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Author Topic: Desk Kilowatt  (Read 10886 times)
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Detroit47
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« on: April 20, 2017, 06:51:18 PM »

Does anyone have any idea where I could obtain the vinyl like material on the top of the desk. I have finally found an original desk to go with my Kilowatt. The desk is in good shape with the exception of the top. The material seems to have dried out and is a little sad. 'Very sad' It looks easy enough to replace but where do I get it. The desk looks to me like it was made by Steelcase. But I need to research that.

Thanks John N8QPC
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KL7OF
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« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2017, 08:08:51 PM »

It is desk top linoleum....I don't have a source...  gud luk

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WO4K
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« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2017, 09:12:01 PM »

Google: Forbo Desktop or Marmoleum.

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W3GMS
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« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2017, 09:41:51 PM »

Does anyone have any idea where I could obtain the vinyl like material on the top of the desk. I have finally found an original desk to go with my Kilowatt. The desk is in good shape with the exception of the top. The material seems to have dried out and is a little sad. 'Very sad' It looks easy enough to replace but where do I get it. The desk looks to me like it was made by Steelcase. But I need to research that.

Thanks John N8QPC

If you find something which is close to the original material please let me know.  I am currently restoring my JDK and it too needs the new top material. 

Joe-W3GMS
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Detroit47
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« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2017, 10:02:55 PM »

Google: Forbo Desktop or Marmoleum.



Well that was too easy I thank you very much.

http://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-au/products/marmoleum/furniture-linoleum/furniture-linoleum-new/bnjju6
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W3GMS
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« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2017, 10:23:26 PM »


Is it really 30 meters long?  That is a lot of material.  Maybe one can buy less.

Joe-W3GMS 
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WD8KDG
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« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2017, 11:28:16 PM »

Forbo is the stuff, I used Pewter 4155. Someone else in Washington state, KE7GPO, bought enough for two attempts. Keith got it right on the first try and the remainder headed my way.

Regards,
Craig







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WD8KDG
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« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2017, 11:43:03 PM »

Now, to get the new material stuck to the desk..................I used a 3M spray adhesive, can't remember which? But required a coat on the bare desk, a coat on the new material...........let set for a few minutes then get it on correct.

Use two people.......we worked on a warm day so the material would lay flat. Put the material down on clean area. Use enough to lay the desk upside down on top of material.......centered. Try dry run first, no adhesive. I marked where to set the desk top on the new material and knew where to spray the 3M adhesive.

Trim the extra off with a carpet knife, new blade!

 Hardest part is getting the two trim strips removed without breaking. Work slowly on one end and pry it out a little at a time. Many screw drivers of different sizes will be needed.

Craig,
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KB2WIG
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« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2017, 01:31:55 AM »



"....getting the two trim strips removed without breaking.."

Try to get an old fashioned putty knife, the thin type.   A bit better than screwdrivers; grind 'er down thin in you want.

klc
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WD8KDG
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« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2017, 09:37:38 AM »

The two trim strips are barbed (or sumthin like that). Edges of the desk portion snap over the entire barbed length of the strips. A real pain in the backside, but gotta be done to replace the material. One way or the other, pry that puppy outa there. Grin

Regards,
Craig
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2017, 06:22:19 PM »

Since the old stuff has to come off anyway, maybe easier to cut it close and work back to the edge to remove them?

Joe - if it ends up you need to buy a lot to get what you need, keep me in mind. One of the station tables here needs to be recovered with it.
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Detroit47
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« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2017, 10:27:22 AM »

Hey guys thanks for all the response. If anyone wants to buy a quantity of the material and split the cost let me know. I haven't checked on a price or talked to a distributor. If someone else does please let me know how you did.

Thanks John N8QPC 
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KD6VXI
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« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2017, 11:25:37 AM »

John,

A talk with a local (as the kids say, old school) old timer flooring guy can give some tricks as to how to deal with the edges.

I worked in a flooring warehouse as a kid, we had a lot of different style edges to trim out vinyl/pleather/linoleum and the guys had a few cool tricks.

Automotive door tools, harbor freight, are non marry and good at not digging in and gouging like metal putty knives might.

As to adhesive....  The local car stereo boom boom shop usually stocks the 3M.spray stuff.  I found a rattle can at ACE.  Works great at new meter faces, btw.

Good luck!

--Shane
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W3GMS
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« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2017, 05:47:57 PM »

Since the old stuff has to come off anyway, maybe easier to cut it close and work back to the edge to remove them?

Joe - if it ends up you need to buy a lot to get what you need, keep me in mind. One of the station tables here needs to be recovered with it.

Will do Todd.  You will remember I have two Johnson Desks and one Johnson KW thanks to you.  I would like to do both of my desks. 

I also need to talk to the dealer and find out what the minimum buys are.  I noticed they do have a local dealer not that far here in PA. 

More to follow.

Joe-GMS
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W3GMS
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« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2017, 05:50:00 PM »

Hey guys thanks for all the response. If anyone wants to buy a quantity of the material and split the cost let me know. I haven't checked on a price or talked to a distributor. If someone else does please let me know how you did.

Thanks John N8QPC 

John,

Let me know what your distributor says as far as minimum quantity buys and I will do the same with their dealer near me here in PA.  If the stores are different we can go with the one that makes sense. 

73,
Joe-W3GMS   
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Detroit47
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« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2017, 06:06:16 PM »

Joe
The local distributor is Menards I Spoke with a clueless girl on phone . I will make a trip there Monday.  They have another local distributor.  But it will be Monday also.

John
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W3GMS
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« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2017, 07:29:33 PM »

Joe
The local distributor is Menards I Spoke with a clueless girl on phone . I will make a trip there Monday.  They have another local distributor.  But it will be Monday also.

John

Thanks John.  It will be interesting to hear what they have to say after you visit them in person.

Joe
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WD8KDG
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« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2017, 07:13:09 PM »

Finial tips:

Need two clean work areas, close to each other. I used a shipping mat on the garage floor as the glue area. A table top where the over size material has been glued and now needs to be rolled from the center out to the edges, then trimmed is area #2.

Place new material good face down on shipping mat. (Dry Run) With two people practice setting desktop down on material. Use a marking pen to locate where to place desktop. That way the entire surface of the material does "not" need a coating of adhesive. I'll bet the two people will use the ribs on the under side of the desktop in order to move it to the table top/trim area. When I applied the adhesive to both the desktop & material, brother & I set it on the material. I then stood on top of the ribs for a brief moment or two. Then the lift.........flip.......and trip to the trim area.

Have a rolling pin, pizza dough roller or sumthin to work the material from the center out to the edges. If you got the desktop onto the material correctly, there shouldn't be any air bubbles. But work quickly before the adhesive really sets. As one would sit at the operating position of the Desk KW, the left & right edges are easy to trim. The carpet knife will use the metal edges of the desktop as a guide. This is a piece of cake. ""Big Hint""::::  Grin  The groves where the two trim pieces go, are your guide to cut/trim the front & back edges. ""Another Big Hint""::::: Grin    The Forbo material is the correct thickness needed for the two trim piece to clamp the material to the desktop!!!!! You ain't gonna slide it under those two trim pieces. This is the reason for the barbs!!!! After trimming the front & back edges, use a soft mallet to pound the trim back into place. This holds everything in place.

Gud Luck,

Craig
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Detroit47
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« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2017, 08:09:58 PM »

Craig
Thanks for the advice. No need to reinvent the wheel.

John N8QPC
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KD0HUX
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« Reply #19 on: April 30, 2017, 02:43:45 PM »

 Another ideal Huh Tinted Glass Top Huh Not original but looks good Smiley
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WD8KDG
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« Reply #20 on: April 30, 2017, 06:17:13 PM »

Clear 1/4 inch tempered glass ain't bad.  Grin

Regards,
Craig


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