Thanks for the info, Cliff.

Cliff said:

Do you know of a place that stocks it regularly....in less than full hide quantities?

Enter the search terms:  Acid Free Leather  into google.  I am sure I've seen it on the Flea Bay.

I can't understand why holster makers use it, though.

I am pretty sure the Gum Traganth used to treat the inside of the holster  has a higher pH than the leather.  Any decent holster maker will also apply a sealer which  will also protect the gun as well as prevent  any stains or dyes from bleeding.  Plus the leather is  cooked at about  150 F for a while after the boning is done which may neutralize some of the organic acids and of course lots of holster makers use a lining which would protect the gun. 

What most people don't know  is that acid free leather is not actually produced in any special process.  You simply can not convert  animal skin to leather without acids. There is chrome tanning which is the most efficient and commonly used,  and vegetable tanning which makes for a softer leather, the less well known Iron tanning which is pretty uncommon and  there is even a tanning process that uses acrylics and methyl merthaculates  All use substantial amounts of  various acids. The acid is part of the chemistry that cause a molecular change in the proteins that make up animal skin.   They also protect the leather from fungal and bacterial attack  preserving it better into the future.

Acid Free leather is  leather that has been through a very extensive acid  removal and neutralization process.

There is also the question of what - exactly - is meant by the phrase "acid free."   In truth it  usually just merely means materials that are stabilized so they will resist  self decomposition over time.

Alkaline environments can destroy  tanned leather. A pH  above 6 will  cause brittle hardened  leather if it is mineral (chrome) tanned as these leathers are normally a pH of  3.0 to 5.0 which by any one's standard is pretty acid.   A pH of 5 will strip copper from pipes at a very accelerated rate.