Flocking Powder (glue sold separately)
Note: image is generic only
Most woodcraft surfaces are finished in clear varnish to bring out the grain and colour of beautiful timber, but there are some places where a finish which hides the timber is preferable. For example the bottom of a small box can be made of ply if both the inside of the box and the bottom are coated. But what coating do you use? Paint is OK but wears and does not enhance a finished piece.
Years ago, people used "contact suede" similar to the surface of a billiard table. Now flocking powder is available. It gives you the same suede finish but is a lot easier to apply and makes it easier for you to get a professional finish. It comes in two separate parts. One is a tin of glue, the other is a bag of flocking powder. These both need to be the same colour so there is no bleed-through from the timber that will ruin the effect of the powder coating.
It is easy to work with. Firstly paint the glue onto the area to be covered. It is a good idea to apply sanding sealer before the glue to reduce absorption of the glue into the wood and make the glue go further. Apply the glue carefully and neatly because this determines where the flocking is going to stick.
If you want a neat edge you will need to paint the glue neatly and wipe off excess glue "around the corner" to get a crisp line. Then apply the flocking powder by sprinkling it onto the wet glue surface. Put plenty of flocking powder onto the surface by sprinkling it onto the surface for a luxurious finish, because you can tip excess off for re-use once dried, which minimises waste. Always work over a clean tray so the excess is easy to reclaim and is not contaminated with dirt.
To coat the inside of a box with flocking is easy. Just paint glue on the inside, tip in plenty of flocking powder, secure the lid, shake vigorously then tip out the excess. It gives a perfect finish with no gaps in the corners. Apply flocking to flat surfaces using a domestic flour sieve over the tray. The glue is waterbased so wash up glue brushes in water. Leave to dry overnight and do not touch the fresh surface. If you do you will make marks which are difficult to get out. If you make a mistake and miss an area, simply paint on more glue & apply more flocking powder. The coverage is one small pack (75g powder and 200mL glue) is 1.2m2.