The Transmogrified Victorian Reporter's Notepad

I have a friend who writes for a few magazines and a local newspaper - this is a gift I made for him. Like me, he likes Steampunk/Victorian-era-type items. This is my attempt at creating a reporter's notepad with an archaic look and feel.

Tools used:

Cordless Drill (not the best choice, but more on this later)
Sandpaper and File
Drill Bits
Clamps
Cutting Blade (for leather)

Metal used:

1 piece @ $6.83/piece
Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare Plate 0.25" Cut to: 3.5" x 5"
1 piece @ $1.37/piece
Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare Plate 0.25" Cut to: 1" x 3.5"
1 piece @ $5.46/piece
Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare Plate 0.25" Cut to: 3.5" x 4"

Miscellaneous materials used:

Leather binding: ~ $2.00
Brass screw posts (bag of 6 but using only 2): ~ $1.75
Brass screw post extensions (1/4" x 2): ~ $1.00
Paint: ~ $0.00 (leftover from previous project)
Graph Paper Pad (for qty 2): ~ $2.25
Brass Hinges (x2) ~ $0.50

Total cost: approx $21.00

Metal was purchased online from www.onlinemetals.com
Brass screws were purchased from www.talasonline.com

Step 1 Components - Aluminum, Leather, Screws, and Hinges

While I originally wanted this notepad to be made from brass, the cost of the 3 pieces was almost $90.00 compared to less than $15.00 for the aluminum. I ordered it pre-cut from www.onlinemetals.com. My measurements were based on the small graph pads I purchased locally from a Sam Flax store. The cover and backplate have approx. 1/4" extra space around the graph pad when the pad is attached inside.

The aluminum pieces are 1/4" thick - it's heavy enough to give the entire notepad a nice solid feel. Using 1/8" aluminum was considered - while it's easier to drill holes through, I found that it's a little too thin and is easy to bend if you're not careful. Below are the dimensions of the 3 pieces:

1 piece @ $6.83/piece
Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare Plate 0.25" Cut to: 3.5" x 5"
1 piece @ $1.37/piece
Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare Plate 0.25" Cut to: 1" x 3.5"
1 piece @ $5.46/piece
Aluminum 6061-T6 Bare Plate 0.25" Cut to: 3.5" x 4"

The leather used is a simple 48" strip (3" wide) of black 1/8" leather. It's easy to cut with a sharp blade and will wrap the notepad's left edge. This was purchased locally at my handy Tandy Leather Company store.

The brass screw posts (also called Chicago screws) were purchased online at www.talasonline.com - my local Ace Hardware had "brass" screw posts but they weren't real brass - after putting a screwdriver to them, I discovered they were simply painted/coated lightly and were easy to scratch and see the aluminum underneath. Extensions are available, too, if you find the complete assembly is too thick. In this case, the 1" screw posts were just a little bit too short so I added in two 1/4" extensions (as you'll see in step 7).

I purchased a small package of 4 brass hinges at Hobby Lobby for $1.00 and the small graph pads were just a little over $1.00 each at Sam Flax.

Additional Thoughts:

I have a strip of tan leather (1/4" thick) that also would have looked nice, but it is much more difficult to bend and secure with the screw posts due to its thickness. I'm going to try and purchase a 48" strip of tan leather in 1/8" thickness for a future project.

Also, I love the brass screw posts - they are heavy and solid feeling. They also come in nickel and I'm going to get a few of those for future projects, too - they might look nice against that black leather.

Comments

[Lunare]

Sweeeet. I can't wait till my aluminum comes in. :D

[jktechwriter]

I'd love to see pictures of your results when you're done!