Leather Bonding

• 1). Run the point of a toothpick around the edges of the leather desk top. Look for loose edges or corners and determine if any part of the leather has separated from the surface of the desk. Insert a toothpick under the leather at sections that need repair. The toothpicks make it easier to locate these areas at a future time.
  
  
• 2). Lift loose sections of leather with a palette knife. Check to see if flakes of old glue remain on the surface of the wood. Chisel away pieces of dried glue with a flat-head screwdriver. Do not detach any leather from the desk top but remove the remnants of old glue with fine grit sandpaper. Use an emery board to sand tight, hard to reach, areas. Break off a small piece of board and place it over stubborn flecks of glue. Move it back and forth with your fingertip and eliminate powdery debris from the glue with a puff of canned air.
  
  
• 3). Apply white glue to the underside of any loose leather. Use as few drops as possible and spread them out with a toothpick. Lay the leather flat and apply approximately five seconds of pressure with the heel of your hand to bond the leather to the desk. Stack a few books on large sections of freshly glued leather and leave them in place for an hour; the combined weight of the books will keep the leather from curling or lifting while the glue dries.
  
  

Leather Cleaning

• 1). Press masking tape around the perimeter of the leather top to protect the wood finish. Fold a lint free cloth into a square pad that you can easily manage in your hand. Dampen the pad with fresh water and rub the wet pad across the surface of saddle soap two or three times.
  
  
• 2). Wipe the surface of the leather, in four-inch diameter circles, without applying a great deal of pressure to your soapy pad. Work from left to right across the surface of the leather. Keep refreshing your pad with water and soap. Continue in this fashion until you finish the entire leather top. The procedure will leave a very light haze on the leather.
  
  
• 3). Buff the leather with another lint free cloth. Work your way from left to right, in small circles, until you remove all the haze left from the saddle soap. Very dirty leather may need a second, and sometimes a third, application of saddle soap. Allow the leather to dry thoroughly, about six hours, between saddle soap treatments.
  
  

Leather Conditioning

• 1). Warm three ounces of anhydrous lanolin in a microwave and pour it into a container with a screw top. Add four ounces of neat’s-foot oil and secure the top to the container; shake well.
  
  
• 2). Dip your fingertips into the mixture and rub it into the leather in circular patterns. Work from left to right and from top to bottom.Treat the entire leather desktop in this fashion.
  
  
• 3). Buff the leather, briskly, with another clean rag. The combination of the lanolin and oil will bring a soft luster to the desktop while it restores and preserves the antique leather. Remove the masking tape from around the leather desktop.
  
  

Leather Maintenance

• 1). Position your leather desktop in a location out of direct sunlight. Sunshine that comes through a window can make the leather fade and dry out.
  
  
• 2). Dust your antique leather desktop daily. Use a wand-type duster or wipe the top of your desk with a lint-free cloth. Excessive dust impairs the luster of the leather.
  
  
• 3). Treat the leather desktop with the anhydrous lanolin and neat’s-foot oil mixture twice a year. Buff the surface well after each treatment. Antique leather desktops stain easily. Avoid setting cups, beverage glasses, or plants on the surface of your desktop.