Large round serving/coffee table tray

[CloudyCreek]

Hey all. 

I was asked to make a large (18 inch diameter) round leather tray for a coffee table. But I’m not certain how to form the walls.

I’ve made rectangular trays from a single piece of leather, but not sure I can make a round tray from one piece without wet molding, which I’d like to avoid if possible. Not certain if I’ll make more so trying to avoid having to make molds. 

I’ve found some photos of large serving trays, but the walls look like they’re separate pieces. They can’t all be boxed stitched, right?

Any thoughts? Here’s a photo of a simple tray I made with my keychain design. 

Thanks!

 

[Carson]

Yes you could make make something like that but have 2 inch walls and the thing is that no wet molding is required to do that. That would be a good size for a coffee table tray and you could do two sets of stitches bottom and top and just cut it like Wilma flinstones dress.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Carson

[CloudyCreek]

Hey Carson.  Not entirely following how I’d sew the walls to the tray bottom. Could you elaborate?

[Northmount]

I'm thinking that an 18" tray will be kind of floppy if you attempt to pick it up off the coffee table with anything much in it.

Consider using a piece of plywood.  Cover it with leather on both sides, glued in place.  Cut a strip 2" or so wide.  Glue and nail it to the plywood with upholstery tacks.  Something like this would give you lots of options for decoration too.  Inside could be tooled/stamped.  Top edge of the side could be laced.  Side could be double layer so the grain side shows on both inside and outside.

Might have to try this myself for a fun project!

Tom

[Carson]

1 hour ago, CloudyCreek said:

Hey Carson.  Not entirely following how I’d sew the walls to the tray bottom. Could you elaborate?

Well if you watch someone make a wet molded pouch they cut these little noches in the leather so you don’t get “ bubbles” and that is what you could do on something like that and just put two holes in one set and put two sets or even three sets of holes and saddle stitch them togeather and maybe have eight or so and so it would look somewhat round I can make a totarial later tonight when I get to my shop so you can check then about 9 mountain standered time and I will have something up about it. The leather would be cut from one piece and stitched and glued togeather. 

[Stetson912]

How about instead of walls you make it bowl shaped? You could take the round of leather, cut a radius, then fold it on itself and stitch or use snaps. Basically it ends up being a cone but if the round is wide enough it's a very wide cone, and you could probably get the bottom pretty flat. Just an idea, maybe worth an experiment. Instead of cutting from the center out, maybe leave a gap of an inch or two. 

Alternatively, wet moulding wouldn't be hard if you already have a large bowl or platter that you like the shape of, you could use that as a mold. 

Another thought would be using 2 pieces of leather. Think of a hat bring, it's really just a round of leather with a hole in it. You could stitch a base piece to the bottom side of this really big washer and then shape the sides with minor molding.

Those are my ideas, i know the molding and two pieces ideas aren't ideal, but it's the best I got haha. 

[CloudyCreek]

3 hours ago, Carson said:

Well if you watch someone make a wet molded pouch they cut these little noches in the leather so you don’t get “ bubbles” and that is what you could do on something like that and just put two holes in one set and put two sets or even three sets of holes and saddle stitch them togeather and maybe have eight or so and so it would look somewhat round I can make a totarial later tonight when I get to my shop so you can check then about 9 mountain standered time and I will have something up about it. The leather would be cut from one piece and stitched and glued togeather. 

Ah now I see. Not really the look I was going for but if you want to make one, go ahead and share! 

[Carson]

57 minutes ago, CloudyCreek said:

Ah now I see. Not really the look I was going for but if you want to make one, go ahead and share! 

If you want I can do more cuts than8 to make it like round the one I will make will be smaller but I can give you the pattern and you can upscale it if you like.