leather valet tray Valet Tray: Take 2

[YinTx]

Second go at the leather valet tray.  Not entirely happy with it, although it turned out functional enough... working on 2,3 and 4 as we speak...

I think the brass rivets are more difficult than copper rivets from what I can see of folks using them in videos... all I can say is I could barely nip the tips off and rounding it with a very large ball peen  hammer was a chore.  Metal got hot from hammering!  Enjoy...

 

YinTx

[Thor]

This is looking really nice!

[MADMAX22]

Looking good. 

Suggestion, if your having issues with the brass rivets they may be hard from the manufacturing process or just the makeup of the brass. Try annealing a few of them and see if that helps at all. The brass will reharden as you work it but should give ya the ability to round the end of the rivet before it gets too hard. 

[Tugadude]

Big improvement from the first if I remember.  I'm not a huge fan of these trays.  I just don't like the aesthetics of the excess material when the corners are gathered.  Not your design, all of the similar ones.  If it were mine I'd try to scallop the corners so when drawn together it stays more boxy.   Having said that, your execution is great. 

[venator]

Its' hard to tell if it's lined or if that's just the flesh side?  Is it lined?

 

Also, love the tray, very nice look.

[YinTx]

Max,

Thanks for the hint, I may have to anneal to see how it works.  Just broke my granite since I had to hammer it so hard!  BAH.  So just spent $20 on an anvil from H.F.  I'll see if that does any better.  After I finish mashing the last 2 rivets in the second one, I'll put up a couple of photos of it as well.  

Not such a big fan of the style of tray either, so I had tried a different version, which was the first one I did.  The vertical sides didn't appeal to me, so I tried this version with the rivets.  I thought maybe these would be simple to make, but turned out not so simple with the tooled inserts and dye, finish, 3 coats of edge paint,etc.  

They are lined with suede, Venator.  Hence the painted edges vs. my usual beeswax burnish.

YinTx

[OLDNSLOW]

Those look great and interested in knowing what you used for the edge paint on those, it is hard to tell.

Thanks

[YinTx]

Oldnslow,

Thanks for the compliment.  I used the Fenice Brown Edge finish marketed by Tandy as Eco-Flo Professional Edge Dressing - Brown.  They had a sale here 32 oz for $8.50 or so, so I thought I'd try it out.  Suede backed veg tan seemed like a good challenge for it, seems to have done well.   3 coats, first one melted in with a hot iron, second one sanded down, third  one left alone.  I could have probably slicked it with some paraffin for a better shine, but I decided to leave well enough alone this time around.

Hope that helps.

YinTx

[onlyoblivion]

Gorgeous!

[YinTx]

Oblivion!!  Welcome back, long time no see!  and, Thank you!

YinTx